Coyote Status and Pictures

Status:

E-mail received on 04/02/06 "The wife and I were coming home the evening of the 23rd and almost ran over three [coyote] pups in the middle of Northside [Drive] just north of the creek.. They scooted into a small drain on the west side of the street. Tried to notify state wildlife, Chattahoochee Nature etc. Every body closed. I hope they made it."

E-mail received on 04/01/06 "My wife and other neighbors have seen a fox on at least 4 occasions in the last 10 days on and around Stephens Mill Run and Emma Lane. Usually coming up from the direction of the Blue Heron Reserve at the end of Emma Lane and heading toward Wieuca."

NBCA E-mail sent on 03/27/06 "We have gotten several reports of a number of foxes (as many as four individuals) and a coyote in the Herrington Drive / Haverhill Drive area. Both foxes and coyotes are common throughout Atlanta. Foxes pose no threat to humans or pets; coyotes, however, do eat small dogs and cats. (We don’t let our cat outside at dust or dawn or during the night, times when coyotes usually feed.) We have been told that coyotes rarely get rabies but that foxes do – if you see a fox acting peculiarly or in a manner friendly to humans, please call Fulton County Animal Control – if you can’t get through, call 911.

E-mail received on 03/25/06 "Just wanted to see if you knew anything about the plethora of foxes and coyotes we are seeing in the neighborhood. I live on Herrington Drive (off Wieuca) and we are seeing both the red and gold/tan foxes daily - most days twice a day - morning and dusk cruising very boldly thru our back yard. Sometimes we are seeing as many as 4 separate foxes in one day. Last week we saw what appeared to be an extremely large gold/tan fox but when I looked closer I realized that it was probably a coyote.  Are others in the NBCA area also experiencing this issue? Are others expressing concern?  I am concerned about my small pets, the beautiful birds we enjoy and the rabies issue. Do you think others in the neighborhood would be willing to join together to hire someone to trap and relocate them? Do you know if Fulton Co. Animal Control will assist? I thought I would check with you first to see if you are hearing this from others before I work on the problem in my backyard"

E-mail received on 03/24/06 "I've waited to make absolutely sure - and today I got a good long look at the animal that's been cruising through our yard the last month or so. It is definitely a red fox, not the neighborhood coyote. We're on the part of Whittington Drive that backs up to the ravine between us and Emma Lane. (The ravine connects the southernmost part of the Blue Heron preserve and the wild part of Mountain Way et al.) Just thought you'd like to know."

E-mail received on 03/24/06 "I just saw the coyote running down Lakemoore Drive from Wieuca when I got home this evening around midnight. I wanted to update you and the neighbors on the latest sighting."

Spoken comment on 03/22/06 "I saw a coyote near my home on Land O'Lakes Drive."

E-mail received on 03/16/06 "A neighbor on Sheldon Dr. reported seeing 2 coyotes earlier in the week; I have seen one on my nightly walk in the same area. He saw them both early in the morning. Might be a good idea to keep cats and dogs in at night."

E-mail received on 02/11/06 "I wanted to let you know I saw our neighborhood coyote mid-day yesterday, Feb. 10, in the wooded area that is going to be developed [as a new subdivision off North Stratford Road between Old Ivy Road and Wieuca Rd]. I also saw him behind my house on Old Ivy Lane. He was sunning himself in an open area outside our fence about 1:30 p.m. My barking dog had no effect on him but he did run away when he saw me."

E-mail received on 02/02/06 "I don't know if our next door neighbor has emailed you or not, but we have had the second coyote sighting on our cul de sac here on Ivy Lane two weeks ago. The latest sighting was reported by a landscape crew who described the animal as the "size of a horse." It jumped the fence into and out of a yard behind a house that is vacant. These things are a menace -- I worry about our little Westie who loves to sit in the yard during the day, and what about our children? If certain dogs attack children, how can we be certain a coyote wouldn't?"

E-mail received on 02/02/06 "I believe I saw a coyote in my back yard tonight at about 9:45 pm. I'm at 40XX N Ivy Road."

E-mail received on 01/30/06 "I saw a coyote in the ravine behind Dunwoody Baptist Church on 1/29/2006 Sunday morning around 8:00 AM. (corner of Peachtree Dunwoody Road and Mt.Vernon Road). He ran through my backyard, hopped a 4ft fence and went into the ravine.  (I did a search and found your coyote postings.....)" [This site is well north of North Buckhead]

E-mail received on 01/09/06 "I was walking on Rickenbacker Way at 8:30 on Friday night and saw what appeared to be a coyote chasing a smaller animal across the street and into the woods by the Blue Heron preserve. I couldn't tell what the smaller animal was, but it was bigger than a rabbit or a squirrel. More reason we need to keep our cats and small dogs inside or in sight."

E-mail received on 01/09/06 "I've been meaning to write that a big red fox walked across my driveway and casually strolled along my stone entry path on Dec 21.  Huge, orange, luxurious tail, leotard black legs and gorgeous. He did look disoriented though and trotted off down Haverhill.  A friend said he could be rabid."

E-mail received on 12/21/05 "These coyotes are virtually living full time behind my house on Rickenbacker Way and the bank behind Beverly Lane, essentially living off the creek. I see them all day and night. There are several and they are coming in my backyard in broad daylight.  I don't want to harm them, but they need to be trapped. They really don't bother me, but if I had small children, pets etc., I would be worried. They should be easy to catch right now, with all the leaves down and searching for food."  We asked, do you see more than one at the same time?  "I don't see them together, but several different ones and different looking also. They really are pretty, but setting up shop on the creek and bank for the squirrels and water, have seen them three times today."

E-mail received on 11/29/05 "I just wanted to let you know of another coyote sighting. On Sunday 27 Nov at about 5:00pm we were on our back deck (we live on Rickenbacker Way) and our dogs starting barking. My husband and I look up and we saw a coyote walking along Nancy Creek and the side of the creek under Wieuca Overlook. The Coyote did not seem concerned about our two 85 lb Labradors.  The coyote appeared to be about 40-50 lbs.  I was wondering if there is more that 1 coyote and if there are plans to relocate this animal to more suitable habitat.  Thanks for sharing all this information by e-mail. Had I not been receiving your e-mails I would have thought that the coyote was a dog."

E-mail received on 11/29/05 "I saw a coyote crossing the road on Carter Dr. around 6:30 p.m. (Well, no, It's really not N. Buckhead.) It was about the size of a fox."

E-mail received on 11/29/05 "Over Thanksgiving a coyote was spotted in our side yard on Land O Lakes by our neighbor and it has been spotted once or twice before in our yard. Our backyard faces the wildlife preserve. Do you know if the coyotes have taken up ground in the preserve, in particular, or are they all over?  [Probably all over. -- GC] Also, with the more frequent sightings, I am getting more concerned for safety as I have a young child, etc.  Has the City been contacted and are they attempting to do anything about the coyote problem?[The City doesn't deal with animals.  Fulton County Animal Control is "responsible", but they probably won't do anything unless we can tell them exactly where the coyote's den is.  -- GC]     Have any of the coyotes in Buckhead ever approached a human that you know of?  [I don't think anyone in Buckhead has been approached. -- GC]

E-mail received on 11/23/05 "I saw what I thought to be a coyote this week.  About 8:30 AM Monday [11/21] on Peachtree Dunwoody heading north of the soccer field at Windsor Parkway and close to the creek crossing I saw what appeared to be a coyote dead in the road. It looked just like the pictures you have shown here in the newsletter...pointed snout, tannish color and rather sizable, too wolf-like to be domestic."

E-mail received on 11/22/05 "Just wanted to let you know that I saw the coyote today in my back yard on Land O'Lakes Drive."

E-mail received on 11/22/05 "The coyote was outside my downstairs window [Land O'Lakes Drive] last night around 2:20 am. It was rooting around in the ivy near a window that is close to ground level. I think it was trying to find a warm place to bed down for the night. Either that, or it was looking for a late night snack. Either way, the animal is big for a coyote, so it must be eating well. What do coyotes eat anyway? Hopefully, not any of the neighbors' pets or children." 

[Coyotes eat small animals, such as cats and, according to the next e-mail, bird eggs.]

E-mail received on 11/15/05 "My husband got up at 2am this morning to take some medicine and saw an adult coyote trotting down the middle of our street (Wieuca Ter NE)."

E-mail received on 11/15/05 "We saw the coyote in our backyard last Friday [11/11/05] (3775 North Stratford Road)."

E-mail received on 11/15/05 "I think I spotted the coyote about 2 weeks ago [about 11/1/05] while walking down Sheldon Dr. about 7:30 PM. It ran into the lot between 3961 and 3945 Sheldon Dr. toward Land o Lakes. Light colored and very fast."

E-mail received on 11/15/05 "Probably this same coyote came up to our house a couple of weeks ago.  Sniffed around and left. We live on Pinecrest Rd."

E-mail received on 11/15/05 "My mother and father live in the 2 story home with 8 acres( next to the Blur Heron Preserve [off Emma Lane]) -- several of her cats are missing."

11/15/05 Another sighting: Arden Way at 5:00 AM:  "Today (Tuesday, November 15th) around 5:00am, I saw what looked to be a juvenile coyote on Arden Way; it was trotting down Arden toward Mountain Drive. I mentioned the sighting to a few neighbors at our bus stop this morning, as it was their direction in which the coyote was heading; however, I thought you might want to notify the rest of the NBCA residents. After talking to a few people who have seen coyotes (this was my first time to see a wild one), it would seem that the one I saw was not a juvenile after all, but actually an adult...."

E-mail received on 11/7/05  "There was an interesting story in the Sunday "New York Times" about coyotes. Seems they are in every U.S. suburban area except Hawaii. Once uncommonly seen around humans, these animals are quickly adapting to our habitats, mainly because the suburbs also are experiencing an explosion of another animal once rarely seen in urban areas: the Canadian goose. According to the "Times," the connection is that coyotes are eating goose eggs (not the geese, just their eggs), thus helping to keep down overpopulation of geese."

11/03/05  Another sighting, this one on Land O'Lakes Drive: "I saw the same Coyote at 7:30 am yesterday (Thursday) at the top of the hill, Albee's front yard, on Land O'Lakes Drive N.E.  It didn't appear too concerned at me and my two leashed dogs only 50 feet away!! Medium sized (69-70 lbs-ish), fluffy red tail, very pointy snout...."

11/01/05   Coyote sighted on Rickenbacker Drive.  This is the e-mail we received: "As I was coming home from work Tuesday about 6:15 I saw a large Coyote crossing Rickenbacker into the nature preserve near the Pinecrest intersection. We have a large, young German Shepherd fenced there, which evidently did not dissuade the Coyote from hanging around."

08/06/05  E-mail report from Valley Green Drive:  "We wanted to let you know that we spotted a coyote this morning (August 6th) in our backyard (4-hundreds of Valley Green Dr.) around 7:30am. He appeared to be fairly large and ran deeper into the woods along Nancy Creek going south (toward Wieuca Rd) when it spotted us. We checked the NBCA.org web site and it could be the same coyote spotted last November."

From 2004

12/15/04  The coyote left North Buckhead in early November, being seen in Brookhaven near the golf course and later in northwest Atlanta near Habersham.  After that there were no reports of the coyote until this morning. 

Around 6:45 AM, North Buckhead resident Paul Timm-Brock and his son Derek saw the coyote near Roswell Road at Wieuca Road.  Derek, on his way to school, saw the coyote first.  According to Paul, “It stood for a moment, sauntered into the Butler Tire lot, then took off like a bullet across Roswell”  and was hit by a speeding Subaru. 

Several other neighbors, Kirsten Bradford, Balfour Correll and Bant Millichap, sent e-mails to us reporting the demise of this coyote.  We will probably never know if it was the same one as "our" coyote.  Even in death, Kirsten described it as a very beautiful animal.

10/29/04 Through 10/29/04 we have gotten something like 60 emails and a few phone calls about coyote sightings in North Buckhead.  Most reports were on North Stratford Road; several were near the fire station at Phipps Plaza; several on North Ivy Road at Stovall; one was on Phipps Blvd; one was on Peachtree Road (!) at the Wieuca Road Baptist Church; and there were several other locations.  The most northerly location was at the north end of Glengary Drive. 

We have contacted a trapper who does not kill captured coyotes.  We are trying to get permission to search properties which are likely to be the coyote's home.  If we can find his/her home, it will be possible to trap it without injuring it.  The animal can then be relocated to a preserve where it will be able to live out his/her life without eating people's pets and interfering with traffic. 

Pictures:

All photos below were taken near North Stratford Road, southwest of Wieuca Road 

                                                             click pictures to enlarge