Chasing Coyotes

An easy read about a neighbourhood plagued by coyotes in California. it is easy to read and very informative. As an animal lover, I enjoyed the book, although I live in Scotland and we don't have coyotes! We are plagued with urban and rural foxes.. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads.

The author makes no assertions that she is an animal life expert but the work that she and her fellow concerned neighbors have accomplished is extraordinary. The issue of urban coyotes can be seen in almost all of the US cities so the information contained in this book can have the potential to help anyone. While I have not personally had a close encounter with a coyote the fact that they have been spotted in places as populated as Manhattan means this problem will most likely continue to escalate. The question of balancing the safety of human and domestic animal lives versus the protection of wild animals can become a very charged issue. I admire the author keeping a fairly neutral view on involvement both by radical animal rights activists and proponents of widespread coyote euthanization and focused more on public education. The strategies in the book can save people and pets from attack which has the outcome of protecting coyotes lives by default. If individual coyotes do not become habituated to people or population dense areas they are less likely to become targets of lethal force that can become required when attacks on humans occur. Children unfortunately are such an area of concern because they are small, slower than adults, and may accidentally identify coyotes as dogs. The author touched continually on the topic of public education which is by far the best and simplest tool to coexist with coyotes but expressed frustration about getting this information out. Perhaps in areas of high concern schools should permanently implement a hazing/defense education class as part of their curriculums, especially because children could be protected by the same techniques if encountering other animals (mountains lions, black bear, Bobcats, etc)?

Chasing Coyotes: Accounts of Urban Crises by Debora Martin is a highly recommended informative guide on the presence and problems of coyotes in the urban landscape of Orange County, CA, but it can pertain to coyote populations in other urban areas. The main purpose of the book is informational and educational, along with being easily accessible to lay people.

In Chasing Coyotes Martin discusses the history of coyotes in cities, coyote habitats, and points out ways to coyote "proof" an area. She also shares stories of coyote attacks on pets and people, especially children. The stated purpose of Chasing Coyotes is fourfold: "(1) to document the plight of urban coyotes in North America, (2) to reduce the amount of misinformation presently circulating about urban coyotes, (3) to remove or reduce any fear the reader may have of coyotes, and (4) to encourage readers to haze coyotes every time they see them." Currently there is misinformation and untruths being spread about urban coyotes by animal rights groups, such as the belief that urban coyotes control rats. It has been shown that urban coyotes only control mice and vole rodent populations, not rodent populations such as rats.

Included are ways to discourage coyotes from making your neighborhood part of their hunting grounds, including "ammonia and white vinegar to reduce pet odor, picking up pet compost, and keeping pet food and water dishes inside." You can also "make sure that all fruit is picked up, secure your trash can lid so coyotes cannot knock them over and get to their contents, remove bird feeders, install motion-activated lighting and sprinkler systems, and increase the amount of outdoor lighting.... Low-lying bushes should be removed, and bushes and trees should be cut back, in order to reduce the number of potential coyote hiding places. Your objective is to create a hostile environment for the coyote by making your home and neighborhood coyote-unfriendly."

Martin discusses pets she has personally lost to coyotes in her neighborhood. She makes it clear that you should never show fear to, turn your back on, or run from a coyote because they might view you as prey. You should never feed a coyote or take pictures of it. This encourages them to not fear humans, creating a potential dangerous situation. If possible haze any coyote you see. Martin explains how to haze a coyote: Raise your arms and wave them while approaching the coyote - be loud and large! Use noisemakers (your voice, whistles, air horns, bells, and soda cans filled with pennies or dead batteries. (Be sure to familiarize your dog to this noise.) Use projectiles (e.g., sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls, rubber balls). Try other repellents (such as hoses, water guns with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray, bear repellent, and walking sticks). Sometimes coyotes will test you by pausing in their tracks and standing their ground, but continue hazing and chasing them until they leave the area and are out of sight.

Included in the book are a list of Coyote Preparedness References. There are several urban areas that record and track coyote sightings in their areas and compile a database of information. Be sure to see if your city has a website with coyote information and a place to report sightings of coyotes. If you have ever lived in a city or urban area where there are populations of coyotes preying on pets you will appreciate this book and the information it contains. While some of the text is repetitive when discussing actions to take, in this case it might help the causal reader remember what to do when a coyote is sighted.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the publisher/author.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1974399572
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/04/chasing-coyotes.html