When coyotes get in trouble, it’s usually for one of two reasons: preying on pets or livestock, or people feeding them. Lane County is dealing with a good example of the latter right now.
A recent spike in overly friendly and curious coyotes at a Lane County park has forced the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to euthanize one. Since January, coyote sightings at Howard Buford Recreation Area at Mount Pisgah, about 8 miles southeast of Eugene, have risen sharply. And instead of being spotted in the quieter parts of the 2,500-acre park, they’ve been found following people, walking up to cars, hanging around busy trailheads and overall showing less fear of humans, even when people try to chase them off. Lane County Parks says there were 30 sightings in January alone.
By the numbers…