Coyote Sightings Up in New Canaan

Coyote sightings are on the rise in New Canaan, according to Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt.

Since July 2 Kleinschmitt said she has received sightings of adults and pups at the following locations:

• Carter Street (pups)
• Chichester Road  (two sightings: a pair on July 7 and a single adult on July 11)
• Frogtown Road
• Middle Ridge Road
• New Norwalk Road (pups)
• Old Norwalk Road (pups)
• Overlook Drive
• Ponus Ridge

Kleinschmitt said the pups are about three to four months old now, and she's seen an average litter of three pups this summer. She warns residents not to approach the animals.

“At this age they’re little puppies. They can bite, but they don’t normally come near you,” she said. “The problem is the mom and dad are not too far away. If a dog or person or kid goes out and gets near them, the parents will attack.”

over the past three years, Kleinschmitt said, a fact she attributes to the abundant food sources in the area, including deer, turkeys, woodchucks and raccoons. Not only is she getting more reports about sightings, she said, but the ones she's seeing are healthier than in previous years.

“They are magnificent animals. I’m seeing less and less coyote mange,” she said. "We used to see 40 to 45 pound animals. Now they’re 45 to 50 pounds with beautiful fur. They’re magnificent animals.”

Kleinschmitt said there have been no coyote attacks on humans in New Canaan, and unless a human is in imminent danger there’s nothing that can be done about them until hunting season begins on November 15. If a homeowner would like an animal removed from their property during hunting season, Kleinschmidtt will put them in touch with a trapper.

“Unfortunately the state does not allow anything else after they’re trapped other than to destroy them,” she told Patch. “No other state will take them and, because of the rabies vector, we cannot put them in any other place.”

Kleinschmitt said is not in the business of destroying coyotes, unless an animal presents an imminent danger to humans. In that case she must apply to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a special permit to have the animal removed.

She said in March she had an animal trapped after receiving a call from a woman who lives in the vicinity of Dan’s Highway and West Road.

“They had taken down a deer on West Road, less than 15 feet from her driveway,” Kleinschmitt said. “You don’t interrupt a feeding. I contacted all the neighbors. If I see a safety issue. I call the DEEP.”

While humans aren’t in .

“Tell people they need to keep their dogs away from them,” Kleinschmitt said. “These are not a threat to people but they should not try to corner these animals in any way. Keep all food away because what attracts them is the fact that people have animals — either cats or dogs. They should never leave their dogs outside at night.”

Coyotes have become desensitized to human voices, but don’t like the sound of clanging metal, Kleinschmitt said.

“Take pots and pans and bang them if you see them on your property. That hurts their ears and they would be more timid about crossing your property,” she said.

Kleinschmitt asked residents to help her track sightings by reporting them to Animal Control.

“I want to know because I am tracking how many times are they going through [an area],” she said. “We are not going to go out and kill every coyote we see. I want to see where we have a problem, if we have a problem.”

Animal Control can be reached at 203-594-3510 or by e-mail at Maryann.Kleinschmitt@new-canaan.ct.us

(Editor's Note: In the original post, Maryann Kleinschmitt's name was spelled incorrectly. We apologize for the error.)