NORTH CAPE MAY – A North Cape May woman who spoke to Lower Township Council in November 2021 said that despite experts’ claims to the contrary, coyotes are aggressive and do not shy away from people.
“The coyote problem is out of control around here,” Adele Jones said.
Referring to a previous Herald article, she added, “What he (Rutgers Ph.D. candidate Christian Crosby) is saying is wrong. The coyotes here are aggressive.”
Jones said her German shepherd was attacked twice by coyotes, once when she was with him.
“It came after me and the dog,” she said.
Jones said on the occasion when her dog was with her, the coyote charged and bit down on the dog’s leg. Jones was carrying a club, and she struck the coyote twice to make it release her dog. She said she tried to swing a third time and lost her grip on the club, which went flying.
From that point, she and the dog slowly made their way to the house, never taking her eyes off the coyote. She said the coyote ended up following them up on the deck in front of her house.
“I can’t even walk my dog anymore,” she said.
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife website says, “In suburban and urban areas, coyotes have occasionally attacked small pets. Although attacks on humans are extremely rare in eastern states, as with any predatory animal, they can occur.”
Jones said she was misquoted in reports where it was said she claimed there was a “den of 70 coyotes” behind the Channels Apartments, which Christian Crosby was quoted as saying is highly unlikely.
Jones said she didn’t say there was simply one large den but were perhaps multiple dens. Crosby said it was highly unlikely that 70 coyotes were living in a specific location because the food resources needed to support such a social system would be tremendous.
Jones said she hired friends who put cameras up on her property on the backside of Turdo Vineyards. She said after viewing the video, her friends said, “You have no clue what is around your house.”
Jones has horses, and she keeps them in at night. She said she saw a turkey in the horse corral one day, and a coyote appeared and chased the turkey, which flew up and landed on a tree branch.
She said she spoke to the township about the coyote problem, and she was sent an email from the township telling her, “Don’t leave your trash out at night.” That is one item on a list of guidance the state Division of Fish and Wildlife has that informs people how to coexist with coyotes.
Jones said she has been coexisting with coyotes since 1998, but they are more numerous and more aggressive. She said one day, four coyotes were trying to scale her dog pen. Another time, she was outside spreading hay when she saw a coyote approaching her. She said they have come up on her deck and looked into her picture window. She is concerned coyotes will attack someone on the playground at Jonathan Hoffman Road.
When asked what action Lower Township took regarding Jones’ coyote complaint, Township Manager Mike Laffey said there was not much it could do.
“It’s a private property situation,” he said.
Laffey said he has heard there are a lot of coyotes in certain areas in Cape May County, including behind the Rutgers Extension on the Delaware River and Bay Authority ferry property in North Cape May and in a marsh area near the Delaware Bay in Middle Township.
Laffey said people can shoot coyotes on private property if they are properly licensed. He said there is an extensive period for hunting coyotes, and people are allowed to shoot them on their property as long as they follow guidelines.
There are three seasons for hunting coyotes and foxes in New Jersey. Bow season is from “the fourth Saturday prior to the last Friday in October through the Friday following Election Day in November.” In 2023 terms, that would be Sept. 30 through Nov. 10, which is about five weeks.
The second season is firearm or bow season, or “open” season, from the Saturday after Election Day in November through March 15. This year, that would be Nov. 11 through March 15.
The third is “Special Permit Coyote/Fox Season,” which runs from Jan. 1 (or Jan. 2 if Jan. 1 is a Sunday) through March 15. Special permit season requires a $2 permit. The special permit allows an individual to hunt coyotes or foxes 24 hours a day, but there is no hunting on Sunday in any of the seasons.
Weapon and ammunition regulations are in effect for all permits. No dogs may be used when hunting coyotes and foxes. A complete list of rules can be found at nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/coyote-fox_faq.pdf.
Peter Stark, state Division of Fish and Wildlife, who is the furbearer project leader for the state, said that 99% of the time, a problem with coyotes can be resolved by talking to the people involved to mitigate the conflict and come up with a solution.
“In general, when there is a conflict, it is food related,” he said.
He said the way Fish and Wildlife handles coyote incidents, such as an attack, are through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) services.
He said Fish and Wildlife is contracted through the state to do most wildlife control, saying, “Anytime there is an incident with a coyote, we encourage (people) to contact the USDA,” he said.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
