Wow!

I've been hearing rumors of coyotes in the area for about 2 years now. I'm in City of Poughkeepsie near the high school and I've heard about sightings on the other side of Hooker Ave near Vassar Farm.

We get them now and then but that was my first live sighting. We also get black bears once in a while and foxes. Deer are a common sight as are turkeys and red tailed hawks. I'm in the Northern Town of Poughkeepsie.

In the City deer are a problem both in the garden and on the streets since they will cross without regard to traffic. This year we seem to have traded groundhogs for bunnies - same net effect on my garden. We don't seem to get the turkeys in C/Pok so far. I'm convinced the coyotes are moving closer, it's only a matter of time.

So far no bears - only rumors.

Lots of chucks and bunnies this year here as well. Caught 2 baby chucks so far, I need to get an adult sized trap next.

I had to put up a deer fence around my veggies, the deer were eating the tomato plants....

So far the deer have stayed out of the veggies and concentrated on the flower garden. The baby bunnies were enjoying parts of the vegetable garden until the neighbor's cats started enjoying the baby bunnies. Various birds and squirrels have been enjoying the strawberries. I got to eat one ripe strawberry.

A coyote would be an interesting addition to the wildlife habitat around here.

Welcome! As it is, more large predators are called for, from hunters and on down the ladder to address the overpopulation of chipmunks, woodchucks, skunks, coons, and whatnot. Weasels (indiginous) would be nice to have around again too.

5 minutes ago, I had to curse at the woodchuck to leave my chard alone. He likes roaming and won't go in the trap. He needs the company of a fully-grown coyote.