I need coyote advice ASAP

[rove karl rove]

I was wondering if anybody here would know what to do in this situation - there is a very young coyote in my yard and has been sitting in the same spot for hours. Once in awhile, he, she, get up and walk a couple of feet, then plops back down. I brought all the cats inside, since I'm sure there's been coyotes around and they'll kill a weak cat anytime.

I think this coyote got stranded somehow, and I have no idea what to do. This is a very rural area, there's a long unpaved road to the house surrounded by wooden fece, the coyote is in the middle of the road.

[Chan790]

1. What state?

I do know something about it but who to refer you to depends on location.

[rove karl rove]

2. SW WA state

Pacific County, near the coast.

[Chan790]

9. Local office of the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/coyotes.htm/wlm/living/coyotes.htm That resource has most of the information you'd need...locally sourced.

The number for WDFW is [phone] for your region of the state. No one there at this time of night. They open again at 8am so call then if he's still there or comes back...they can direct you to the best resource for your area. If it begins to act aggressively, call your local police. (That's the advice from Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)

You can and probably should try to convince it to leave...it's in both your interest and his/hers for them not to get too comfortable with people and civilization. (WA is one of a few states which allows in-season hunting of coyotes. Also, they tend to be more susceptible to parvovirus than domesticated canids, having no acquired immunity. Once infected, they have to captured and euthanized or else they'll infect their entire den/pack leading to catastrophic epidemic).

According to WDFW, you can usually scare them off with a loud noise, stream of water, or a strong vinegar smell. If nothing else is available, you can bang lumber, sticks or other wood.

Sorry I can't be of more help...you're on the opposite coast from me and I was not familiar with your area. I had to research this. All citations of information from WDFW. http://wdfw.wa.gov

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Whatever you do, don't buy anything from ACME. -nt

[hedgehog]

4. It sounds like dumb rabies to me.

CLINICAL RABIES IN DOGS: The virus causing rabies affects the brain and the first indications the owner has that his dog is developing rabies is usually a change in personality or behavior. Unfortunately, this change is indistinguishable from a digestive disorder, injury, foreign body in the mouth, or the first symptoms of an infectious disease.

There are two general types of rabies found in dogs. Forty percent of the dogs have furious rabies and 60% have dumb or paralytic rabies. A dog with dumb rabies usually has a dropped jaw with tongue hanging out and saliva dropping from his lips. This is caused by paralysis of the throat muscles. This dog cannot bite and is not dangerous unless you put your hand in his mouth thinking a bone or stick is caught in his throat. Occasionally in dumb rabies paralysis may first occur in the hind quarters and rapidly move forward. This animal can bite but is usually not vicious. Death will usually occur in three to five days.

http://mdc.mo.gov/landown/wild/nuisance/rabies/

Your local health department or animal control should be contacted.


An animal with dumb rabies acts very quiet and docile. If the coyote is ignoring you or staggering at all, be very suspicious.

[Flaxbee]

5. here are a few links... how young? Still a pup? Or a juvenile?

I know you're in SW WA, but try a few of these numbers (see link below) - the rehabbers usually know one another..


Southeastern Washington wildlife rescue links: http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/washington-rehabilitators.html

Here is another link from PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) for Washington wildlife help:
http://www.paws.org/wildlife/rehabilitators/

[rove karl rove]

6. ok, thx for the rabies info and the links

it has to be a pup - can barely walk and seems disoriented.

[hedgehog]

14. That's what scares me - the "barely can walk and disorientation."

It could be just a hungry pup or it could have been abandoned because it is sick. Wild canines can catch distemper, too. I hate to think of an animal being sick, but it's proabably an excelent idea to keep the cats inside.

[Shell Beau]

29. Aw, that hurts my feelings.

:cry:

Let us know if you do call animal control. I guess they will probably put it down, which I guess would be best if it is sick.

[evlbstrd]

7. Paint a picture of a tunnel on the side of your house.

Then go outside and shout "Meep! Meep!"

[Blue-Jay]

8. HA!

:rofl:

[AlCzervik]

10. Nice!

:rofl:

[rove karl rove]

11. I've already tried that

seriously. Waiting on them to call me back. Coyote's still there, like a statue, blocking the road.

[evlbstrd]

18. That's all I've got.

[1]

12. coyotes live a tough life. if dude is sitting, and then ploping?

dude is done for.

the greatest you could do is break out your rifle and deliver one shot to the head.

harsh i know for you. but the best gift you can give to an animal that is clearly suffering...

[hedgehog]

16. Another possibility - it got hit by a car and has internal injuries or head trauma.

[rove karl rove]

17. doesn't seem injured

The coyote's so young. There was a neighbor's barn cat that was staring at it for awhile. They're all over the place here.

[1]

19. ok. your "ploping" post had me say what i said... "ploping" is some serious shit...

when an animal just gives up that is a strong indicator.

if your coyote seems ok, then just let your coyote be.

go to bed.

when you awake in the morning, if your coyote is still there, then you can deal with that situation.


let nature run its course...

[poliscifanboy]

23. I am scared of guns but

I would still shoot it.

[1]

24. my personal philosophy is to give any animal that has a chance at life, a life...

but if an animal appears to be suffering? i have no problem ending that life in a humane manner.


my personal philosophy...

[flvegan]

13. Okay, call your animal control.

Keep the cats inside, don't try to pet him/her.

Pretty simple.

[hedgehog]

15. BTW - just because you see an animal in the day light does NOT

mean it's rabid. This isn't for this case, but in case other people see coyotes or foxes about. The foxes behind my barn do indeed travel about during the day and are perfectly healthy. It's when an animal is very aggressive or very docile that you have to watch out. If it keeps it's distance and ignores you otherwise, it's probably OK.

[Critters2]

25. When I lived in the country, the foxes hung out with my dog in our yard during the day.

Coyotes were mostly around at night--which is why my dog always came in at night. But the foxes were diurnal. And quite fond of cocker spaniel playmates, as it turned out. Who knew?!

[khashka]

20. Agree with hedgehog

It could be dumb rabies - be very careful. Or if it's young and not with it's pack it may not know how to act (like all canines they're pack animals). Coyotes almost never attack humans unless sick or hungry or scared. Call the SPCA, the Humane Society, or Animal Control. Let the people with experience handle this.

Khash.

[hedgehog]

21. Now I'm not so sure - we have had problems with rabies in Raccoons

and skunks here in New York, but apparently in Washington State the animals that currently carry rabies are bats. On the other hand , if a coyote carried a rabid bat in to feed it's young...

[XemaSab]

32. There are animals more likely to carry rabies and less likely to carry rabies

Just because most of the reservoir is in bats doesn't mean a coyote couldn't get it.

A friend of a friend got it from handling a dead fox in California. :o

[rove karl rove]

22. waiting on animal control

they're supposed to call back sometime - a couple of the cats want to go outside, but no way.

[Monk06]

26. Yes she is definitely hot and I would hit it in a NY minute ...... Er, sorry wrong coyote thread.

[hedgehog]

27. Updates?

[Flaxbee]

28. any news? What happened last night or this morning?

n/t

[LynneSin]

30. Call your local Game Commission or Fish & Wildlife

Whatever your state environmental group is.

[NJmaverick]

31. Call your local animal control office

stay away, in case it has rabies

and watch for packages from ACME

[hedgehog]

33. Kick for an update - we have to know how this turned out!

:o