Syracuse.com - Coyotes respond to turkey calls; their presence in CNY warrants caution/respect

[HuntingNY-News]

That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t keep their distance. The correct approach is caution and a healthy respect for their presence. These are wild animals, and their behavior cannot always be predicted. (Listen to an audio interview of one turkey hunter who was attacked.). AP photoCoyotes have been know to re´spond to turkey calls, but experts warn against an irrational fear of the animals. Todd Martin said he’s been hunting turkeys for 24 years. For the first time this spring, he got the scary feeling of what it’s like to be on the other end — to be treated as prey.Martin, 41, of Newark Valley, was hunting in Tioga County. He was sitting down, learning against a tree and calling in a turkey when a male coyote, which he estimated at 50 pounds, came up from behind and jumped on his back. It bit him in the shoulder before Martin stood up and threw it off.He got off a shot as the animal was running away.“I found blood and walked about 200 yards, but I couldn’t find it,” he said.Martin drove himself to a Binghamton hospital, where he was given a tetanus shot and a series of rabies shots as a precaution. No stitches were required.“I was talking to the doctor and she said if it was two inches higher, it would have gotten me on the side of the neck,” he said.Submitted photoMartin is convinced it was a case of mistaken identity, that the coyote thought he was a turkey. Several local hunters said last week that coyotes often are attracted to turkey calls.It brings to mind a bigger question, though, particularly with the presence of coyotes in urban and suburban areas of Central New York. Just how dangerous are coyotes, particularly those that have taken up residence in populated areas and gotten used to humans?The bottom line, according to several wildlife experts and hunters, is that there’s no need to be afraid of coyotes.“The risk of you getting attacked by a coyote is like the chance of getting struck by lightning,” said Steve Joule, regional wildlife manager at the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Cortland office.That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t keep their distance. The correct approach is caution and a healthy respect, Joule and others said. These are wild animals, and their behavior cannot always be predicted. There’s also always the possibility of rabies, though it’s rare.Within the last several years, there have been at least two confirmed reports of coyote attacks on humans in New York — both downstate. In New Jersey, a toddler playing in his yard was attacked by coyotes. Also, there have been two published accounts of fatal attacks — one in California and the other in Canada, according to Paul Curtis, associate professor and wildlife specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension.Curtis, who has done research on coyotes in suburban areas of Westchester County, said coyotes are territorial and have been known to go after smaller dogs. They rarely go after pet cats. He said he has examined the stomach contents of 500 coyotes and found cat hairs in only two.But what about small children? Curtis said there should be concern if coyotes are acting unafraid near areas where small children play. He recommended calling the DEC for advice.Joule said that as humans encroach more on the habitat of coyotes “certainly interactions are going to increase.”The typical Central New York coyote grows to 35-45 pounds, Joule said. Unusual colors, such as cinnamon or even vanilla, are from genetic variations, not from coyotes breeding with domestic dogs. Joule said the idea of “coy dogs” is pretty much a myth.The most important thing, Joule and other experts said, is that humans should avoid creating conditions that result in coyotes hanging around. On top of the list of recommendations: Don’t feed them. That includes leaving bowls of pet food outside, stocking bird feeders during the warm months that draw small prey for them, setting up unfenced compost piles or leaving garbage cans uncovered.Also, if you see coyotes in your yard or near your home, make it uncomfortable for them. Jacqueline Frair, an associate professor in wildlife science at SUNY ESF, has been studying coyotes. She said she spotted her first one five years ago at an unlikely place — walking across the SUNY ESF campus.She noted that one effective way to scare away coyotes is to keep a coffee can partially filled with coins. If you see a coyote, get out and shake the can vigorously.Getting back to the turkey hunters, are their interactions with coyotes unique? It would appear so. Turkey hunters are dressed head-to-toe in camouflage clothing, hunt from the ground usually in a sitting position and try to remain relatively motion-less. One could see how a coyote, hearing the calling, could make a mistake.Frair noted that coyotes are omnivores and eat a wide variety of food. She said she’s examined the stomach contents of a number of coyotes and has found wild turkey remains on a number of occasions. It would seem they’ve become very capable turkey hunters, she said.Bill Moore, 61, Camillus, was turkey hunting May 26 in Camillus. He was sitting behind a tree, dressed in full camo, softly calling in a hen with a box call. He said he felt a presence behind him, and in a split-second a coyote that he estimated weighed about 25 to 30 pounds pounced on his hand. It bit through his camouflaged glove.“The wind must have been perfect (so he didn’t catch my scent). He must have just seen my hand moving, heard the hen call and thought I was a turkey,” he said, adding that the animal quickly scampered away.He didn’t have time to take a shot. Moore said he went to Community General Hospital and began a series of rabies shots as a precaution.Veteran turkey hunter Jim Montanaro, of Liverpool, said he’s never been attacked by a coyote but has had them “jump” his turkey decoys at least a half-dozen times.“It’s probably a good idea to have a decoy out there when you’re calling. That way, the coyote has something to focus on — instead of you,” he said. Listen to Todd Martin's tale:

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[Paula]

Holy crap!