West Seattle wildlife: Two reader alerts for pet owners

First, from LT:

We’ve been hearing some very persistent howls of what I believe are coyotes. We’re at 46th Ave SW and Erskine, and it’s quite loud. Just might be a good time to remind pet owners to keep animals indoors and just keep an eye out.

And from Dave:

Another reminder to be careful about your outdoor pets.

I live on the 3700 block of SW Webster Street, and sometime (Sunday) night a raccoon or coyote killed our next-door neighbor’s cat and left the remains in our backyard. It was a horrifying way to find out that your pet had been killed.

I’m sure our proximity to the Orchard Ravine green belt makes us more likely to see this sort of activity, and raccoons are always around. We haven’t seen a coyote around here, but it was something of size, because the scene was macabre.

23 Replies to "West Seattle wildlife: Two reader alerts for pet owners"

  • Joseph August 3, 2011 (4:56 am)

    Yesterday morning around 4 am while walking my dog on SW Holden and 30th there was a coyote walking up the street. He saw me and my dog an started coming towards us. Glad I been reading this blog. Started waving my hands over my head and making a loud noise This scared the coyote and he took off.

  • TeeTaw August 3, 2011 (7:46 am)

    There is a family of them right below my house at 44th and Portland. They come and go but I have seen them regulary all summer. Cats should be in at night and supervised if outside during the day.

  • Aman August 3, 2011 (8:39 am)

    BIG male Coyote sighted approx. 5:00 a.m. Thursday, July 28th in middle of 1300 block of Sunset Ave. SW in North Admiral.

  • wsguy August 3, 2011 (8:59 am)

    Thanks for the Seaview heads up!!!

  • BSmith August 3, 2011 (11:22 am)

    Two weeks ago our family came home to a coyote in our back yard. He was not afraid of the car driving into the driveway or us getting out of the car. He just sat there and stared just a few feet away. My husband scared him off, but he came right back and lingered for another hour or so. We were safely on our elevated deck watching. I hope he stays safe. We are near 35th and Avalon, and I feared he would run up into traffic.

  • foyboy August 3, 2011 (12:18 pm)

    Time to put a bounty on these killers of our house pets. We should not have to live in fear of our pets lives. After all they are treading on mans natural enviroment. It is time to catch or shoot and relocate them. I guess people won’t do anything till one of these pet killers take a bite out of one of our kids. This area is mans turf not the coyotes.

  • Robin Levin August 3, 2011 (12:22 pm)

    Should we consider some humane way of removing the coyotes from this area, i.e. relocating them in the wild? A large coyote can maul and even kill a small child–it’s happened in other places.
    I hope it does not escalate further, as several people have lost their pets already. Personally, if I wanted to share space with coyotes, I would move to the country.

  • sunshine August 3, 2011 (1:30 pm)

    Heard my first today, and it really did give me involuntary shivvers, just like everyone says! Very loud and persistent howling/yelping at 7:40 this morning in the greenspace east of Beach drive and Jacobsen. It really sounded like the thing or things were in distress.

  • amy August 3, 2011 (1:39 pm)

    LT, I heard that last night as well. I was wondering if that was what the sound was. I was planning to listen to a sound bite of coyotes on the internet. I have two small children so it spooked me a bit. I’m a neighbor of yours it seems.

  • Paul August 3, 2011 (2:38 pm)

    Just scratch it’s belly

  • Chuck and Sally's Van Man August 3, 2011 (2:47 pm)

    @TeeTaw: How does one supervise a cat? It’s got to be right up there next to trying to herd them, I would imagine :) But yes, please keep them inside not only for their own safety, but that of the songbirds they like to feast on.

    And @foyboy–you might as well try to boil the ocean. The day when the state would go on an extermination/bounty hunt is long gone. We have hawks, eagles, owls, foxes and coyotes, all wanting to eat whatever scraps left in THEIR natural environment, including the crappy rats we invited in. If they get a pet or two, tough luck. If you leave your kid where a coyote can get it, that’s on you. Hey, if we can “supervise” cats, we sure as heck should be able to watch our kids.

    Carry on.

  • pjmanley August 3, 2011 (3:18 pm)

    I’m not gonna say “I told you so,” when we get there, but everyone knows where this is going. It’s all so natural, righteous, and precious, until it happens to you. BTW, coyotes, schmyotes! The re-introduced wolves are already in Cle Elum. We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

  • twirl-a-whirl August 3, 2011 (3:37 pm)

    We finally got a hunting dog to protect our small dog and cats. We only had to turn it loose once on the coyotes and we haven’t had to deal with them since — they learn fast! They still howl across the ravine from us, but they no longer venture down or around our street.

  • livesherenow August 3, 2011 (3:39 pm)

    Thank you Chuck and Sally. I wasn’t going to take the bait because I figured anyone ignorant enough to make foyboy’s comment is an obvious troll. If not, all I can say is Team Coyote!

  • Chris August 3, 2011 (3:42 pm)

    I am in agreement about taking the necessary precautions to protect any children (of the human kind or otherwise). I do not blame the coyotes, I feel they are part of nature and while the idea of them hurting one of my dogs or cats is horrifying, I still do not blame them. I will take extra precautions to ensure my pets’ safety and I feel like everyone else should do the same without demonizing these coyotes. It’s not like they’re trying to pick our locks to get into our houses and as has been referenced several times on this blog, just don’t give them any reason to want to be there. Similar to when you might go camping and how you would be mindful as to not attract bears.

  • Frank August 3, 2011 (7:10 pm)

    “We’ve been hearing some very persistent howls of what I believe are coyotes. We’re at 46th Ave SW and Erskine, and it’s quite loud.”

    No. This was NOT a coyote. I just moved to the neighborhood near 47th and Dawson. The noise this person describes came from my neighbor’s house across the alley. There is a young beagle that’s been left alone at home at night. It gets out through a doggie door and howls like crazy. Last night, it didn’t stop for THREE hours, so I called the police to report the noise disturbance.

    According to some other neighbors across the street, there is a young girl house sitting for a man who’s traveled to Hawaii. She leaves the dog alone all night. It’s pretty cruel to the dog and inconsiderate of the neighborhood. It’s a great welcome-to-the-neighborhood!

    So stop worrying about coyotes. It’s an inconsiderate young human female that’s the problem here.

  • enviromaven August 3, 2011 (10:40 pm)

    Mans natural environment? Mans natural turf? Whoa! Somebody needs to read up a bit on geography and natural history.

  • LT August 3, 2011 (11:47 pm)

    I guess it could have been a lonely beagle, but it sure didn’t sound like one to me. Also, we’ve heard the same noises on a number of occasions over the last several months from various locations. I think it’s great that there is a variety of wildlife in the area, but if I had an outdoor pet I’d be wary, just in case.

  • ttt August 4, 2011 (8:32 am)

    The howl is a dog in the yard. Beagles have pretty distinct howls. Coyotes don’t howl as often as you might think (country girl moved to the big city speaking here)…
    I’m sad to read so many people that love their animal/pet yet hate the animals who have been here long before them… keep your pets in when you’re not home and keep your pet food inside. Urban coyotes actually help keep down the rat population and getting bit or attacked by an urban coyote is very rare compared to getting bitten or attacked by a domesticated dog.

    • WSB August 4, 2011 (8:41 am)

      Guys – the beagle possibility has been raised – please don’t elaborate on it further; at this point it doesn’t violate rules of specifically identifying people with allegations that cannot be proven, but a few comments that we have not approved have been close, or have attributed motives or attitudes to whomever owns the dog that may or may not be involved here. If you have a concern, please call the Seattle Animal Shelter, or talk to the neighbors; otherwise, keep this discussion to coyotes, about which we report as something of a public service, since so many people STILL seem to be unaware of the recommended behavior to keep wildlife and humans safe from each other! – TR

  • JoAnne August 4, 2011 (9:16 am)

    When coyotes are actively invading an urban area, it is pointless to relocate them. Any turf vacated would be occupied immediately by another pack or individual.

    People are generally tolerant of the coyote’s presence, and that is why these territories are so appealing and why the invasion will continue, probably until carrying capacities are reached.

  • juli August 4, 2011 (8:59 pm)

    Three adults and 2 adolescents spotted off Myrtle street last night at 11pm. I chased them with my truck down a dead end…someones back yard. I have seen these coyotes before. Seen them around the ravine/ greenbelt area .

  • Mike August 4, 2011 (11:08 pm)

    I’m more fearful of the goofball inattentive drivers, cyclists and pedestrians than I am of coyotes. If I was to follow foyboy’s mindset but apply it to my fears… we should shoot and relocate idiots.
    .
    I had a raccoon walk 2 feet from me the other night as I took out some recycling. He looked at me, I looked at him, I raised my hands and went ‘bwahblahblahblah’ really loud. He looked at me with the “you’re nuts human” and kept walking. I fear raccoons more than coyotes, coyotes are less likely to come near you, raccoons will rip you apart. That said, I still think they are an awesome creature and don’t mind them living near by. My dog will bark at them, but as long as she’s the coward she is, she’ll never try to corner or attack one and get her 65lb self shredded up.
    .
    Maybe it’s because I grew up in the sticks and hunted as a kid. I just don’t have that fear of nature like so many people posting on here. If it was a Grizzly with her cub… ya, I’d be freaked out… cause that’s pretty much a death warrant for you. Coyote… not so much.
    .
    Here foyboy, found you a solution. Get a Llama or Donkey, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8oO-GypOLA

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