Wily coyotes making their appearance known

By Joan Janzen

People living in small towns on the prairies are not surprised to have various wildlife occasionally meander down their streets. Wild rabbits are the most common, and I’ve even had a deer running ahead of me on the streets in Kindersley. Nevertheless, rural residents are still very surprised to see other types of wildlife on the streets of their small towns.

Reece Gray captured some photos of a coyote that was in his farmyard near Brock a couple of week’s ago. “The cheeky critter tried to have a nap in our yard during that last cold snap, said Reece. Our pup lost her mind when she saw it out the window.” PHOTOS BY REECE GRAY

A recent Facebook post by a Leader resident announced, “A coyote just ran down our street! Keep your pets indoors!” Coyotes are animals people don’t want to see in their town.

But an immediate response by a Burstall resident confirmed rural sightings, writing, “We’ve had coyotes around here too. One night, there were three of them on the street! I haven’t been walking too much at night.”

Small-town residents may be surprised to see these animals scampering down their streets. However, they may not realize it’s more of a common occurrence than they realize. Coyotes have also been seen in the village of Brock on a number of occasions, and the Town of Kindersley posted a caution that coyotes were spotted at the Motherwell Reservoir in Kindersley. A resident commented that she had seen two coyotes near her house, and one was limping.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment claims coyote sightings are not unusual, even in cities like Saskatoon, where coyotes were seen in the Costco parking lot last fall. According to their report, coyotes are exceptionally adaptable to living in urban areas, but they are rarely seen since they are primarily nocturnal and often stay in open spaces.

However, in winter, coyotes are more active during the day. This is the season when primarily young coyotes who don’t have established territories are seen in residential areas, seeking food and shelter.

Coyotes need “space and respect,” the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment advised in an email. But if you do happen to meet up with one, they suggest waving a bag or scarf to make yourself look big, waving your hands and yelling, as recommended ways to stay safe.

Of course, they also recommend keeping garbage in closed containers and keeping pets indoors to avoid creating additional stress for the wild animals.