2015 Vol. 9 Issue 5 September - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Coyote Problems Not Unique to Gem Lake They are nasty little devils who invade a neighborhood, have few natural predators and can put small pets at risk. Several small dogs in the metro area have recently been killed by roving coyotes. Coyotes have become an increasing problem in the Twin Cities area, with a rash of recent pet deaths in the Bloomington area. You may heard the frightening wail of coyotes at night. Experts say coyotes can sound like a child or a woman crying or screeching at night. Here is information from the Minnesota DNR Website about coyotes: Coyotes are wild members of the dog family, intermediate in size between red foxes and wolves. In Minnesota, coyotes average 30 lbs., and stand about 18" high at the shoulders. However, they may appear much larger due to their heavy fur coat, especially in winter. They are gray/brown in color, and somewhat resemble a small German Shepherd dog in appearance. Coyotes in Minnesota are loners, except when families are raising pups. Their primary foods are rabbits and mice, but they are very opportunistic, and will feed on other small mammals, deer, birds, carrion, and even melons. Although coyotes can be found anywhere in Minnesota, distribution and population size is variable. Currently, populations are establishing and increasing in the Twin Cities metro area. Most coyotes avoid people and domestic animals, but occasionally they will kill sheep, turkeys, and calves. They may also raid garbage cans, and kill domestic cats and small dogs. Healthy wild coyotes avoid people, and no attacks have ever occurred in Minnesota. However, attacks by urban coyotes have been reported in other states. Experts believe these attacks occur after a coyote has become accustomed to humans, or after being fed by humans. If you are concerned about the presence of coyotes where you live, consider the following do's and don'ts: DO:  secure all garbage containers, wildlife feeders, and other food sources to prevent coyote access  confine small dogs and cats in kennels, or supervise them when outside  vaccinate all pets for rabies, distemper, parvo, and other diseases, as recommended by a veterinarian  consider installing coyote-proof fencing  harass (by chasing, shouting, etc.) any coyotes that do not immediately run from people DON'T:  do not feed coyotes  do not leave pet food outside  do not allow cats and small dogs outside, unattended New Residents in Gem Lake Gem Lake has experienced a bit of a population explosion in the past few years, with the build out of the Hillary Farm Housing Development, and new and remodeled homes on and near Goose Lake Road. From time to time, we have been able to profile new residents and welcome them to the community. Some folks would prefer not to be profiled and we respect that. Two new folks moved into a home on Goose Lake Road. They include graphic artist Kit Artig, sister of yours truly, who moved back to Minnesota after living in the Bay area of California for more than 35 years. She missed the weather here. Another new resident to Gem Lake is Brad Naylor, father of teenage twins, who runs a recruiting company. Please let me know if I can do a short profile on you or your family if you are new to our community. See page 6 for contact information.