Coyotes in Decorah!

Coyote spotted Monday near Linden Street (Courtesy of Beverly Crumb-Gesme)

Decorah resident Beverly Crumb-Gesme has seen coyotes near her home twice in the last three days.

She tells decorahnews.com that she saw two coyotes on Saturday, then saw a single coyote even closer to her home on Monday morning.  She and her husband, Ron Gesme, own a home at 700 Linden Street in Decorah.  The coyotes were spotted on land behind their home, down the hill to the east.

If coyotes are moving into Decorah, the community would not be alone.  Sightings have been reported in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver recently.  A number of sightings have been reported by police in St. Louis, prompting the Missouri Humane Society to issue the following advice:

--If your pets must be outside, make sure your yard fence is at least 6 feet high and 6 inches deep so coyotes cannot jump over it or dig under it.

--Don't leave pet food outside and never feed coyotes or other wildlife. Feeding them will make them accustomed to humans, which can lead to injury of the coyote, pets and/or humans. If you must leave food out for stray cats, only leave it out during the day.

--Secure all trashcans and take to curbside as close to pick-up time as possible.

--During breeding season (January through March) and pup season (March through May), coyotes might even attack large dogs if they feel their territory or pups are threatened.

--Keep your dog on a leash when walking outside.

--If you come in contact with a coyote, wave your arms, clap and shout and try to scare it away; making yourself seem as large as possible.

--Make sure your pet is up-to-date on rabies and distemper vaccinations.