Recent Coyote Sighting Not Exclusive to Darnestown

Last week's sighting of a coyote—caught on a motion-triggered camera—in Darnestown made it's way to Twitter by way of a self-described wildlife enthusiast.

Holger Kray, a Darnestown resident, tweeted a photo the morning of Aug. 4 confirming the presence of yes, a coyote. With its head held high, the wily creature is looks towards an open area surrounded by woods.

The photo has a time stamp on it, Kray said. July 31 around 6 a.m.

Kray is a volunteer with Patriot Land and Wildlife Management, an organization that assists property owners with environmental improvements and wildlife management. His passion for wildlife, he said, led him to donate his time to a good cause.

"I'm truly excited by the beauty and variety of wildlife in suburban Washington," Kray said. For human beings, there's no reason to be afraid. They [coyotes] are not a danger to the population, to children. They are afraid of us."

He said that he set up a total of five "trailcams" on properties in the area, including one on his five-acre farm where he lives with his family—just minutes from the intersection of River and Seneca roads.

Pete Jayne, game program manager at Maryland Department of Natural Resoursces, said that coyotes clearly tend to be at home in urban or suburban areas.

"We do know that coyotes are present in all 23 of the Maryland counties."

Jayne said the eastern counties show the lowest population density, while counties like Montgomery have a medium population density. Coyotes have been sighted in the Potomac area down through the Potomac River corridor, he said.

Coyotes are a fairly new phenomenon in the eastern United States, according to Jayne. Migrating east from the Midwest beginning in the 1900s, he said that Maryland has seen only one documented capture. Regular sightings began in the mid-'80s.

"We call it the coyote invasion," Jayne said, adding that they are moving into Maryland from Pennsylvania and from Virginia. "They seem to be very comfortable in that mix of woodland, open space and suburbs—Potomac is a good example."

Jayne said that DNR doesn't track the coyote population within Montgomery County; the tracking is only done on a statewide basis. And he noted that DNR has not received a lot of damage complaints to livestock or to pets from Maryland residents.

He advises residents to avoid attracting coyotes. These tips, he said, are a good way to co-exist with wildlife.

• Don't leave pet food outside.

• Consider bringing suet and other bird feeders inside at night to avoid unwanted wildlife.

• Secure your trash.

County residents who are concerned about coyotes or other wildlife are encouraged to call the DNR hotline at 1-877-463-6497. The DNR police emergency number, which is staffed 24 hours per day, is 410-260-8888.