While having a conversation today with my son, it was relayed to me that there have been neighborhood coyote sightings.  Interestingly, this same morning, there appeared an article in our local newspaper.

Here are the facts:

• Coyotes number one-half million across our nation.
• The coyote family is related to the dog family and lives to be 13- to 14-years in age.
• Their size ranges from 20- to 50-pounds and a coyote can run 40 miles per hour and to jump six-foot fences as well as climb fences higher than six feet if they have some traction.

These are wild animals and the best way to keep them at bay is to scare them away should you encounter one.  The usual lure of these beasts is garbage, pet food, bird feeders, fruit trees, gardens and unattended pets as well as small rodents.  The main idea is to keep these animals afraid of humans in in the wild where they belong.