New England wildlife experts say residents should never leave their pets outside alone from January through March because it is coyote mating season.
Male coyotes will be on the move, not necessarily to only find a female, but to defend the mate they already have because these canines are monogamous.
“They're moving around and about within that territory and they’re looking for competition,” said Morty Ortega, wildlife ecologist and associate professor at the University of Connecticut.
Geoffrey Krukar, a wildlife biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says dogs over 20 pounds could be viewed by a coyote as a territorial threat and, therefore, attacked.
“I've gotten reports of a Rottweiler that was attacked, German Shepherds, and other large breeds,” he said.
Meanwhile, smaller dogs and all cats are viewed as a potential meal.
Krukar said that even homeowners with a fenced yard should still always accompany their dog outside.
"Coyotes are good jumpers. They can jump over fences as tall as five feet. So there's a chance a coyote could just jump over and go after your dog,” Krukar said. “They are good diggers, so they could dig under the fence if they wanted, too.”
If you do see a coyote, Krukar and Ortega both said make yourself loud and obnoxious by screaming or throwing rocks at it.
"Tell that coyote, ‘This is my house! Don't come in here!’” Ortega said.
These suggestions apply to both rural and urban areas because coyotes are a “very adaptable species and they'll actually even find territories inside of some of our major cities,” Krukar said.
In addition to keeping cats indoors at all times and being with dogs outside, Krukar said make sure your yard doesn’t have any food attractants, like bird feeders.
“The bird seed gets spilled under the ground, which attracts rodents, and coyotes will feed on those rodents,” Krukar said.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Morty Ortega's name.
