Coyote Den!

[SiouzQ.]

Last Saturday when I opened the curtain from the window that overlooks the backyard I noticed a disturbance in the yard just about 10 - 12 ft. beyond the foundation. This is the part of the yard that has received the least amount of landscaping because it will be a big job to fix the collapsing enbankment. The dirt back there is basically soft silt and rocks that have eroded down from the ridge in the back part of the yard. We also have a small arroyo that runs through the back yard as well. The back ridge remains very wild with salt brush and prickly pair cactus. We often hear coyotes howling and yipping when they pass through.

So of course I went outside to investigate and right away realized that it most likely was a coyote den and now I have to keep the cat in the house which is making her mad. I've called Critter Control and they are coming out tomorrow for a free estimate to see what we can do. Apparently they don't relocate them so I'm not quite sure what we can do other than to scare them off? I have to do some more research on that front; something about setting up lights to shine in there and/or peeing around the hole... I don't know how soon pups are birthed after the den is dug either. She is stealthily working on it during the nights because each day it looks more and more engineered.

Just another day in the country.

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[pinkytoe]

You must have a wily cat to have avoided them prior to now. We live in an ordinary inner city neighborhood and one day while looking out the kitchen window, I saw a coyote climb/jump right over the privacy fence of a neighbor. It began to tangle with the family dog who eventually chased it back over the fence. Scary to think they are prowling the inner city looking for food.

[iris lilies]

Wow, that’s interesting. There’s two coyotes reported in my old city neighborhood in St. Louis, and that’s as inner city as you can get.

[SiouzQ.]

The cat came to us semi-feral last fall so I have to believe she has some street-smarts but this den is WAY too close for comfort. She likes hanging out on that side of the house too. Over the past five months since we adopted her I have fallen in love and would be very sad if she got eaten up. Plus she's gotten soft being a mostly indoor cat.

From what I've been reading the pups may not be born until April so there may still be a chance to scare her away from that place. I actually really like coyotes and always smile when I hear them yipping in the night. It woud interesting to watch them that up close and personal but 12 ft. away from the house is a bit too close for comfort!

[iris lilies]

Yes, that that’s too close. I may bitch and moan about deer hanging around our house, but at least they don’t eat the neighborhood cats.

[happystuff]

It is said that we also have coyotes, but thankfully no dens on my property! Enjoy nature as it happens, but be careful!