Welcome to the Coyote Resource Page. I hope this page will become a source of information for people
wanting to learn more about coyotes in Urban areas.
On May 28, 2004, we lost our beloved Cotton to a coyote in our front yard.
I had the misfortune of hearing Cotton fight for his life and then lose the battle before I could get to him.
When I opened my front door, the coyote was holding Cotton's lifeless body in his jaws.
For two years prior to allowing him to get outdoors, we tried
to keep him inside but no approach was effective. We ended up with a houseful of marked carpet we now
need to replace. Despite what you read, not all cats can be converted to indoor cats.
May goal is to share this information with other residents of Multnomah County, a county that offers
no help to people dealing with predator problems like coyotes. Cotton survived a (presumably) coyote attack in 2001.
My efforts to get help then were fruitless.
Are you looking for Wilcot Group's main web page or the board game Search for Poseidon's Gold?
Please contact us if you have comments you would like to make about coyotes or this site.
Last Updated July 13, 2004
As of the time of this writing, Multnomah County does not have any options for helping residents deal
with problem coyotes. Multnomah County Animal Services refers to itself as the last resort for dealing with a lot of animal
issues, and I gathered that means that they would come out and remove a carcass or perhaps euthanize a
coyote if you were able to trap it in a fenced yard.
Surrounding Counties (Clackamas and Washington) do contract with the trappers from Wildlife Services, which
offers assistance to residents in these counties. A consent form must be signed by the owner of the property
where the control devices will be placed, and an assessment is made to determine the level of safety for
other wildlife and domestic pets. I also understand they do some checking with neighbors, informing them
to keep pets inside during the process.
Yamhill County offers an intermediate option. A county commissioner can authorize the involvement of
Wildlife Services for residents having a problem with wildlife. The resident pays a small fee and the limited county
contract covers the rest. I like this option for Multnomah County because it offers people some help and it
shares the burden.
Ultimately, my research led me to an option that I did not know about 3 years ago. It is possible to hire
Wildlife Services yourself. For an hourly fee, they will come out and do the same process the do for contracting
counties. If you would like the information on contacting Wildlife Services, please contact me and I will pass it
along to you.
Funding is going to be the obstacle. Public outcry will continue to be
a barrier, and unfortunately people opposed to the action will use the lack of funding as a defense against
doing anything about it.
Funding for something should come from a source close to the cause or need. Using cigarette settlement money
for cessation programs or non-smoking education for teenagers is an excellent example. In the situation of coyotes,
land developments and natural forest fires are slowly depriving wildlife of their habitat.
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