The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division encourages residents to educate themselves and take the proper precautions essential to co-existing with coyotes............I applaud them for this part of their policy...........But, think them Stone Age in their permitting year round trapping and shooting of Coyotes............They seem to justify this year round open season saying Coyotes are"non-native" to Georgia.......As is well documented, Coyotes are not "exotics" introduced from Europe or Asia like Norway Rats, Starlings and House Sparrows...........They are North American "Natives" that have naturally expanded their range across the USA becasue we trapped and shot Wolves and Cougars into oblivion East of the Mississippi..............Wake up Georgia, Massachusetts(another State with a year round Coyote killing policy )and all of our other State Fish and Wildlife Depts to the fact that their should be humane and sustainable management plans for Coyotes just as their is for all the other fur bearers you have under their jurisdiction

Education And Prevention Make A Difference When Co-Existing With Coyotes

Coyote Sightings Increase

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. - The distinctive call of the coyote or "song dog" echoes across our state, from the more welcoming rural areas of wooded forests and open fields, to the less inviting environments of major cities and neighborhoods. Rapid human population growth across the state coupled with the coyote's unique ability to adapt and thrive, contributes to today's increased observation of coyotes in urban settings.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division encourages residents to educate themselves and take the proper precautions essential to co-existing with coyotes.

"Historically, coyotes were most commonly found on the Great Plains of North America. However, their range has expanded greatly. They are one of the most adaptable species on the planet. In fact, coyotes have adapted quite well to living in suburbs and cities like Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta," says John W. Bowers, Wildlife Resources Division assistant chief of Game Management. "Preventive actions are the best solutions for residents to reduce the potential for human-coyote conflicts."

Though the coyote's principal diet typically consists of small rodents and fruit, they are characterized as opportunistic and will prey on small, domestic animals if given the opportunity. Because of this, small house pets (such as cats and small dogs), young or small livestock and poultry are vulnerable and susceptible prey. The Division advises landowners and homeowners to heed the following precautions to ensure the safety of their animals:

• Take pets indoors during the night, as this is the coyote's primary hunting time. (In addition to coyotes, small pets may fall prey to free-roaming dogs and great horned owls.)
• If the pet must be kept outside, install fencing and motion-activated flood lights to discourage predators.
• Small livestock or poultry should be kept in an enclosed or sheltered area. Coyotes rarely bother larger livestock although they are often blamed for such nuisance instances. (It should be noted that free-roaming dogs, rather than coyotes, are notorious for harassing, injuring or killing livestock.)

The Division encourages residents to also heed the additional following tips in an effort to minimize coyote habituation to humans and ensure public health and safety:

• NEVER, under any circumstances, feed a coyote.
• Keep items, such as grills, pet food or bird feeders off-limits. Clean and store grills when not in use, keep pet food indoors or feed pets indoors and refill bird feeders infrequently and in small amounts.
• Make trash cans inaccessible. Keep lids securely fastened or store trash cans in a secured location until trash pick-up.

Additional solutions for managing coyotes and the problems they may cause include trapping and/or hunting. Coyotes are not native to Georgia and may be hunted/trapped year-round. The Division does NOT provide trapping services, but maintains a list of licensed trappers permitted to provide this service across the state. To access this listing, visit http://www.georgiawildlife.com/ (Select "Permits and Other Services" and then select "Nuisance Wildlife Trapper List").

"The Division receives numerous calls each year. Most callers report the sighting of a coyote or request coyote relocation," says Bowers. "Relocation is not a solution. Relocating coyotes only moves the problem into someone else's backyard. It also may result in a slower death from the stress of being released into unfamiliar territory. Trapping and killing habituated or problem coyotes is the only reasonable way to keep them out of backyards."

For more information regarding coyotes, visit http://www.georgiawildlife.com/ , contact a Wildlife Resources Division Game Management office or call (770) 918-6416.