DESTIN — Coyotes have been making residents uncomfortable lately.
Mike Sherry, who lives on Calhoun Avenue near Clement Taylor Park, was taking his regular evening walk last week with his chocolate Labrador, Tyson, when he spotted two coyotes standing in the middle of Calhoun.
“It was kind of unnerving,” Sherry said. “I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.”
Not knowing if the coyotes were dangerous or not, Sherry said he’s now “scared to walk my dog at night.”
Sherry said his cat of 10 years went missing about a week ago and now he fears the coyotes got it.
“If I’d known they were around, I wouldn’t have let my cat out,” Sherry said. “People need to know what’s going on. They need to start watching their pets.”
That’s a good idea, according to Karen Parker, public information coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Keep cats indoors in the evening and always keep your dogs on a leash,” Parker said.
If coyotes are in the area, walkers might want to carry a walking stick, golf club or umbrella to deter them if they become unnaturally aggressive, she said.
“If you see one, make as much noise as you can to scare them off,” she said. “You want to make them fearful of you. You want them to think being around a human is an unpleasant experience.”
Dozens of Destin residents have reported on Facebook that they have seen coyotes. Residents from Twin Lakes, Emerald Lakes and Sandestin also say they have spotted them.
Parker is not surprised; coyotes are in all 67 counties in Florida.
Although they have been known to eat small cats and dogs, “there hasn’t been any reports of children being attacked,” Parker said.
Residents can kill coyotes that wander onto their property, she said.
Like many wild animals that live in populated areas, coyotes are attracted by food.
“They are very opportunistic,” Parker said.
“They are only going to be around if there is food," added Kelsey Smith with the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge.
Although the FWC doesn’t have the manpower to rid an area of coyotes, Parker said trappers that will do it for a price.
CHECK IT OUT: Learn more about coyotes at myfwc.com.
Destin Log Staff Writer Tina Harbuck can be reached at 850-654-8440 or tharbuck@thedestinlog.com. Follow her on Twitter @DestinLogTina.