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Coyote mapping?

Started 2 years ago by goodgraces
Latest reply from JeffSavoie

goodgraces
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I've followed the coyote sighting threads over the last few years with great interest. I've never seen one reporting a sighting on Pigeon Point, but due to the recent killing of our World's Best Cat (WBC), I can fully attest now that they exist up here, living in the greenbelt behind Cooper/Pathfinder, above West Marginal Way. And practically every other neighbor up here claims to have seen them around these parts, including the teachers up at Pathfinder (recently).

I was wondering if anyone's done a compile of all the sighting threads to put together a primitive map of sorts re: where the coyotes live in WS? I'm now starting to believe it's everywhere! There was the Gatewood sighting today, and of course there are lots of reported sightings near the Golf Course (Camp Long), Schmitz Park, Lincoln Park, in the green "corridor" under the Admiral bridge, etc. I wonder how many live in WS now? Their numbers surely must be growing. And it seems that nearly every large park or greenbelt in WS has (its own?) residents.

Which is definitely cool, even despite the taking down of other cool neighborhood critters (WBC, RIP , fine fella).

Posted 2 years ago #
Ken
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I would assume coyotes are living in all greenbelts. I know they are in the longfellow creek/camp long area near me. When highpoint was torn down and fenced, I saw as many a 7 in a group.

Posted 2 years ago #
goodgraces
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Wow, 7 all at once? Old and young? That's wild. Literally, heh.

Posted 2 years ago #
westseattledood
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First, my condolences to you about WBC. That is sad.

You know, I am not certain, but do I remember there being some discussion about mapping the coyotes in the comments to one of WSB's stories? Wasn't somebody in town mapping sightings a couple of years ago?

I have never heard or seen any over here near the West Duwamish greenbelt in Highland Park. I wonder if they are in there. I am pretty close to the dog park and wonder if that deters them? Hmmm. Interesting.

Posted 2 years ago #
clark5080
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My mother in law lives up there and there are Fox there also.

Jim

Posted 2 years ago #
WSB
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The person who was making a Seattle map gave it up a year or two ago. Our archive has everything that's been e-mailed to us and many individual maps but keeping a comprehensive map is way too time-consuming, with little usage (we do them for one-offs sometimes like Christmas morning coffee, or road work, and of course we grab simple Google map links for as many locations of meetings, events, etc., as we can).

Best maps ever on WSB were the ones Alice Enevoldsen made during the snowstorm from all the road condition reports that came in - but that was practically a fulltime job (she volunteered, bless her heart, but if that happens again this year, I will pay her or anyone else who wants to do it - we didn't start being able to pay for help till after the first of the year).

Posted 2 years ago #
goodgraces
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Yes, those snow storm maps were completely awesome. One like that re: the coyotes would be really neat. I wonder if it would be hard to learn how to do that?

clark5080 -- I would SO love to see a fox up here. Where does your MIL live on PP?

I wrote my Master's thesis at UW on the history in Seattle of attitudes toward urban wildlife in the 20th century. So I guess I'm still interested in the subject. Despite having recently experienced the (very) sad side of coexistence with our urban predator friends.

Posted 2 years ago #
westseattledood
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Hear that Alice? Your hooked up for Snow Event '10. Coincidentally, I bought a snow shovel today!

Ok back to coyotes. Yeah, trying to exhaustively map the creatures might be kind of useless, unless the animals were tagged/IDed. I remember reading a study conducted back in the Midwest plains in an urban area - I want to say around Chicago or in the Plains area - where scientist tracked urban coyote territories, social behaviors, food sources, etc. It was only one of two studies, that I could find anyway, on urban coyotes. But what I also recall is that they are the most widespread in urban areas in the Midwest, but they are also pervasive in all urban landscapes in the contiguous states. Successful adaptors, they are.

Posted 2 years ago #
WSB
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GG, Google Maps are fairly easy to use, at least in the basic "find an address, put a marker down" sense - that's how we made the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day maps (hey! we're almost halfway home till the next one!) - and we had almost TWO HUNDRED locations to get onto that map last time. Just time-consuming. I am no tech whiz, not by a loooooooooooooooong shot. You can read a tutorial on the Google site somewhere. http://maps.google.com

Posted 2 years ago #
clark5080
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Just up above Boren on 21st. they have seen it in the gully behind their house

Posted 2 years ago #
Leroniusmonkfish
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Don't forget to include off-leash dogs, raccoons and nighttime ninja squirrels. Blood thirsty beasts they all are...

Posted 2 years ago #
JanS
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when I was a homeowner (until '97), we were on Genessee Hill on 54th just south of Charlestown, and I saw red fox in Schmitz Park, sometimes walking the streets in the early morning hours in front of my house, and over in the grenbelt that goes from just past 55th and Genessee down to Me-Kwa-Mooks. They're adorable, small with bushy big tails. Have wondered if there are still any in there.
I understand they were in Camp Long and the golf course, too.

Posted 2 years ago #
KBear
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I think it's safe to say coyotes are everywhere in West Seattle. No map needed.

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
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goodgraces.. i am so sorry you lost your cat...

I think we can safely assume that both coyotes and other urban predators are in all our urban spaces. A few days ago we watched a good sized raccoon amble by on the sidewalk in front of our urban home on it's way somewhere... in broad daylight... and i know they have been in the yard more than once at night.

We don't let the Shiba dogs out alone at night now.. even though i think the two of them would be a match for most predators... they are fierce hunters... but they wouldn't be likely to come out of it unharmed.

I fear for the three cats that live somewhere at our end of the alley.

Posted 2 years ago #
JenV
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I can tell you without a doubt they're in Fauntleroy Park ravine..the BF can hear them nightly from his house, and he has seen them as well - mamas and babies. there's quite a few down there.

Posted 2 years ago #
JeffSavoie
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I'd be very interested in hearing of any recent fox sightings, since I haven't heard of any for a few years now.

The West Seattle Golf Course's logo, is a fox, because they used to be quite common there.
Now coyotes are, and the head groundskeeper sees coyotes, with cats in their mouths all too often.

But, since the coyote population in Seattle, West Seattle in particular, has burgeoned over the past decade, and they are known to predate upon foxes borne of competitive and territorial drives, foxes are becoming extremely rare.

When I lived on Pigeon Point (22nd and the Genesee stairs), I saw foxes fairly often.

The construction of the new Cooper School seemed to have an effect on the regularity of sightings, and coincides with the growth of the area's coyote population.

Though, I believe, we are just now seeing the effects of the "shockwaves" created by I-713.
And that these types of wildlife conflicts will only increase.

Here's a link to an overview of I-713; http://wdfw.wa.gov/factshts/i-713.htm

We can look south, to California, as a trend setting example, and expect human attacks to rise here, too, in the next ten years (which is how many years they are ahead of us in implementing similar restrictions on trapping, and hunting regulations).

As a former King County Rep, for the trapper's association, I took and still take a lot of heat, from trappers and fellow wildlife professionals, over my willingness to try to help solve the problem "created by King County voters"... (or, "my neighbors", they say)... I have been accused of "sleeping with the devil" and worse, called "an anti".

Many believe you've made your beds, and you now have to sleep in them.

I'm not willing to wait and see a small child attacked and injured or worse, I'd like to get ahead of the curve, before it gets ahead of us.

I urge you all to contact your county representatives, and legislators, and encourage them to work with the Washington State Trappers Association, to rewrite the law so that professionals like myself, and commercial fur trappers, can assist in stopping this deadly epidemic of coyote population growth before it's tragically too late.

King Co Council; http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/Councilmembers.aspx

Legislature Home page; http://www.leg.wa.gov/pages/home.aspx

Jeff Savoie
All City Animal Control

Posted 2 years ago #
dhg
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I hate traps. But I also hate the idea that all the foxes might've been killed, as well as wandering kitties. Now a story comes from Canada that a 19 yr old folksinger has been killed by coyotes in a national park. That does make ignoring the beasties difficult. Perhaps the feral cat people could trap and neuter them. Then we could feed them on the porches like the racoons until old age takes them.........

Posted 2 years ago #
JenV
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here's the story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8331106.stm

they came for the cats, and I said nothing. then, they came for the folk singers.

Posted 2 years ago #
JeffSavoie
Member Profile

DHG,

The following, are, totally serious questions...

Where does this hatred of traps come from?
Do you know much about traps?
And is there a particular type, you hate most?

Have you ever heard of the Collarum?

I was hugely saddened by the recent story out of Canada, I can't imagine how her family and friends must feel.
I somehow bet they hate coyotes, and the idea of traps is looking pretty good to them, though.

But I am always, and never, at the same time, surprised by the justifications made for wild animals doing what they do.
So I bet there's actually a mix of reaction and sentiment in regard to the incident.

Maybe this link will help you not to ignore the wicked little beasties, even further?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote#Attacks_on_humans

This is a pretty good read, with some really good information on pet management, the modern methods of capture, and fertility management.
*It's co-authored by Alan Huot, inventor of the Collarum.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=icwdm_wdmconfproc

Jen,

I won't have to say, later, that I said nothing now.
Because, I say, now, we fix this... in "a stitch in time saves nine" way.

I doubt Taylor's friends and family would find much humor in your post, I know I don't.

And I usually love a play on words.

Jeff Savoie

Posted 2 years ago #
datamuse
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WestSeattleDood: I haven't seen them in Westcrest, but I have seen them in/near the Greenbelt further north.

Posted 2 years ago #
westseattledood
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Datamuse-

I figured they might be in there somewhere - you mean on northside of HP Way - PeeWee Field area, right?

Posted 2 years ago #
dhg
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Jeff: First, I was making a joke but it does reflect my uncomfortable feelings about death. The collarum, as a trap, is totally supportable. Feet traps should remain illegal.
I've seen a coyote crossing the street to Fauntleroy church, one in Lincoln Park and one close to Five Corners. They are out there and I think something will have to be done in the next few years. Their population will grow as the feral cat population diminishes.

JenV: Loved it. Already quoted it.

Posted 2 years ago #
JeffSavoie
Member Profile

Westseattledood,

Coyotes are so common in the greenbelt below Pee Wee Field, that you have to watch your step, or clean your shoes. ;)

DHG,

Fair enough, I guess I missed that you meant it in jest.

The modern foothold trap, isn't the toothed bear trap of cartoon infamy.
I'd be glad to show you, that I'd stick my own hand in one.

I saw a guy teaching a seminar on modern methods do it, and walk around with it clamped onto his fingers for a half hour.
The trap he used was un-padded... and the law requires rubber pads to be used, on foothold traps, legal under special permits, in this state.

*It's a matter of pressure per square inch, and the load has been spread over a wider area. And the modern foothold doesn't close tight, jaw to jaw, in order to hold the foot anymore.

If I knew my dog was willing, I'd have allowed him to be caught in one.

At the present time, the Collarum is not legal, here.
That's one of the things the WSTA is working on.

But we, as an organization, are spinning our own wheels, with the legislation never being able to find the time on their busy (cough cough) schedule, or write a passage of law that's passable (as worded).

The population level won't change all that drastically, it's leveled off to a large degree already, what will grow, is the level of aggression they show, and the regularity with which they predate upon the indigenous prey species and our pets (especially as the feral cat population drops, or becomes non-existent).

We had a "safety net" of sorts in place, with fur trappers catching coyotes outside of the urban areas, before they found their way in, and became established.
I-713 blew that net full of holes...

With the Seattle Parks Department's current "hands off" policy, on nuisance wildlife, we may never be able to get a handle on the situation.

It wasn't until the City of Los Angeles was sued for aiding coyotes through "harboring" them on park and city properties, that they changed their own similar policies.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-coyoteman27-2009jan27,0,7697643.story

Jeff Savoie

Posted 2 years ago #