The coyote population in Weston has become an issue that hits far too close for comfort for residents, according to Weston Animal Control Officer Mark Harper.
He said the issue has been ongoing in this area for decades, and the coyote population has recently fluctuated to a level that is far beyond average — and safety.
Harper said he plans to present a coyote control plan to the Weston Board of Selectman later this summer, to gain the approval of the town to exercise more extreme and effective forms of coyote population control.
In the past, Harper has mainly used an “electronic caller” to lure the coyotes. This is a device that emanates a wide range of calls to attract the animal. It does this by mocking various circumstances and sounds that occur in the wild that the coyotes would be drawn to in their natural habitat. The coyotes can then be specifically targeted and controlled.
Harper has been shooting the coyotes as a means of population control in the past but because they have been closing in on neighborhoods and hanging out so closely to people’s homes, he has not always been able to execute this tactic.
“I need to resort to other means,” said Harper. “Some of these areas are very densely populated and if I can’t safely discharge my firearms, I won’t.”
A few years ago, a Weston park was temporarily closed as a result of coyotes chasing people out of the park and to their cars. There were also other reports of coyotes following people straight up to the front doors of their houses.
Coyotes, which are more often observed howling and prowling at night, raised concerns earlier this month in New Haven, when a group of them were spotted during the day roaming around at East Shore Park.
Smart
Harper said he has no intention of eradicating the species in this area nor does he wish to terminate any more animals than is necessary safety-wise.
He has been Weston’s animal control officer for 28 years and has seen the trends of different populations rise and fall. He knows when to be concerned. “They’ve become too familiarized with the neighborhoods and they’re really smart,” he said.
He also said cats and dogs that go outside are at risk with the growing number of coyotes that stalk them and whisk them away. “At certain times of the year, coyotes are our number one call volume to the office. Between this year and last year we have gotten between 75 to 100 coyote-based calls,” Harper said.
The coyote population numbers can change dramatically each year due to “sarcoptic mange,” a disease that spreads quickly among the population and devoids their bodies of all fur, eventually killing them. Sarcoptic mange knocked the population down in the 1990s, the last time this overly high volume of coyotes became an issue, Harper said. Without this sort of outburst of disease, the population continues to grow.
Harper said he will approach the board with a map detailing the points of human encounters in Weston as well as the spots where cats and dogs have been attacked. He will outline the properties he seeks to go on, and discuss the manner in which he plans to do so. If the proposal passes, he will bring expert trappers in to help out.
The results will not be immediate, and Harper anticipates the full process may take up to two years to complete. However, he is confident his efforts will comfort the residents of Weston and said he is prepared to do all that he can to keep their town as safe as possible.