Westchester County and New Castle police offer advice on how to avoid conflicts with coyotes

July 2, 2010
by Susie Pender

In a Nixle alert on Thursday, July 1, New Castle Police Chief Charles Ferry stated: “The recent reports of two coyote attacks in nearby Rye, New York, has raised concerns about living with coyotes here in New Castle. Coyote attacks are rare, but residents should be aware of precautions that can be taken to avoid conflicts and protect their property.”

A Westchester County alert, issued on Wednesday, June 30, reminded county residents “to presume, as a precaution, that any coyotes that attack people could have rabies.”

“There is always the possibility that coyotes can carry rabies,” said Dr. Cheryl Archbald, Westchester County’s Acting Health Commissioner. “Anyone who is bitten or scratched by a coyote should go to the nearest hospital. In fact, all animal bites should be reported to the Westchester County Department of Health at 914-813-5000, so that the individual can be evaluated for rabies treatment.”

“Coyotes usually do not attack humans,” the Westchester County alert stated. But residents should following recommendations by the county and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to reduce the likelihood of a coyote encounter and to keep them away from homes.

If you see a coyote:

• Be aggressive in your behavior: stand tall, maintain eye contact, make loud noises, shout in a loud voice, wave your arms, and throw sticks and stones.
• As you try to scare it away and head indoors or to a more populated area,
do not turn your back and run, as the coyote will then view you as prey and give chase.
• Call 911. Do not try to catch the coyote unless you are a trained animal trapper.

To keep coyotes away from your home:

• Do not allow pets to run free.
• Do not feed pets outside. Do not leave pet’s water bowls outside.
• Do not leave food outside unattended; scrape your grill and burn off food residue.
• Make any garbage inaccessible to coyotes and other animals.
• Eliminate the availability of birdseed. Coyotes are attracted to the concentration of birds and rodents that come to feeders. If you do feed birds, clean up waste seed and spillage.
• Fencing your yard may deter coyotes. The fence should be tight to the ground, preferably extending six inches below ground level.
• Remove brush and tall grass from around your property to reduce protective cover for coyotes.
• Regulated hunting and trapping increases the “fear” coyotes have towards people.
• Ask your neighbors to follow these same steps.
• Consider keeping small children and pets inside if there have been coyote sightings near your house.
• While outside, have handy a loud horn, noisemakers, or pots or pans to bang on and also things you can throw at coyotes.

For more information about coyotes and rabies prevention, go to www.westchestergov.com/health.

Find additional information about coyote conflicts at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6971.html

If you have concerns about coyotes in your neighborhood, contact the New Castle Police Department at 238-4422. For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/2697326/.

Charles Ferry is the chief of police of New Castle. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or by phone at 914-238-7292.