Mulgrave mayor 'pretty darn scared' after run-in with coyotes as frequent sightings reported

The mayor of a small Nova Scotia town says coyotes have descended on his community, leading to collisions with vehicles and frightening encounters.

A team from the provincial Department of Natural Resources will head to Mulgrave on Tuesday in hopes of capturing some of the animals that Mayor Ron Chisholm says are being spotted everywhere, from backyards at nighttime to downtown in broad daylight. Mulgrave is in Guysborough County, along the Strait of Canso. 

"In the last month, it's just been non-stop coyotes," Chisholm told CBC Radio's Mainstreet.  "Everybody's been sighting them. Pretty much every night there's videos, there's photos."

Chisholm said four coyotes were killed in collisions with vehicles in the last week. He also had his own run-in with a pair of menacing-looking coyotes that slowly approached him as he walked, against his own advice, to his truck after dark recently.

"One snarling with teeth showing and hair standing up on his back," he said. "It became really real for me then. I was more than nervous, I was pretty darn scared really."

Chisholm said he threw rocks at the coyotes, got in his truck and drove away. 

"Usually when you see a coyote, they're skittish and they'll take off," said the mayor, a longtime hunter. "These two weren't too enthused about moving."

Mainstreet NS8:55Mayor: Mulgrave has "non-stop coyotes" and four were killed by vehicles in one week

Mayor Ron Chisholm speaks with guest host Preston Mulligan about what's happening, where he thinks the coyotes are coming from, and his concerns for public safety.

The Eastern coyote is about the size of a border collie, with a grey or reddish grey coat, and a white throat and belly.  

Although they are normally fearful of humans, inadvertent feeding by people or frequent exposure to non-threatening people can embolden the animals, according to a fact sheet on the Department of Natural Resources' website.

Chisholm said he believes recent land clearing in the area might be pushing the coyotes out of their habitat and into the town, causing the sudden influx of sightings. 

He said the team from DNR will spend two weeks in Mulgrave and set live traps to catch the animals. He added that some will be euthanized and sent to a veterinary clinic in P.E.I. for tests. 

Until the problem is managed, Chisholm is warning Mulgrave residents to avoid walking outside at night, when coyotes are typically most active.

Chisholm expressed concern over the safety of the town's residents, particularly children and seniors, until the situation is resolved.

"Public safety I'm very worried about," he said. "Halloween's coming, we've got a lot of young kids that'll be on the streets, and you know our town has a lot of seniors who ... walk our trails. It's scary."