Coyote sighting in Scio Township
Coyoto photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources notes that coyotes have spread throughout southern Michigan and that they are extremely adaptable to habitat where adequate food, water and cover are available. There have been other reports of coyote sightings in the area in the past decade, including on Scio Church Road near the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, in Riverwood off Newport Road, and in Maryfield-Wildwood Park.
Coyotes can be confused with medium-sized German Shepherds from a distance, says the DNR.
But once in a while, someone gets this animal really confused with something else, as in this 2007 instance reported in the Kalamazoo Gazette in which a Benzie County man shot a 1,400 pound pregnant cow, claiming he mistook it for a coyote. "My husband thought that he should go through some therapy looking at repeated pictures of cows and coyotes, because they look nothing alike," said cow owner DeAnn Mosher to the Gazette. "It didn't make any sense to me."
Approximate location of this morning's coyote sighting on Jackson Road in Scio Township.
Google Maps
Edward Vielmetti is making a note to himself to buy a blaze orange hat for his next walk in the woods. You can reach him at edwardvielmetti@annarbor.com .
Comments
pollgott
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 : 10:31 a.m.
A coyote ran across S. 7th St., just north of Scio Church Rd. this morning. I stopped my car as it ran in front on me, and when it got across the street, it turned and looked at me, and then ran into Pioneer Woods.
kyle concannon
Tue, Jun 1, 2010 : 10:31 a.m.
We just had one run through our backyard yesterday at 8:30am. We back up to Greenview Park off 7th and Greenview (live on Glen Leven).
Sofia Toti
Wed, Jan 6, 2010 : 8:38 p.m.
Coyotes weren't introduced exactly; the wolf population was removed & since nature abhors a vacuum, coyotes moved in by themselves. (Some researchers in the canid field figure there are more coyotes in North America now than there were when Columbus landed in the Caribbean.)
Rork Kuick
Wed, Jan 6, 2010 : 8:27 a.m.
I'm open to the idea that having some coyotes around is a good thing, though we may have to adapt. Other hunters and live-stock owners are less openminded. I see almost no wandering cats now, but I do take a bit more care about my 5 pound Yorkie, Owlbait, dashing outside. PS: The Kalamazoo cow story was not worth including - it sounds made up.
Vivienne Armentrout
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 6:51 p.m.
We had one in our Brooks/Sunset neighborhood a couple of years ago. He/she ran through once in the daytime but was usually only seen in the very early morning. Rabbit damage to the garden diminished considerably.
tdw
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 6:25 p.m.
Coyotes are all over the place now.My friend lives near Ellis and textile and we hear and see them all the time.Also the way the hunting rules are worded it pretty much allows someone to shoot them whenever they please.They are hard to get a good shot at though
Barb
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 5:03 p.m.
Oh sorry, I was referring to that first site you posted, Ed.
Barb
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 4:43 p.m.
That's an interesting website - seems like they may have misinformation... I mean, "why were they introduced into Michigan?" Were they? They're not indigenous?
Barb
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 3:10 p.m.
I've seen them in my neighborhood off Scio Church and S. 7th St.
theodynus
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.
I've seen coyotes near liberty and zeeb a few times, going back 20 years to when I was a kid. They're coming a bit closer to the city, or maybe reports of sightings are just spreading more easily. There was one spotted at Spring and Felch back in November.