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'Be extra cautious': Port St. Lucie trapper addresses growing coyote population in Florida

'Be extra cautious': Port St. Lucie trapper addresses growing coyote population in Florida
100 DEGREES. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, GWEN. A LOCAL TRAPPER IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE GROWING NUMBER OF COYOTES HE’S SEEING ON THE TREASURE COAST. HE’S GETTING MORE AND MORE CALLS ABOUT THEM HANGING OUT IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. ANGELA ROZIER MET WITH THAT BUSY TRAPPER TODAY. SHE’S LIVE IN PORT SAINT LUCIE TONIGHT. AND TODD AND JADE. TRAPPER J. TELLS ME YEARS AGO HE MAYBE WOULD CATCH ONE COYOTE A MONTH. WELL, JUST IN THE LAST TEN DAYS, HE’S CAUGHT FOUR. AND NOW HE WANTS TO GET THE WORD OUT. WHERE’S THE COYOTE? COME ON. TRAPPER J HAS BEEN ON THE JOB PROFESSIONALLY. HERE ON THE TREASURE COAST FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS. NOTHING IN THE TRAP TODAY. HE SAYS HE AND HIS BEST FRIEND, TRAPPER TRAP, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. COYOTES, BOBCATS, OTTER, IGUANAS. QUITE A FEW IGUANAS. PYTHONS, ALLIGATORS. AT TIMES WHEN THE NEED ARISES. BUT LATELY, COYOTES LIKE THE ONES YOU SEE HERE CAPTURED ON HIS TRAIL CAM VIDEOS, ARE KEEPING HIM BUSY. IN THE LAST TEN DAYS, HE’S CAUGHT FOUR. THE CONCERN IN PART TO ME IS THAT THEY’RE BECOMING SO BRAZEN AND BOLD WHILE SOMEBODY’S OUT WALKING A DOG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE COYOTES COMING AFTER THEM. THAT’S NO GOOD. ONE PORT SAINT LUCIE RESIDENT SHARED THIS VIDEO OF COYOTE PUPS PLAYING IN THE BACK YARD. THESE RESIDENTS SAY THEY’RE TAKING OVER THE NATURAL RESERVE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT. I HAVE TO SHARPAY’S AND THEY’VE BEEN ATTACKED TWICE BY THE COYOTES AND IF IT WASN’T FOR MY FAMILY TO SAVE THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I WAS JUST LOOKING OUT MY PICTURE WINDOW AND I COULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING. TWO COYOTES READY TO ATTACK HER, TWO DOGS, NEIGHBORS SAY WHAT’S REALLY CONCERNING IS SOME OF THEM LOOK LIKE DOGS. AND IF YOU’RE WALKING YOUR PETS IN THE EVENING, YOU WOULD SAY, HEY, THAT’S A GERMAN SHEPHERD. WE’RE OKAY. WE’RE IN FACT, IT’S A COYOTE. TRAPPER JAY WANTS EVERYONE TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS. I RECOMMEND CARRYING AROUND. SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT CARRYING SOME BEAR SPRAY OR SOME BEAR MACE, RATHER. THINGS LIKE THAT AND JUST BEING PROACTIVE. TRY NOT TO WALK TOO LATE AT NIGHT. TRY NOT TO WALK TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING. AND HE ALSO RECOMMENDS, IF YOU ARE WALKING OUT TO MAKE SURE YOU CARRY YOUR CELL PHONE WITH YOU, REPORTING LIVE I
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'Be extra cautious': Port St. Lucie trapper addresses growing coyote population in Florida
A trapper in Port St. Lucie wants the community to be aware of the growing coyote population.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Trapper Jay is the owner of Treasure Coast Wildlife Trappers. He said years ago, he would see or catch one coyote a month, but in the last 10 days, he has caught four.He and some of the residents in one neighborhood where coyotes have been seen are concerned."The concerning part to me is that they're becoming so brazen and bold while someone is out walking the dog in the middle of the day," said Jay. "You have coyotes coming after them. That's no good."Tracy Yodice has two Shar Peis that have been attacked twice by coyotes."And if it wasn't for my family to save, they would have been killed," she added.Trapper Jay wants everyone to be extra cautious.He says to try not to walk late at night and carry a phone. Around the country: National coverage from WPBF 25 News

A trapper in Port St. Lucie wants the community to be aware of the growing coyote population.

Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

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Trapper Jay is the owner of Treasure Coast Wildlife Trappers. He said years ago, he would see or catch one coyote a month, but in the last 10 days, he has caught four.

He and some of the residents in one neighborhood where coyotes have been seen are concerned.

"The concerning part to me is that they're becoming so brazen and bold while someone is out walking the dog in the middle of the day," said Jay. "You have coyotes coming after them. That's no good."

Tracy Yodice has two Shar Peis that have been attacked twice by coyotes.

"And if it wasn't for my family to save, they would have been killed," she added.

Trapper Jay wants everyone to be extra cautious.

He says to try not to walk late at night and carry a phone.

Around the country: National coverage from WPBF 25 News