Louisiana Officials Warn Residents and Pet Owners of Dangers During Coyote Mating Season

It's coyote mating season, and here in Louisiana people are concerned for livestock and pets according to a report at KLFY. Coyote sightings in rural and urban areas in Acadiana are not as rare as we might like to think.

According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries coyotes thrive not just in rural areas but in urban areas as well. You can see coyotes all around Acadiana, and not just in rural sections of our area.

In an article on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Wildlife Biologist Travis Dufour wrote this,

In urban areas coyotes regularly prey on small domestic dogs and cats.

In St. Martin Parish, residents are concerned about the amount of coyotes.

If you are a pet owner anywhere in our area you should consider that coyotes could be a predator to your pets.

With the mating season on, male coyotes are going to be very busy making sure that their mates are getting everything they need food-wise. Because they are "skilled predators" you may not notice their presence, unless, of course, you have lost a pet or other livestock like rabbits or chickens.

Derek Judice of St. Martinville told KLFY,

They are looking for the cats. They were chasing rats, rabbits. They are taking over, they overpopulate.

Judice says he hunts them to prevent them from getting to animals.

Another St. Martin Parish resident, Glenn Maturin of Cecilia told Channel 10,

We used to raise rabbits, and they actually broke into a cage and ate a few.

He is hoping that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries can offer some help in this matter.

If you have a hunting license, coyotes are considered a nuisance animal, so you can legally kill them.

You can legally kill them on your own property at night as well. Here is some important information from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,

Legal methods for nighttime take include any legal firearm which may be used with or without the aid of artificial light, infrared, or laser sighting devices, or night vision devices. Sound suppressors on the firearm(s) are permitted, but anyone using such a weapon must have a valid permit issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in their possession.

In addition to this information, you can click here for an article from The Advocate about what you can do to keep them away from your yard or area. The article highlights the Candid Project that aims to educate people about coyotes and foxes.