Tega Cay addresses coyote nuisance

TEGA CAY, S.C. — On Monday morning, wildlife removal expert Andrew Cole set six traps to capture coyotes in Tega Cay.

The city paid him $1,400 to set and monitor the traps for two weeks.

“I'll show up early every morning, after daybreak, and check each trap," said Cole, who owns a Charlotte-based service called Songdog.

The move comes after months of complaints from homeowners spotting coyotes in their yards, and seeing them attack their pets.

Judy Forrest saw a coyote attack her greyhound last year.

"It had bit all up and down his backside. The coyote was next to him, keeping pace with him," Forrest said. “We're thrilled about this. I'm glad something is being done."

The coyote trap springs closed on the animal’s foot, holding it in place. It has rubber edges, and doesn't maim the animal, according to Cole.

Once caught, the animals will be killed with a .22-caliber bullet. It's against state law to capture and relocate a "nuisance" animal such as a coyote.

Cole said there is no guarantee a coyote wouldn't return even it was legal to simply move them.

“The coyote and large carnivores have the ability to travel over great distances," Cole said.  "Plus, you can't take a nuisance animal from one area where it's causing a problem, and place in another area to cause problems there."

Gloria Hayes has two small Yorkies, Bex and Cici. She keeps them in the yard with an electronic fence and lets them roam in and out of the house through doggie doors. Then her neighbors saw coyotes in her backyard.

"My fear is standing there and the coyote comes and grabs my Yorkie," she said.

She's also however concerned about killing the coyotes, and isn't sure trapping is going to catch enough of them to make a real difference anyway.

"I really don't know the answer, and I don't think anybody does," she said.

Tega Cay Mayor George Sheppard agreed with that.

"We have sightings, but we don't know if there really is a large coyote problem here. We hope this (the traps) will show us if we do have a problem," he said.

Many in the community have spoken out against the trapping plan. They have concerns that removing coyotes will upset the balance of nature in the area and lead to an increase in the already booming deer population.

Cole said coyotes are not native to the area.

The animals have been illegally captured and brought to the Carolinas, and also have naturally migrated farther east.

After two weeks, the city will evaluate the trapping program, to determine if more action needs to be taken.

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