Anyone seen any repeated sightings of coyotes in these parts? Saw the recent news story about the police having to track a mess of them in New York City(pace).(wolfen) I figure with the parkland around the Great Fals area there should be sightings on a regular basis. I see fox' on a regular basis these days. And understand that the grey fox will come out during the day and not necessarily because of rabies. Who wins a fight between a coyote and a fox?
I understand you can see weasals all over Tysons Corner.

Dagnabit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who wins a fight between a coyote and a fox?


Never seen one, only seen fights between a coyote and a roadrunner. The roadrunner always won.

.
Attachments:

Dagnabit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who wins a fight
> between a coyote and a fox?


a coyote would fuck up a fox just due to its size, coyotes are more scavengers than hunters but im am sure they could hold their own if need be. plus they normally roam in packs whilst the foxes are more solitary. so blam coyotes win foxes failzors.

There was a litter of Coyote puppies and the Mom that I would see hanging around the ramp to 66 west off of Chainbridge road. Occasionally I see one of the now grown pups wandering around the Oakton area near AT&T.He looks well fed and healthy. Apparently , these things can survive in urban and residential areas as well as the woods.

There is a coyote den in the Franklin Oaks area. I've seen them.

They adapt well to almost any surroundings. Really though until you hear about pets disappearing there's probably not a large population in the area.

I've seen one in the woods near that park behind Ranger Road and I've seen one near the NEW townhouses across from Oakton High School (probably they live at Nottoway Park). They are much bigger than foxes, they look more like scraggly German Shepherds.

A friend of mine took a picture of one in his back yard in Centreville last
year. He tried to get outside with a bow but it took off before he could
draw back. Too bad.

I have seen them inside and outside the beltway. I guess that Hot Lane construction does not slow them down. I thought I was looking at a really ugly dog, then I see it run.

Should one be concerned if one is taking a leisurely walk in the woods i.e. Bull Run Regional Park? do packs of coyotes go after deer?

I saw six or seven fawns wandering around at the end of Electric Avenue near Tysons Corner last week. I wonder if we're going to have the kind of deer infestation problems that Maryland has been having.

I have seen coyotes in my back-yard (the Franklin Glen Neighborhood).

I have seen them in the Centreville area in Virginia Run about a year ago. But I have not seen any since then.

last summer I worked at a horse barn in Clifton...saw (and heard) coyotes just on the perimeter of the paddocks where the horses graze, and on the edge of the woods. Haven't seen them since, but folks who walk their dogs in our Centreville neighborhood say they have seen them in Cub Run Park along the trail that starts off Rt 29 and runs through to Virginia Run. My neighbor was walking her dog one day around 11:30 am in Sully and saw one in the wooded area of the cul de sac.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hzkojtDcSS8/hqdefault.jpg

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2015 09:52AM by WingNut.

Izzy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Should one be concerned if one is taking a
> leisurely walk in the woods i.e. Bull Run Regional
> Park? do packs of coyotes go after deer?

Coyote's do not normally run in packs. Under very severe circumstances they
might when there is a very serious shortage of food but there are plenty
of squirrels, rabbits, dogs, cat's, and trash for here. What people sometimes mistake for a pack is a litter of coyote's that haven't left momma yet.
Dumpster diving at KFC? Hmmm.....

Coyotes are exactly what this area needs. Although they aren't typically strong enough to take down an adult deer (they typically are only in pairs and don't normally form packs), they definitely have the ability to thin out some of the Northern Virginia deer herds. The most important thing is that they will eat rodents, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and foxes.

With more and more of these "prey" animals overwhelming the environment and taking it out of balance, a predator animal such as the coyote is a relatively harmless addition to the food chains of Northern Virginia.

As we finally see more of the predator animals (hawks, eagles, foxes, coyotes) moving back into the area, the numbers of prey animals should at least balance out, which is great news for the entire ecosystem and for my car. It's a shame that some cats and small dogs are killed by them, but if their owners were responsible and knew the potential risks, they wouldn't be in danger. In my opinion, there are too many little dogs and cats anyways.

I just wish that we could make a deal with wolves and bears to only eat the deer around here and to not get hit by cars or scare families who don't know enough about them to be cautious and respectful. The ecosystem in Northern Virginia and in much of the I-95 corridor has been out of whack for years and needs more of these predator animals to even things out.

Father Earth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coyotes are exactly what this area needs.
> Although they aren't typically strong enough to
> take down an adult deer (they typically are only
> in pairs and don't normally form packs), they
> definitely have the ability to thin out some of
> the Northern Virginia deer herds. The most
> important thing is that they will eat rodents,
> raccoons, opossums, skunks, and foxes.


Coyotes eat cats and small dogs.....



-
Attachments:

I have seen them! About every Wednesday for awhile at the 7-11 on 236 and Hummer. This coyote was driving a Catholic van full of illegals which they dropped off there at 7-11. Isn't that breaking the law? Imagine a church breaking the law. Do you think the Catholic church is eager to fill their pews with innocent virgin kids? Could they have an agenda?

@ spunky-

That was funny

Father Earth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coyotes are exactly what this area needs.
> Although they aren't typically strong enough to
> take down an adult deer (they typically are only
> in pairs and don't normally form packs), they
> definitely have the ability to thin out some of
> the Northern Virginia deer herds. The most
> important thing is that they will eat rodents,
> raccoons, opossums, skunks, and foxes.
>
> With more and more of these "prey" animals
> overwhelming the environment and taking it out of
> balance, a predator animal such as the coyote is a
> relatively harmless addition to the food chains of
> Northern Virginia.
>
> As we finally see more of the predator animals
> (hawks, eagles, foxes, coyotes) moving back into
> the area, the numbers of prey animals should at
> least balance out, which is great news for the
> entire ecosystem and for my car. It's a shame
> that some cats and small dogs are killed by them,
> but if their owners were responsible and knew the
> potential risks, they wouldn't be in danger. In
> my opinion, there are too many little dogs and
> cats anyways.
>
> I just wish that we could make a deal with wolves
> and bears to only eat the deer around here and to
> not get hit by cars or scare families who don't
> know enough about them to be cautious and
> respectful. The ecosystem in Northern Virginia
> and in much of the I-95 corridor has been out of
> whack for years and needs more of these predator
> animals to even things out.


Coyotes are generally considered pest animals. I have rabbits, fox, raccoons, and deer all around my yard, and they don't present any sort of problems. A coyote though? I'd probably end up having to shoot it. Your justification reminds me of the one that eco nuts used, with their reintroduction of Canadian wolves into Yellowstone. Now we have wolves running wild all throughout the Great Plains, even in Nebraska, which is an area not used to them. Coyotes and wolves are all cool within their own right, but we don't need a sudden population explosion of them where they don't belong (You're talking about an urban area now, with tons of pets, little kids, etc., and full of people who have no idea on how to deal with wildlife).

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

PL aren't we all exposed to one form or another of wildlife each day?

bloody blisters Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dagnabit Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Who wins a fight
> > between a coyote and a fox?
>
>
> a coyote would fuck up a fox just due to its size,
> coyotes are more scavengers than hunters but im am
> sure they could hold their own if need be. plus
> they normally roam in packs whilst the foxes are
> more solitary. so blam coyotes win foxes failzors.


A fox really survives on its lonesome (Sometimes in a couple) through toughness, and extreme cleverness. Coyotes survive on being a little less clever, but also through organizing into packs. I've actually heard of a few cases where coyotes out west employed wolf type tactics in attacking dogs. One coyote would grab a dog's attention, and then the dog gives chase. The coyote then darts into some brush, the dog follows, and lying in wait is a pack of coyotes attempting an ambush. With wolves, they usually always win against a dog (Because they are huge, and there are so many of them), but with coyotes, larger dogs stand a good chance of surviving.

Hell, one case involved a Jack Russell that took on three coyotes, and lived to tell about it. He was relegated to life support for a while, but he actually successfully fought off a small pack of coyotes. That's a seriously tough SOB, because I know a guy who had five GSD's and Huskies, and they got jumped by a pack of Coyotes in their own back yard, and even they got messed up.

Btw, I like the fox where I live. I'm run into him a couple of times in the yard at night, and he's fun to watch. A coyote would make me a little nervous though, and a wolf would flat out scare the shit out of me. If I see a wolf ever come into my yard in an aggressive manner, it's being shot without any hesitation. A coyote on the other hand I might scare off, but with the fox it's a much more tame relationship, and I just leave him be.

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

I lived in faquire county and we had a serious coyote problem on our farm. I hunted them for 2 years and learned that around here they hunt in packs durring the spring and fall. Generally speaking they are in packs of 6-8. I started shooting them because they ambushed my dog one night. I went out late one night to smoke a cig and my dog came out back with me. I was on my deck and looked over to the left and sure enought there was a coyote just sitting there. My dog took off after it and chased it down to a tree line. Once my dog got to the tree line it was visiously attacked by what seemed 8 of them. I grabed my shotgun and poped a few off in the air and the attack stoped and my dog came back totally f-ed up. After that it was on. The coyotes lost the battle

Besides the butcher coyotes are the number one killer of livestock in virginia, not old age or disease

Taken in Fairfax Station.
Attachments:

Well an oldie resurfaces. I forgot to post about month or so ago had coyote sighting in Fairfax City at roughly 1 am. I was driving down road were the old Woody's Ice Cream had been located when what I thought was a grey fox scampered in front of my car. But I thought to meself( I might have had one that's one beer that evening) that's one big fox so further observation determined it was my first actual coyote sighting. Still plenty of woods in that area for coyotes to live in. Still seeing a huge number of deer lately so the coyotes don't appear to be doing there business adequately. Thing is I try to do some hiking in the parklands around the area and I'm thinking I don't want to encounter a coyote. I'm come across the occasional deer in my walks but doesn't concern me too much just clap my hands and that usual works. And yes I've seen the video "when deer attack" But coyotes seem like they might be nasty, like coming upon a wild dog in the woods.

Believe me that's nothing to the wild packs of kids in SE.

Anyone ever see an owl up close?

A pair of coyotes has been spotted in Daniels Run Park not far from the site you mentioned. I heard that Fairfax City animal control has been monitoring the two coyotes because at least one has been labeled "agressive."


Dagnabit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well an oldie resurfaces. I forgot to post about
> month or so ago had coyote sighting in Fairfax
> City at roughly 1 am. I was driving down road were
> the old Woody's Ice Cream had been located when
> what I thought was a grey fox scampered in front
> of my car. But I thought to meself( I might have
> had one that's one beer that evening) that's one
> big fox so further observation determined it was
> my first actual coyote sighting. Still plenty of
> woods in that area for coyotes to live in. Still
> seeing a huge number of deer lately so the coyotes
> don't appear to be doing there business
> adequately. Thing is I try to do some hiking in
> the parklands around the area and I'm thinking I
> don't want to encounter a coyote. I'm come across
> the occasional deer in my walks but doesn't
> concern me too much just clap my hands and that
> usual works. And yes I've seen the video "when
> deer attack" But coyotes seem like they might be
> nasty, like coming upon a wild dog in the woods.

I saw a dead one on 66 East bound at the 50 West exit.

I also saw a dead one in the middle of Rt. 28 North, straight across from the Udvar-Hazy museum.

Both of these were seen in fall last year.

just saw a coyote in Kings Park West today. Neighbors have seen one too.

Get it right the women are cougar not coyote.

Several coyotes have been seen in the area of the West Falls Church Metro lately. They are ugly and seem to be hungry. Keep your pets inside!

Leave the coyotes alone and they will take care of the loose cat problems.

March 2011. On the Osprey's golf course (I live on a green) during the late afternoon this week, I saw a coyote. We have woods & fox, deer, bunnies, but I have not seen this before. I couldn't get the camera fast enouugh to catch him closer.
Attachments:

>Anyone ever see an owl up close?

I realize the original post is a year old... but

I saw a great horned owl sitting in a tree on Euclid Street NW in Adams Morgan in 2009. Probably hunting all the rats in the alleys.

Diane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> March 2011. On the Osprey's golf course (I live
> on a green) during the late afternoon this week, I
> saw a coyote. We have woods & fox, deer, bunnies,
> but I have not seen this before. I couldn't get
> the camera fast enouugh to catch him closer.


I think you distracted him during his putting stroke

Osprey's golf course?

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

Coyotes will not take a live deer, but they do help dispose of the carcases. They are deffinently coming to northern Virginia. I've been hearing reports of coyote calls for the last three years. if you're starting to see them, it means we have a sizable population.

Fortunately they will eat cats (natures revenge.) It's time to declaw your cats and bring them inside so they stop indiscrimetly killing our native fauna. Or else the coyote will get them. Bon a petit.

I, for one, welcome our coyote liberators. Do with the deer and cats as you wish.

No Cause for Alarm, but Watch for Coyotes in Braddock

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/braddock/newsletter/august2010/coyotes.htm

They eat geese? Go Coyotes Go!!!

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources/archives/coyotes.htm

Couger like hot woman?

I have a funny story. I live in Fairfax obviously, and one night (Sometime in mid to late February of 2011 I believe) I take the garbage bin out to the curb and hear strange howls similar to a wolves howl. So I go in a tell my dad, "Hey I think there may be a wolf out there." So he doesn't believe me. There are woods on both sides of my neighborhood, just to put that out there. But I heard in Wolf Trap Park they haven't seen a wolf in that area since 1793 (heard from a park ranger). So I didn't even believe myself for a minute.

About 15 to 20 minutes later, my dad and I are talking in the kitchen, and then my house's back motion sensor light goes on, and my dad swings his head and looks out there and goes, "WHOA!" and runs through the house and out the front door to try and cut off whatever he saw. Turns out he thought he saw a wolf go through the deck and I'm thinking, "Man, this is crazy" and then for the next 10 minutes we're arguing about what it was.

Just a day or two ago I found a Washington Post article about how coyotes are now meeting with wolves, (don't ask me how it's possible) and the coyotes are now acquiring a wolf-like tail, and more and more are coming into Fairfax County. So my dad's now convinced that he saw and I heard a mixed coyote. Just my strange story, but pertaining to the topic, like my sighting, it is not uncommon to see a coyote in Fairfax. I live in a busy area and I heard, and my dad saw a coyote.

FairfaxMatt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a funny story. I live in Fairfax obviously,
> and one night (Sometime in mid to late February of
> 2011 I believe) I take the garbage bin out to the
> curb and hear strange howls similar to a wolves
> howl. So I go in a tell my dad, "Hey I think there
> may be a wolf out there." So he doesn't believe
> me. There are woods on both sides of my
> neighborhood, just to put that out there. But I
> heard in Wolf Trap Park they haven't seen a wolf
> in that area since 1793 (heard from a park
> ranger). So I didn't even believe myself for a
> minute.
>
> About 15 to 20 minutes later, my dad and I are
> talking in the kitchen, and then my house's back
> motion sensor light goes on, and my dad swings his
> head and looks out there and goes, "WHOA!" and
> runs through the house and out the front door to
> try and cut off whatever he saw. Turns out he
> thought he saw a wolf go through the deck and I'm
> thinking, "Man, this is crazy" and then for the
> next 10 minutes we're arguing about what it was.
>
> Just a day or two ago I found a Washington Post
> article about how coyotes are now meeting with
> wolves, (don't ask me how it's possible) and the
> coyotes are now acquiring a wolf-like tail, and
> more and more are coming into Fairfax County. So
> my dad's now convinced that he saw and I heard a
> mixed coyote. Just my strange story, but
> pertaining to the topic, like my sighting, it is
> not uncommon to see a coyote in Fairfax. I live in
> a busy area and I heard, and my dad saw a coyote.


Out here it's VERY uncommon to see coyotes, and the last sighting I can recall in my neighborhood was back in the 1980's, maybe early 1990's.

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

there are a lot more than you think...i live in centreville and do a lot of bow hunting around manassas/clifton/centreville areas...ive killed coyotes in fairfax county almost every huntin season... just as soon as sun comes up in the morning or right as the sun has just about set, you can make a few squeaks with your mouth and every once in a while a coyote or fox will come out of their den and locate the squeak...they spend most of the daylight hours sleeping in their dens, therefore you never see them....ALSO to much of everyones surprise, I have seen black bear on the properties i hunt next to on the manassas battlefields, right on the manassas/centreville boundary...a few years back i was fortunate to kill one....western fairfax is pretty wild.

I have seen coyote in the area around the West Falls Church Metro. (inside the Beltway). We have a large population of rabbits, skunks, deer and other wildlife. The coyotes that I have seen usually come out around dusk and are very skittish. They have a kind-of sideways gait and run with their tails down. They look kind of like large foxes.

Note to self. No more hiking by meself in Manassas Battlefield. don't want to be eaten by a bear.

I believe I saw a coyote standing in front of the Safeway in Annandale/Koreatown last week? Ole'


badda-bing

jimmy james Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> there are a lot more than you think...i live in
> centreville and do a lot of bow hunting around
> manassas/clifton/centreville areas...ive killed
> coyotes in fairfax county almost every huntin
> season... just as soon as sun comes up in the
> morning or right as the sun has just about set,
> you can make a few squeaks with your mouth and
> every once in a while a coyote or fox will come
> out of their den and locate the squeak...they
> spend most of the daylight hours sleeping in their
> dens, therefore you never see them....ALSO to much
> of everyones surprise, I have seen black bear on
> the properties i hunt next to on the manassas
> battlefields, right on the manassas/centreville
> boundary...a few years back i was fortunate to
> kill one....western fairfax is pretty wild.


It wouldn't surprise me, since we had mountain lion tracks on my street last summer.

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

I saw a werewolf drinkin a pina colada at Trader Joe's.
And his hair was perfect.

They sell piña coladas at Trader Joes?

ThePackLeader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jimmy james Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > there are a lot more than you think...i live in
> > centreville and do a lot of bow hunting around
> > manassas/clifton/centreville areas...ive killed
> > coyotes in fairfax county almost every huntin
> > season... just as soon as sun comes up in the
> > morning or right as the sun has just about set,
> > you can make a few squeaks with your mouth and
> > every once in a while a coyote or fox will come
> > out of their den and locate the squeak...they
> > spend most of the daylight hours sleeping in
> their
> > dens, therefore you never see them....ALSO to
> much
> > of everyones surprise, I have seen black bear
> on
> > the properties i hunt next to on the manassas
> > battlefields, right on the manassas/centreville
> > boundary...a few years back i was fortunate to
> > kill one....western fairfax is pretty wild.
>
>
> It wouldn't surprise me, since we had mountain
> lion tracks on my street last summer.

Can you verify this? Wildlife officials have been looking for proof of mountain lion's in Virginia for years and no evidence so far.

I lived with a female mountain lion over in the Hemlock Overlook last winter and she was the meanest bitch that ever balled for beads I'd ever met I do declare

Sorry to dissapoint, but according to us fish and wildlife the Eastern Panther is extinct.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/eastern-cougar-extinct-110303.html

Check out this video I captured of a Florida Panther in Naples. Sorry about the camera work.

http://floridapanthers.teamfanblog.info/fantastic-video-florida-panther-puma-concolor-in-collier-seminole-state-park/

Atom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry to dissapoint, but according to us fish and
> wildlife the Eastern Panther is extinct.
>
> http://news.discovery.com/animals/eastern-cougar-e
> xtinct-110303.html
>
> Check out this video I captured of a Florida
> Panther in Naples. Sorry about the camera work.
>
> http://floridapanthers.teamfanblog.info/fantastic-
> video-florida-panther-puma-concolor-in-collier-sem
> inole-state-park/

Once in a while I see a story about someone allegedly seeing a mountain lion
but there's never a clear picture, poop (scat they call it), roadkill, or
a hunter shooting one. (it would be perfectly legal) I had a coworker
once who swore up and down that he saw six of them on his farm in Lynchburg
and two of them were on the roof of the house and four were in the
driveway. He's also the guy who told me that deer in Maryland can grow up to
six feet tall. Cheap wine can do funny things to ones mind over a period
of time.

hmm its interesting about the mountain lions..

since i moved to VA, i have always heard stories from other hunters/farmers about seeing mountain lions...I have a hunting club in Marshall (25 minutes from fairfax county) and last fall the hunting club president sent out an email about mountain lion sightings around the club and outskirts of town of marshall. I ran into a Game Warden out there and talked to him about it. He told me that these mountain lions are protected and if you shoot one, you would pretty much go to jail/heavily fined.... never did he mention that mountain lions have been reportedly extinct on the east coast....

up until now i just assumed there was a small population of wild cougars that exist in VA...but after seeing this thread, ive done a little google research and apparently there are thousands of sightings but NOTHING confirmed. conservation officers have even declared them extinct around here....

I want to believe they still exist around the state.

Interesting article here about mountain lions in Virginia. The suggestion
that there may be some "hybrids" out there as a result of the illegal
animal import trade sounds reasonable. I'm still doing some Googling
over the issue of legal to hunt or not. I saw an article years ago that
quoted a Va. Game official as saying they're not protected and good to go
but I'll have to follow up.

http://rule-303.blogspot.com/2008/04/mountain-lions-in-virginia-how-theyre.html

ha, yea i read that too.

Its strange how an article with a Game official saying that it is legal to hunt cougars in VA....when game officials have declared these cougars extinct on the east coast....you would think they would be extremely protected by the law (as i was told by the game warden i spoke to) since they are so rare. There isnt even a license you can buy to hunt them here in VA...VA's big game license certainly does not have a tag for cougar.

But the escaped pet/hybrid theory is certainly possible...i do a lot of fishing on the occoquan reservoir behind clifton...2 or 3 summers ago there was an alligator that my buddy and I saw on a few occasions.. he would be swimming along the banks or laying on a log when we'd see him. This other guy i know that fishes out there was always a wild crazy man, he ended up shooting the 4 and a half foot gator. but obviously gators dont live in VA..it had to be someones illegal pet, and once it got too large they released it.

The mountain lions are very real, and I overheard a park ranger out on Skyline Drive discussing it with a visitor about 12 or 13 years ago. He said: "Oh yeah, we've had sightings of them in the Shenandoah. They're around". These cats wander up to 120, 140 miles from the spot where they normally dwell, and they are extremely elusive. You could literally walk within 10 feet of one and never know it, especially if it's up in a tree.

I also know some individuals who've gotten them on trail cams out in Maryland, and in NY there were mountain lion calls recorded. These animals are still in existence on the East Coast, the officials simply bullshit so they don't have to worry about "Protecting us" from something that "Doesn't exist". You can tell a mountain lion track easily as well, simply due to the size. We had a 40lb. bobcat around here a few years ago, but there's no way it has paws at least three inches in diameter.


If you want to talk about bullshit wildlife officials, I saw a wolf on property that we own in UpState NY in the mid-90's. It was an enormous looking canine, and it was trotting away, then paused briefly to turn and watch us, before it finally trotted off again into the woodline. Now, we all know what we saw, and plenty of other residents in that part of NY State know full well about wolves living up there too. For some reason, though, the NY wildlife officials always scoff at the reports as being coyote sightings, despite the fact that a large wolf population is confirmed to exist right across the border in Canada (Less than 40 miles away). I guess wolves respect borders, and register with passports, right?

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

First off, as far as the the eastern mountain lion, there were plenty of reports about 10 years ago, but nothing recent. Your skyline drive story is very much what I would hear when I lived in Shenandoah. Also, when camping along the river at the base of the mountains, we would a bizarre howling hear all the home owners in the area claimed to be the lion and all the pare rangers would talk about sightings but I have not heard anything recent so maybe now extinct.

As far as the coyote, there was a huge explosion about 7 years ago. I now live in Burke and saw 2 in one summer, heard them on occasion and one ran right next to me about 2 yards away at night (the other I saw had been hit by a car and was running aimlessly on three legs holding it's broken leg out front...weird). My theory was that it was a year or so after the cicadas. So with the cicadas around, they small mammal population blew up and then the coyotes had awesome food for a while so they grew in population as well. Haven't really heard about them again until just this month.

This morning, there was a large something (I thought it was a rabbit, my wife thought it was a cat) ripped to pieces with long strips of entrails all over on a neighbor's driveway (we live off a pipestem and she's a nice person, no kids and there is no reason someone would have thrown road kill on her driveway) so we figure it must also have been a coyote. Still though, everything I hear is that they are pretty much harmless. What about that fatal attack in Canada not so long ago? Some hiker/singer adult girl who was hanging out in nature was killed by coyotes or something. So I'm not sure what to believe.

it was definitely a rabbit that got caught up under a lawn mower and got shredded up on your neighbors driveway...DUH!

Vic Hitler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Note to self. No more hiking by meself in Manassas
> Battlefield. don't want to be eaten by a bear.

One wandered into a 7-11 in Manassas fairly recently.

As for coyotes: they are all over Fairfax County. A shit load in west Springfield. Saw one in Franconia. Huntley Meadows has at least one documented breeding couple. Other known pairs in Belvoir and in the Accotink Refuge. And I heard a bunch in Mason Neck last Winter, which startled me as eastern coyotes are generally not prone to vocalization.

Can't remember where I heard this and I really don't like spreading hearsay or non-comfirmed facts but I thought I heard somewhere that the species making recent issues is actually the western coyote, which would make sense in what the former person said. They are also bigger and more aggressive, yes?

i believe that the coyotes migrated east through Canada about a century ago, and mated with the canadian grey wolves along the way....the descendants of the coyote/wolf hybrid are todays eastern coyotes....thats why they are much larger than the western coyotes... they did a study on eastern coyotes and found that they all had some percentage of wolf in them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rw/WashingtonPost/Content/Epaper/2011-03-31/TFSx21.pdf

Blue Ridge Mtn Man...your video of panther (or whatever) was fascinating! I can't beleive you stayed with him...I would have run the other way!

W.r.t mountain lions and extinction - be careful about jumping to the conclusion that there are no mountain lions in the east because the East Mountain Lion is extinct.

chimicanga Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As for coyotes: they are all over Fairfax County.

I had one limp through my Sully Station "back yard" on three legs (looked like it was literally on its last legs, too) - that "yard' is only, like, 10 feet deep til the next house.

They're around.

Does anyone know for certain where ther is one? I am trying to get rid of my wife's disgusting cat

Diane,

Just to clarify, that was my video, and it definently was a Florida panther (maybe mixed with a little Texas panther blood.)

cat hater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know for certain where ther is one? I
> am trying to get rid of my wife's disgusting cat

Hemlock Overlook...
Fountainhead Park...
Huntley Meadows...
Accotink Wildlife Refuge...
Pohick Bay Regional Park...
Rock Creek Park...

... all have coyote populations

Hopefully the Coyotes will develop a taste for Beaner, and decent folk can go to 7-11 for a Slurpee again.

Sorry, Atom. Credit due YOU for the amazing video!

I live off of 236 and Maple Ave near Woodson High School. My neighbors joke that I am the "pistol packing mamma" because late at night I walk the street for relaxation, neighborhood watch, and wild animal watching, and being 100 lbs I always bring my piece for protection. I thought I had seen it all until I looked out my bedroom window at 10 in the morning and saw a young coyote walking around in my yard . Since then I have heard it scratching at trash barrels at night. My next door neighbor says there is a large hole in the base of the tree out back which could easily be a den. The sighting was a week ago and since then both my husband and I have heard it howling and crying both in the day and night.
I am torn between shooting it because of the potential danger to our pets and small children, or just letting nature do it's thing.
Our cop friends tell us that the county will only come unless it is contained. Sure, after I put a leash on it and feed it some steak and fries I will give them a call.
We have also thought of getting a large trap cage, but then what does the county do with it?
Any thoughts or good advice would be appreciated.

Get a pack of terriers and let them at the coyote

.
Attachments:

They should be hunted to extinction.

As should any other dangerous species such as black bears, foxes, mountain lions, wolves, wild pigs, poisonous snakes, poisonous spiders and any other dangerous creature that the misanthropic environ-mentals are trying to plague us with.

All of these species are a threat to our citizens.

http://www.varmintal.net/attac.htm

Here's an actual photo of a coyote sighted in Fairfax County!

.
.
Attachments:

Show me a real coyote.

.
Attachments:

Have seen one coyote in neighborhood off Braddock Rd, and one very large cat the size of a medium dog. Have seen large variety of wildlife while mtn biking around Wakefield Park, including three owls sitting together on a branch. Amazing that I never saw any wildlife while growing up in the area.

The woods off Shirley Gate/Braddock as recently as 2 weeks ago. Heck the Coyotes run right up the street 2 at a time, I've seen them. You may think " Wow thats a big fox"..nope Coyote. When in the 'subdivisions, they jump down in storm culverts, then pop up when the coast is clear. Bobcats are like ghosts, silent and quick! I've seen 3 in the past year, but only for a milisecond...like ghosts I'll tell ya! They don't make a sound and are quick as a ...cat...

Saw the one near Maple Ave and 236 one morning on the way to work - 6 am. Not sure what is was, now I know.

Seen a brown adult coyote in Kings Park west caught in the neighbors motion light on it's way to the back yard storm drain. A few of the neighbors have seen it in their driveways & in the road over the last two years. Used to have many fox who had a den up the street but they all have disappeared

Just saw a Coyote on Rolling Rd tonight at 3:00 AM near the exit for Fairfax County Parkway. It was a little further down, more towards Belvoir.

If you see Coyotes..you have a lot of them. There is no way to get rid of them..the more pressure on them the more they produce. I give them "aversion therapy"..shooting to kill as often as possible keeps them afraid of humans. If you don't do this they will come into your home eventually and open your pantry.

they ate my cats

I have seen 2 roadkill coyotes in the last year one just this weekend on old keene mill road between hillside and huntsman and one the summer before last on rolling road just near saratoga shopping center. The one on old keene was not very large but the one on rolling was very large. I have attached the pictures. Also a friend of mine has had one stalk him and his dog (a 60 lb pitbull\hound) just north of mark twain elementary on franconia road in locust park.
Attachments:

jaydee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you see Coyotes..you have a lot of them. There
> is no way to get rid of them..the more pressure on
> them the more they produce. I give them "aversion
> therapy"..shooting to kill as often as possible
> keeps them afraid of humans. If you don't do this
> they will come into your home eventually and open
> your pantry.


So they're pretty much the same as illegals or libs?

Update on my coyotes. We put a night vision camera up yesterday after seeing many in the backyard.(The pic is of one of the baby pups) We know of at least 3 generations living in our yard now.
Last night I was walking and heard a raccoon screaming across the street. I ran over with my flashlight and was face to face with one trying to get some dinner. He had his teeth showing !! Hello, are you kidding me? The coon ran off and he went and hid in the tall grass and started growling. Sounded like a wolf. Then another one started coming around the other side of the house. I decided it was time to back up slowly and get home.
This morning I found coyote poop and part of what they did catch for dinner on my front walkway. These guys are getting way too close for comfort.
Put more calls in to Animal Control and now Sharon Bullova's office. Response- sorry nothing we can do.
Waiting to hear back from them on how to trap and kill them legally.
I may call the newspaper next. Why have Animal Control if they can't control animals?
Attachments:

Just got off the phone with some asshole over at Animal Control. His name is Burger.
Hey Burger, if you are reading this...Don't be knocking on my door. I can't shoot a coyote growling at me in my own yard but there is no law against shooting a human in self defense !!!
I'm gonna trap the whole lot of them and dump them in your yard and see how you like bringing a flashlight and gun with you just to bring your groceries in you pompous ass !!!!

Neighborhood Watch Night Owl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just got off the phone with some asshole over at
> Animal Control. His name is Burger.
> Hey Burger, if you are reading this...Don't be
> knocking on my door. I can't shoot a coyote
> growling at me in my own yard but there is no law
> against shooting a human in self defense !!!
> I'm gonna trap the whole lot of them and dump them
> in your yard and see how you like bringing a
> flashlight and gun with you just to bring your
> groceries in you pompous ass !!!!


mmm... deliberatly corners a wild animal whilst its pups are close by ... and then is suprised when its PO'd

growled? its hardly a mass attack of killers ...

Last spring I encountered one in the middle of the road on University Dr. near the intersection with Jean St. (Fairfax City). This was around 8:30am one morning on the way to work.

To NWNO

get a cheap crossbow and some good bolts and shoot the problem animals in YOUR yard and it is legal. no fire arms over 500 FPS allowed i think, a 400 fps crossbow will kill at 10 yards

kill the mom first the babies will be easy after that..

the "animal shelters" kill animals all the time, domestic only....ooooh

to psy-o
guess we need more copperheads and rattlers too?

All over Daniels Run, by the Fairfax City golf course. Multiple sightings, numerous packs of these animals, and some are actually pretty big. 40-50 lbs. They aren't the scraggly looking ones that used to be in the area either, which makes you wonder, are they breeding here, or are newer, stronger ones moving in?


A sort of related topic, armadillos have now been spotted as far as north as the Carolinas. That's right, from Texas they are making the trek north, for reasons unknown. In the next couple years, they shall be in FFX as well.