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bark at you, but sometimes they do vocalize at night. American Indians called coyotes "Song Dogs," because of their melodious howls, yaps, and low wails.
People have heard these "songs" in the oddest places: coyotes are now in New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and other very urban areas. They are usually most active when it's dark, and in the early morning. Left alone, coyotes will regulate their own numbers according to the environment and availability of food.
Some Atlantans haven't been leaving them alone, however, and have hired trappers to try to eradicate coyotes. When caught alive, coyotes will go to great lengths to free themselves, sometimes even gnawing off their own legs to escape a leg-hold trap. By state law, coyotes have to be killed after they're trapped, and anyone who has seen the desperate look on a trapped coyote's face would swear the animal knows what's coming. Various types of traps are illegal in many states because they're so inhumane.
Trapping is not only cruel, but also useless. According to Don McGowen, state wildlife biologist, even if we killed every coyote in Buckhead, others would repopulate the area. In fact, the more we remove, the faster others will come, because the rodent supply will be more plentiful and there will be less competition. Since coyotes are obviously here to stay, it makes sense to learn to live as peacefully as possible with them.
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