There are lots of coyotes in Hants County, says Forestry Technician Al Bland of the Windsor office of the Department of Natural Resources, but the chances of an encounter are very low.
“I never see them,” says Bland who spends his working days and much of his free time in the woods.
There is no indication that coyotes are more numerous than in past years, he added. Several attacks last fall, including the death of a hiker in Cape Breton, have prompted more reports.
Coyotes aren’t generally dangerous to large animals, said Bland, though several may team up to tackle a small deer.
They are fairly solitary animals. A mother may roam with two or three cubs, but males tend to hunt alone. Coyotes weigh about 35 pounds, so are much smaller than the German shepherd dog they sometimes resemble.
They are most commonly spotted on the flat dyke lands along the Avon River. This time of year they are hungrier than usual and may venture near private homes. People can discourage coyotes by cleaning up garbage, spilled bird seed and not feeding pets outdoors.
