Video: Coyote Caught Wandering Around Davidson Backyard

DAVIDSON, NC — A Davidson resident got a shocking glimpse of a nighttime prowler in River Run, caught on a home security camera this week.

In the video, a wily coyote was seen wandering through a home’s backyard patio area shortly before 3 a.m. Dec. 9, nosing around bushes before lumbering away.

“Last night my ring motion detector light caught what we think is a coyote in our backyard,” the Davidson homeowner said when posting their video on the Neighbors app. “If you want to zoom for a close up, look between the two bushes on right.”

According to state wildlife officials, it's a sight that isn’t shocking for the time of year.

October and November months, for example, are considered peak times for coyote sightings in our state because young pups born in the spring of the year are in search of a mate and their own territory, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said.

“Coyotes rarely attack humans,” Falyn Owens, the agency’s extension biologist, said in a statement. “Coyotes are curious, but wary whenever they are near humans; however, they can become bold and habituated to humans if people feed them, either purposely or unintentionally.”

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SEE ALSO: Huntersville Family's Car Attacked By Coyote Believed To Be Rabid

According to NC Wildlife, coyotes are found in all 100 of the state’s counties, with Mecklenburg County ranking as having the second highest number of sightings. Here’s a rundown of the top North Carolina counties when it it comes to numbers of reported sightings in 2018:

• Wake — 76
• Mecklenburg — 71
• Forsyth — 47
• Gaston — 39
• New Hanover — 34
• Iredell — 29
• Cumberland — 23
• Guilford — 20
• Union — 20
• Buncombe — 20

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission offers the following tips for coexisting with coyotes:

• Secure garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids, and take them out in the morning of pick up, not the night before. Coyotes and other wildlife will scavenge trash.

• Don’t feed or try to pet coyotes. Feeding a coyote rewards that animal for coming in close proximity to people. Once a coyote becomes habituated, it loses its natural wariness of people and may become bold and aggressive.
• Protect your pets by keeping them inside, leashed, or inside a fenced area. • Install coyote-proof fencing around your home to protect unsupervised pets.
• Feed pets indoors or remove food when your pet is finished eating outside. Coyotes and other wildlife are attracted to pet food left outdoors.
• Keep bird-feeder areas clean. Use bird feeders that keep seed off the ground. Coyotes are attracted to small animals congregating on the ground. If coyotes are frequently seen, remove all feeders.
• Close off crawl spaces under sheds and porches. Coyotes and other wildlife may use these spaces for resting and raising young.
• Cut back brushy edges in your yard, which provide cover for coyotes.
• Don’t be intimidated by a coyote. Maintain its wariness by throwing a small object, such as a tennis ball, at it, making a loud noise, or spraying it with a hose. Let it know it is unwelcome near your home.
• Clear fallen fruit from around fruit trees. Coyotes are omnivorous and regularly consume fruit as part of their diet.
• Educate your neighbors. Your efforts to prevent coyote conflicts will be less effective if some neighbors are still providing foods.
• Allow hunters or trappers access to your property, so the local coyote population can be managed. Coyotes avoid areas in which threats are perceived.

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