Veteran trapper gives up on wily coyote

[pawnee]

'Coyote Dundee' says he felt handcuffed by city attitudes: 'There's a lot of politics in that neck of the woods'

JENNIFER YANG

From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Last updated on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009 04:10AM EDT


In a battle of man versus beast in Neville Park, it seems the beast has emerged victorious.

But if you ask John the coyote catcher, he'll be the first to tell you the game was rigged.

"At no point in time was I able to do what I can do. ... I just feel handcuffed," John said yesterday. "I wasn't given the opportunity I needed to use to get the job done."

The Durham-area animal trapper, who owns a company called Critter Gitter, asked that his surname be withheld due to animal activist backlash.

The veteran trapper was hired by the city this year to capture Neville, the infamous coyote who's been prowling around the Neville Park area in Toronto's east end. The coyote gained notoriety after eating a pet chihuahua in February, and is also the prime suspect in two other dog attacks.

But today, Neville remains at large and the city's efforts to catch and relocate the wily coyote have failed. The city is now giving up the chase and officials confirmed on Thursday that the box traps rigged around Neville Park Boulevard were dismantled about eight weeks ago.

But John remains convinced he could have captured Neville, had the city not restricted his methods.

The eccentric trapper - described by one Neville Park resident as "Coyote Dundee," wearing camouflage and "some tooth hanging off his neck" - claims he has yet to meet a coyote in Ontario he can't catch.

But then again, other coyotes aren't media darlings living in well-to-do Toronto neighbourhoods.

"There's a lot of politics in that neck of the woods," John said. "When you hear the word leg-hold [trap], everyone throws their arms up in the air and starts squealing. ... unfortunately, public perception is of utmost importance down there."

According to John Almond with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Critter Gitter is "probably one of the best coyote trappers in Southern Ontario."

Mr. Almond advised city officials when they first began hunting Neville. He said in rural settings, trappers typically use humane leg snares to capture coyotes.

Along Neville Park Boulevard, however, there are too many people and pets around for traps to be safe. The same goes for guns, which are also commonly used for rural coyote removal.

"Based on the circumstances, they just weren't really viable options," Mr. Almond said. "It was a difficult thing."

So city officials were forced to be creative. First, they tried scare tactics, using paintball guns and air horns to scare Neville away.

Then there were the box traps, as well as a scheme involving bright green nets and an Animal Services worker, paid $28 an hour to yank on a rope should Neville come running by.

The city's last-ditch effort was to enlist the help of the Toronto Zoo and try shooting Neville with a tranquilizer dart, Mr. Almond said, another improbable task.

"You've got to be within 20 to 25 metres of the animal and the animal must be still," he said. "Without just the perfect situation happening, you could spend a lot of time getting the dart into the animal."

These days, Neville is lying low, although recent sightings have been reported. The city says the coyote is no longer demonstrating aggressive behaviour and they are monitoring the situation.

If Neville does start acting up again, however, John said he would gladly return at the city's request.

But next time, he would probably prefer to bring his gun.

"If you ask me ... how a coyote is to be captured and removed, a bullet's No. 1," he said. "I don't have a whole lot of faith in people who name coyotes, I'm sorry. A coyote is a wild animal."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat ... le1253281/

[Songdog]

Well isn't that trapper a lovely person. I can't agree with his attitude towards animals, although I also can't leave out the fact that coyotes are in no-way endangered species. Their intelligence gets them into some trouble, and can't always get them back out of it. Humans are in part to blame for the coyotes' loss of fear; when the wolves were removed, the coyotes moved in. Humans keep expanding into wildlife, and so wildlife expends to human settings. In some parts, coyotes are as pesky as raccoons with their garbage stealing, but they don't always have a choice. There's really no winning argument, as the coyotes are doing as nature intended: adapting to survive; while humans want to protect their own safety (as coyotes can be dangerous, especially to pets, young children, and livestock)

[pawnee]

I agree Songdog...you think someone who worked for wildlife would...I dunno be a little bit more understanding? but...

anyways, supposily people were feeding 'Nevile" pet food to take pictures of her. Also guns are not allowed in the city...duh. I understand people who are afraid for their pets. Pet cats and dogs that are left to roam the streets are going to get eaten regardless....

[Songdog]

Or hit by vehicles. It's just not safe. I can understand if your pet got loose or you let it in your backyard and walked away because you know it won't go out of your yard, but it's not smart to let pets wander the streets.


They plan to release Nevile? That surprises me. I'd think they'd euthanize it for eating some one's pet and being so accustomed to humans.

[Koa]

Or hit by vehicles. It's just not safe. I can understand if your pet got loose or you let it in your backyard and walked away because you know it won't go out of your yard, but it's not smart to let pets wander the streets.


They plan to release Nevile? That surprises me. I'd think they'd euthanize it for eating some one's pet and being so accustomed to humans.

Much agreed. I'd think it be safer to euthanize it, as pets and young children and so forth would at least be a bit safer.

If they tried to shoot it, what if the bullet went in the wrong direction, and hit something else?

I don't think releasing it is a good idea, etheir. It will just end up causing more problems and waste more money on efforts trying to capture it, trap it,relocate etc.

[paperpaws]

Or hit by vehicles. It's just not safe. I can understand if your pet got loose or you let it in your backyard and walked away because you know it won't go out of your yard, but it's not smart to let pets wander the streets.


They plan to release Nevile? That surprises me. I'd think they'd euthanize it for eating some one's pet and being so accustomed to humans.

Much agreed. I'd think it be safer to euthanize it, as pets and young children and so forth would at least be a bit safer.

If they tried to shoot it, what if the bullet went in the wrong direction, and hit something else?

I don't think releasing it is a good idea, etheir. It will just end up causing more problems and waste more money on efforts trying to capture it, trap it,relocate etc.

I think the best thing would be to put him in a zoo. He is fed; the zoo will feed him too. And it would be safe for himself and others.

[Koa]

Or hit by vehicles. It's just not safe. I can understand if your pet got loose or you let it in your backyard and walked away because you know it won't go out of your yard, but it's not smart to let pets wander the streets.


They plan to release Nevile? That surprises me. I'd think they'd euthanize it for eating some one's pet and being so accustomed to humans.

Much agreed. I'd think it be safer to euthanize it, as pets and young children and so forth would at least be a bit safer.

If they tried to shoot it, what if the bullet went in the wrong direction, and hit something else?

I don't think releasing it is a good idea, etheir. It will just end up causing more problems and waste more money on efforts trying to capture it, trap it,relocate etc.

I think the best thing would be to put him in a zoo. He is fed; the zoo will feed him too. And it would be safe for himself and others.

You have a good point there, but the zoo would already need to have a fence, exhibit, etc. I don't think they'd go the extra mile to build a new exhibit for one problem coyote, but that would be nice if they did, though.

[paperpaws]

But if they had a coyote exhibit it could be put there. It happens a lot with other animals according to TV things I see.

[Koa]

But if they had a coyote exhibit it could be put there. It happens a lot with other animals according to TV things I see.

True, but they'd have to capture it, relocate, etc. which costs money, and then the zoo spends more money on feeding it, caring for it, etc.

Although, eunthinasia costs money too, although I'm not entirely sure how they would enuthinize it if they would.

[Songdog]

Not many zoos have coyote exhibits because they're very common in some areas. Think of it, when was the last time you saw an exhibit for a raccoon, or a common squirrel? Coyotes are the same way. Plus, they're not as popular as wolves D=

[Foxgirlwolf]

I'm glad they stopped! I love animals and killing them is the most inhumane way in the world of removing them! Would you just decide "There are to many people, I guess I'll go shoot them!"? NO! there were probably more humans then coyotes! Poor coyotes...

[Koa]

Not many zoos have coyote exhibits because they're very common in some areas. Think of it, when was the last time you saw an exhibit for a raccoon, or a common squirrel? Coyotes are the same way. Plus, they're not as popular as wolves D=

Yeah, true. I don't think they'd waste money on exhibits for common animals, ethier.
It wouldn't really make sense for them to put a problem coyote in an exhibit now that I think about it. It may just cause more problems anyway.

[Blightwolf]

That trapper sure sounds like a real charmer.

I really can't or don't know how to say anything about this. I agree with Songdog and pawnee, though.

[Garion1]

i agree that it would take lots of extra money to add a exibt to the zoo but what else are they going to do, kill it? they dont allow guns in the city and the man said his ways to handle things were restricted. so how are they going to fix this?

[kirabloodheart]

I think that trapper is ashamed and embarrassed.
The Beast out-witted the Man,Simple.
Or maybe...He is just not good at his job..