Resident Report: Leg Hold Traps Being Set Along CSX Right of Way
Decatur Metro | November 29, 2012 | 11:52 amRandy wrote in with this report last night…
Someone has set a leg hold trap of the type used to trap coyotes on the CSX rail line right of way between the Durand Mill and Westchester neighborhoods. My wife was walking our dogs down the right of way this afternoon–as many in the neighborhood do–and our dog got her leg caught one of these traps. My wife managed to get our dog’s leg out of the trap, but sustained a fractured wrist in the process.
It might be worth posting a note to let people in the Chelsea Heights and Westchester neighborhoods know that someone is setting leg hold traps along this right of way. LOTS of folks around here walk their dogs down that right of way.
That’s so awful. We just lost our cat, not because of this, but it’s just disgraceful that people would set traps for coyotes in places where cats or dogs might wander.
Is it even legal for someone to set that there? Can someone be contacted to remove the traps?
Unless its CSX it’s got to be illegal, and even then, the county ought to be contacted. Incredibly dangerous!
It is CSX property, but I don’t think they’re the ones doing it. They’ve never done anything like that before.
BTW, you realize that technically, if you’re on the ROW you’re trespassing and the railroad is not liable for anything that happens. Over 300 trespassers a year are killed on railroad ROW each year, not counting car/train accidents.
It is one thing to say that the walkers are tresspassing. True enough. It is quite another to say that CSX cannot be held liable for anything bad that happens on the right of way. Surely not.
Follow the argument out to its logical conclusions. I could turn my front lawn into a cauldron of boiling oil. Or something else that is inherently dangerous. (Like say, for example, a leg trap.) But if anyone (even a small child) fell into my front lawn/cauldron and burned themselves hideously, well tough luck because they were tresspassing. That doesn’t make sense.
Land owners can be held liable for lots of injurious things much less nefarious than a leg trap. Take, for example, an “attractive nuisance” like a swimming pool without a fence. Someone tresspasses and drowns. The landowner is still liable.
All that is to say, once CSX has notice (hear that, CSX??) of the danger on its property, it better act to remove it pronto.
Have you ever deal with the railroads? My understanding is that they have a surprising amount of immunity from legal responsibility. Because of that, they are extremely hard to influence. I don’t have the expertise to explain their legal situation but I know that even federal agencies, never mind local ones or private citizens, have a very hard time with influencing what railroads do.
True. But no one is shielded from all liability.
Well, the government (as in “we the people”) often seems to get away with declining to be sued. Not sure how the railroads do it but they seem to not be liable when people get hurt on their property. Maybe a lawyer can explain. Railroads seem to have immunities that we individual property owners do not have.
I think it’s more productive to go after the person(s) setting the traps. If they are setting them on railroad property, they are trespassing and that’s enforceable. I imagine that endangering others is enforceable as well, even if done while trespassing. The setters of the traps will not have the railroad’s immunity.
Would be great to find out who is setting the traps. But I doubt that will happen. (How??) And I honestly thought it would be faster to get CSX to take action, given how dangerous the traps are.
I should have started my initial post by expressing sympathy for Randy’s family and horror/disgust for whoever set the traps.
Really don’t feel like belaboring the finer points of sovereign immunity any further, AHID.
Randy — my sympathies to your family. I hope your wife and dog are ok. Please call CSX and report the incident and ask them to remove the traps. And, if you decide that you want to pursue legal actions against CSX, it’s my feeling anyway that you should not be dissuaded from doing so.
I’d also like to know who put it there, though whoever did so would be incredibly stupid to let everyone know, considering someone was injured. But it would be nice for the city or county to deny they paid someone to lay these out in this location.
I don’t think it’s any secret who hired the trapper that is setting the traps, they have been emailing around the neighborhood about it. Trapping will make the problem worse, as has been shown in a number of research studies. The mammalogist at Fernbank Science Center organized a workshop about it awhile ago. Not only are they endangering pets and people but they are exacerbating the problem they want to eliminate. Not a very logical approach, IMO, and certainly cruel.
Just to be clear. I have complete sympathy for those injured and think the traps are wrong. I also am not pleased with unusual immunity that railroads have. It’s one reason that it’s been so hard for our railroad crossings in town to be made more walkable and safe. Even when railroad crossing warning devices have failed and injuries or death have resulted, it’s been difficult for anyone to get a cent out of the railroads. They truly have unusual immunity. So I was thinking that, if one wants the traps to go away, getting law enforcement involved in identifying and stopping the trap setter may save extremities and pets.
CSX has no responsibility for the animals injured in the traps, or the persons or animals injured while trespassing their privately owned right-of-ways. Decatur, and Dekalb and Fulton have leash laws please be responsible per owners and keep your dogs away from high traffic area, whether they be rail or auto.
CSX pays fines and restitution to victims harmed from their negligence frequently and is in no way immune to the legal ramifications of their oversight or mistakes. They spend a lot of money to advertise the dangers of trespassing and the protection and maintenance of public crossings.
Leg hold traps are frequently used in the trapping of coyotes and a few other fur bearers for the live market without undue harm to the animals and are more effective in removing the nuisance species in most cases than a cage or “havahart” type trap.
Trappers in Ga. are required to have their license # on a tag affixed to the trap. They are also required to check the traps daily and to humanely remove unwanted or untargeted species by the use of a “choke stick” (like animal control uses) or similar tool.
CSX does contract some trapping of nuisance species such a coyotes and pigeons on their private property and practices due diligence in screening the contractors that they are insured and qualified.
All that said, if you are unable to properly care for your pet by obeying the leash laws and have no more sense than to be regulary trespassing on private property, maybe you should rethink your ability to properly care for a pet.
I’m sorry to be the one to enlighten you. Railroad right of ways can be dangerous places. Rocks can shift, resulting in twisted ankles and cracked noggins. Loads can shift on trains resulting in conditions that a person thinking they are in the clear can still be struck. Items, such as coins, railroad spikes and even bullets are frequently placed on the tracks by people and can become airborne missles.
If you are trespassing on a private construction project, that is posted private and fall to your death, it would be your own stupidity and lack of common sense that it happened.
Likewise, people should observe the legal right of way of the railroad. It can be dangerous for many reasons other than train traffic.
Just FYI, railroads (and utilities) operate their rights of way with the assumption of risk–thus, if you are on their property, you “assume the risk” of whatever might befall you there with very few exceptions. This is mostly protection for them from people walking on (or sleeping on-it happens) the tracks, but it extends to anything that happens on their rights of way. This keeps the economic risks down for them related to managing thousands of miles of narrow property, often in remote locations, and more or less eliminates any recourse a trespasser may have should they be injured or suffer injury on the right of way. It is really awful about the dog, and I concur that trapping is an unproductive strategy, but using the right of way means the assumption of a high level of risk.
Oh Randy, that’s terrible! I hope both your wife and dog are OK. It must have been terrifying for both of them.
SO sorry for your family’s injuries! Hope all are well soon!
That’s sickening.
Not to mention children…. I’ve seen kids on those tracks several times.
Can’t say I’m a huge fan of coyotes, but no animal deserves to end up in one of these traps.
Weird. Hard to believe a professional trapper hired by the city or county would just put the traps down, without scoping an area out and making sure it’s not a place that people would be likely to be (whether they should be or not.) And why would a private citizen think it would be okay to put one on someone else’s property?
Weird. You must be new to Decatur, or at least to Decatur Metro, if you think it unusual for people around here to feel entirely comfortable deciding what should be done with other peoples’ property. 😉
[the 😉 keeps me from getting moderated, right?]
Spoken like an evildoer who’s about to put up an ADU in his backyard. There goes the neighborhood. 😉
Walking there is trespassing – which is a crime – no ifs, ands or buts about it.
Neither state law nor DeKalb Code allow for any lose domesticated animal in residential zoning – including cats.
If you are doing the right thing, your cat and or dog cannot get hurt by these traps.
Yes, RR have near total immunity. The numerous and arcane list of federal laws that protect them, govern them and support them date back to the 1800’s.
Bottom line – keep off their property and keep your dogs and cats (and their poop) on your own property.
Both the rr and the property owner could establish an allowed “course of action” over time, which would leave both open to liability. In other words, if the rr does not enforce its right to stop people from trespassing for years and years and the property owner allows people to walk their dogs in their yard for years and years without doing anything to stop the activities….
Worth filing the lawsuit at least (against both the rr and the property owners)(and you should also call the police about the incident).
I am sure you know the law, but you miss the point of community values and ethics. If the RR did not put out the traps (which are illegal in many places), the person (unknown) who placed the traps on the RR property was a trespasser as well as violating community values.
“Walking there is trespassing – which is a crime – no ifs, ands or buts about it.
Neither state law nor DeKalb Code allow for any lose domesticated animal in residential zoning – including cats.”
All true. And yet, I find myself disgusted. Leg-hold traps are inhumane in any circumstances (though still legal in Georgia). Trapping coyotes is not going to eliminate them — more will move in to replace the individuals that were removed. And placing traps in an urban area where it is distinctly possible — and even likely — that a person or pet will be injured is completely irresponsible, regardless of who owns the property.
Yes to all. My blog crush of STG continues.
John, the dogs weren’t running loose when trapped. They were being walked by their owners.
I’m with smalltowngal. Just because someone is immune to being held responsible for it doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing to do. What if a child had been caught in that leg trap? I know, the kid would have been trespassing and shouldn’t hang around the railroad tracks for many reasons, but does that child really deserve to be caught in a leg trap? I think there are very few adults today who had access to railroad tracks that did not at some point play on them (even though mom said not to).
The same goes for a dog, leashed or not… or a cat.. or even a coyote.
My guess is that CSX did not set these traps because I doubt they care whether coyotes are running up and down their railroad tracks. My guess is that it’s the county or some individual who is either incredibly stupid or incredibly mean.
The reality is that we all live in an ecosystem. Whether we live in a city or the countryside. Whether we acknowledge it or not. Coyotes and other predators are part of that ecosystem.
We need to develop policies in this area. And enforce them. Letting people do it on an ad hoc basis, like whoever set this trap, is just wrong.
The trap was not set on the RR right-of-way. It was well within the backyard of a property that abuts the right-of-way, staked with a 16″ chain. The dog, off its leash, wandered into the backyard and, regrettably, stepped on the trap.
I recognize that it’s been a long, long custom of neighbors to walk along the right-of-way with dogs off the leash, and I personally don’t think that’s really troublesome. It’s unfortunate that the dog owner didn’t know there was trapping in the area. If she had known I’m sure she would have used caution when she was out with the dog. Only a very few people knew there were traps set.
Neither the Druid Hills Civic Association nor the Durand Mill Homeowners Association has allowed funds to be used for trapping. The trapper’s fee is paid by residents who band together to have him trap coyotes, which is legal. The trapper is certified by the state. The county has nothing to do with trapping.
Finally, controlled trapping is taking place in many locations in metro Atlanta. In this trapping, the trapper is not seeking to eradicate the coyotes — which is nearly impossible — but only remove those animals that have lost significant fear of humans. He does this by using very specific lures and trap placement.
Very interesting…so, the plot thickens.
That sounds pretty plausible and I appreciate your offering these details. The whole thing still gives me the creeps. Perhaps those sponsoring the trapping could see their way clear to post the areas where traps are set. And I’d like to think that (1) they are doing this because they feel direly threatened (and not just aggravated) by specific coyotes, and (2) they are doing everything they can–and educating and encouraging neighbors likewise–to alter any behaviors and activities of their own which might have fostered boldness among the coyotes.
A clarification:
There’s a disagreement, by many yards, about where the trap was. The trapper reported that the trap was set well away from the edge of the RR right-of-way, well into the backyard of the property owner who hired him. However, the owner of the dog reported that the trap was within just a yard or so of the edge of the right-away, just inside the property of the owner who hired the trapper.
Thank you for providing these details. Can you confirm whether there were signs notifying folks of the traps?
You say that it is “unfortunate” that the dog owner didn’t know there was trapping in the area. How would one know? Are there signs? Is there a map outlining the trapping area?
It sounds like civic association knew ahead of time. Were residents notified by a neighborhood list serve or something?
I found this on the Georgia Department of Natural Services website:
Stamping of Traps
It is unlawful to trap wildlife except with traps which are at all times legibly stamped, etched, or tagged with the owner’s name or owner’s permanent trapper’s identification number provided by the department.
This starting to sound very complicated. But I’m going to use this event to remind my kids of the perils of being on railroad tracks:
– Dangerous if train comes unnoticed
– Trespassing so you could get in trouble
– Coyotes frequent them (one offspring is coyote-phobic for no good reason)
– Leg traps nearby
– You can’t sue the railroad easily
– I said so
um, last I heard coyotes, while smart and sneaky in their own way, CAN’T READ. how hard would it be to POST the presence of traps in an area??? I don’t care how close to or far from the right of way. sorry, Druid Hills and the neighbor who thought this was a good idea, but this was a danger from the get-go and I hope it only costs you this one woman’s medical bills and her pain/suffering.
“but this was a danger from the get-go and I hope it only costs you this one woman’s medical bills and her pain/suffering”
So, are you saying that the homeowner can’t hire a certified trapper to place a legal trap in his own yard without being subject to liability? I personally would have put up highly conspicuous signs if I had placed the traps, but it sounds like the trap caught a trespasser instead of a coyote. This is an unfortunate situation, and although I would have done things differently, I don’t see where the homeowner should be liable.
If it is done in a manner that is not made safe? Then yes. That’s what I’m saying.
A leg trap is an inherently dangerous thing. The trapper and the homeowner who hires him have a duty to ensure that this kind of thing is done as safely as possible.
That’s what liability is for. To encourage all of us to act safely.
A coyote was spotted in Sycamore Ridge this week. The neighbor who saw it said it was as large as a German Shepard. Most worrisome is that when her car approached the coyote, it did not move. Basically it had NO FEAR. That is not a good sign.
Coyotes are tall and rangy — easily as tall as a German shepherd but typically half the weight.
Ever hear of “a deer in headlights”? — just because something doesn’t run away from a car at night, doesn’t mean it isn’t terrified.
So we must eradicate whatever doesn’t fear us?
“So we must eradicate whatever doesn’t fear us?”
No, but when wild animals lose their fear of humans, encounters/attacks are much more likely to happen, and the human or pet often loses the fight. This applies not only to coyotes, but to much larger animals like moose or bears (which luckily we don’t have in Decatur). Trapping and removing coyotes that no longer fear humans should be encouraged. There is no dispute that other coyotes will re-populate the area, but (a) that will take some time and (b) it will take even longer for the new coyotes to become fully acclimated and lose their fear of humans. By continually removing coyotes from highly populated areas, you reduce the likelihood of encounters/attacks by these predators.
@Dawgfan in reply to your claim “Trapping and removing coyotes that no longer fear humans should be encouraged. There is no dispute that other coyotes will re-populate the area, but (a) that will take some time and (b) it will take even longer for the new coyotes to become fully acclimated and lose their fear of humans. By continually removing coyotes from highly populated areas, you reduce the likelihood of encounters/attacks by these predators.”
Where are you acquiring this information? From the trapper? The data argue otherwise, and show it is not possible to kill enough coyotes to make a dent. In Saskatchewan they killed 71,000 coyotes in one year and all they accomplished was to increase the breeding rate and litter size of the ones remaining. Keeping pets and pet food inside and hazing are considered best practices and much more effective than killing.
@DHCA, in response to your comment “only remove those animals that have lost significant fear of humans. He does this by using very specific lures and trap placement.” Where does this information come from? Why would there be a lure and trap placement that would selectively attract the alpha male? The fact that a dog found the lure quite attractive does not support such a claim. DHCA has a responsibility to educate and avoid spreading misinformation so if you have evidence for this please provide it.
For my sources:
http://ckom.com/story/coyote-bounty-will-not-control-population-experts/85003
http://ckom.com/sites/default/files/RBSHOW%20NOV27%20SEG6.mp3
I’m merely relaying the account as told to me re: the size. And a well fed coyote could easily fit the bill of a German Shepherd. There are a number of varieties/ species, so there’s no telling the size except as was conveyed by the eyewitness.
Dogs/ Coyotes are not deers. If a car approaches either coyotes, cats, squirrels and/or dogs, they will generally move out of the way, unless they’ve lost all fear and concern for safety. If a car slowly approaches a coyote, it’s natural inclination is to move out of the way and to avoid the interaction.
There’s a reason the phrase is called, “Deer in the headlights.” (snarky tone)
In reply to a couple of previous posts:
Durand Mill, where the trapping was taking place, is not in Druid Hills, although it’s immediately adjacent.. The Druid Hills Civic Association (DHCA) has no connection with Durand Mill. The organizing group for Durand Mill is the board of the Durand Mill Homeowners Association. DHCA has no list serve for Durand Mill residents. It seems the board of the Durand Mill HOA would have that.
To the question of whether there were any signs posted, the answer is no. And there was no map showing the area of trapping.
Why is Druid Hills so interested in what’s going on? Because trapping in Druid Hills is imminent, as it is in many parts of intown Atlanta. DHCA is not giving any money to Druid Hills residents who want to band together to hire a trapper, even though the organization has been asked repeatedly for funds. However, at this point residents, in some portions of Druid Hills, are planning to combine their own funds and hire a trapper.
Is Druid Hills Civic Association the same group that recently sent a letter to the owner of the Frazer Center on Ponce asking it to sell the land and displace the school for disabled children and adults that has been there for 50+ years?
I don’t think that’s exactly what happened and there’s a whole lot of context you’re leaving out but, in any event, I believe that was a Lake Claire issue and not Druid Hills.
I *think* it was in fact Druid Hills, Junder. That’s why I’m asking. It was not Lake Claire. The Lake Claire Neighborhood Assn supports the school staying right where it is.
I guess I don’t know what you’re referring to then. It most definitely was Lake Claire residents (don’t know about any neighborhood association) who were complaining about traffic on their streets, smells from garbage dumpsters, etc… Since the center is in Lake Claire, that made sense. I guess I assumed to much. Apologies for making an ass out of you. And me.
Nah, just you. (I’m kidding! I’m kidding …)
The Frazer Center is on the line between City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. So it borders both Lake Claire and Druid Hills.
I wonder if DCHA will own up to sending the letter …
Here’s that context you were looking for.
http://www.frazercenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/FAQ-4-10-4-20121.pdf
Suggestion from a neighbor:
“Since it hasn’t rained, I hope the person who was injured can go back and take pictures of her dog’s blood on the grass, to show where it happened. Maybe even collect a few samples to prove it’s her dog, if the trapper will lie about placement they will try to pass off the pictures as coyote blood….”
Okay. What the heck. A single comment on the Frazer Center matter, and that’s it. Coyote trapping is the main subject of this thread.
But here goes: No one attached to DHCA ever sent a letter to the owner of the property asking it to sell the land and displace the the Frazer Center. No one. The letter doesn’t exist. The existence of such a letter is a rumor started by Frazer Center managers who fear losing their jobs if the dispute with both Lake Claire and Druid Hills neighbors isn’t resolved in favor of the Center. They spread that rumor among the Frazer preschool parents, hoping to incite them to raise hell with anyone and everyone. The parents have an unsettling concern of their own: there’s not another preschool in town that doesn’t have a long waiting list for every class.
The board of the Frazer Center is in charge of policy and, really, just about everything at the Center. The board has allowed this dispute to drag on for over two years. The paid managers at the Center are simply trying to hold onto their jobs, which makes sense. But the managers don’t make the big decisions. No one blames these paid people for anything. They don’t make the important decisions. The board does. And the buck stops with the board — or at least it should stop with the board.
By the way, back in early August, at a public meeting at the Frazer Center, the senior board member of the CRC, the owner of the property, said that selling the property was an option available to the CRC. The CRC broached the subject first. And then it ended up in the FAQ one finds at the link someone included above. Here’s that portion of the FAQ:
“Has the CRC been thinking about closing The Frazer Center?
“Both the boards of the CRC and the Center are very concerned as to whether the Center can continue to provide the services we have provided for the last 63 years in light of the ongoing struggles with some neighbors. While there are currently no plans to sell – we all love the property and feel a deep and abiding connection to it – the boards of both organizations know that they must hold that as an option in light of the situation in which we find ourselves.”
The text is very clear: both the board of the Frazer Center, which is dominated by lawyers, bankers, and other business professionals, and the board of the CRC have talked about selling the property. Druid Hills Civic Association is absolutely opposed to the sale to a developer. But of course the CRC is free, more or less, to do whatever it wants to with its land. That’s what it is saying.
If you can find a letter stating that Druid Hills is trying to force the sale of the land and displace the Frazer Center, why don’t you then post it here. If you can’t find it, that might support the notion that you simply got caught up in rumor-mongering.
This is my sole comment here on the Frazer matter. If anyone’s interested in following what’s really going on — and I’m thinking of those who are wary of rumors and misinformation — I suggest you attend the Community Council meeting on December 19. See this link:
http://northdruidhills.patch.com/events/dekalb-county-community-council-district-2-meetings-22cbb0cd
Wow. You sound really angry.
The point of raising the matter on this thread was to appeal to Druid Hills neighbors. Also, it is the first time I have seen DHCA post on this board. And I wanted to ask the question.
There is no rumor mongering. I asked a question. You answered it. I can see why you would not want DHCA’s actions against the Frazer Center to be brought up on this website. But that is another matter entirely.
My point is this:
Dear Druid Hills Neighbors,
Some of you may not agree with what your neighbors are doing (or plan to do). Killing wildlife and potentially endangering neighbors and pets. Continuing to fight a school for disabled people that has met the VAST majority of your demands. If you disagree with these actions, please talk with one another. Speak out. Make your opinions known.
Thank you.
RNH:
Stop hijacking this thread with your own agenda, we’re talking about traps and coyotes. People reading this are not doing so to learn about the Frazer Center.
You do not control the topic or the flow of conversation on this blog.
It’s funny. I don’t recall seeing you post on this blog before. But thanks for stopping by to try and tell me what to do.
I do tend to speak up when it comes to those who cannot speak up for themselves, be it wildlife or disabled kids. I make no apologies for that.
This is in response to RevenueNeutralHousehold and only to him. I am sure that you are getting your information about the Frazer Center issue from the Frazer Center Website. I would like to address you comment, “has met the VAST majority of your demands.” This is simply untrue. There were originally 4 issues that the neighbors on Ridgewood, Almeta, Marlbrook, and Lakeshore had with the center. Two of them have been addressed by Dekalb County, the illegal parking lot that was installed without permits, and the sanitation issue. Both of those were resolved via code compliance, as they were blatant violations of very clear laws.
There are two issues that remain unresolved. The first is the traffic on Ridgewood Rd and Marbrook Dr., which the city of Atlanta has ask to be moved back to the main entrance, after 200 buses per week and some 2,000 cars began using the back entrance several years ago causing significant safety concerns. There are 40 buses, not the 10 per day that the Frazer Center reports in their FAQs. The second issue is the number of events in the gardens, which was prior to 2009, 20 to 25 events mostly in the daytime. They are now asking for 300+ events a year, many at night, which is very disruptive to the surrounding homes on both the parking lot side and the event side of the property.
Several members of the Druid Hills Civic Association have worked tirelessly to find a solution that works for the Center and for the community. There are safe and reasonable solutions that allow the Center to remain.
I hope that the Frazer Center community will recognize that the concerns have real detrimental effects on the safety and quality of life of the neighbors, and anyone traveling along the roads. Additionally, no one wants a bar and dance club in their backyard every night, which is what the events center SLUP is asking for, without a reasonable cap on events, such as the number of events the Center held for many years. If the Frazer Center is allowed to become a 365 day a year event space, anyone else with a single family zoned property can too. The precedent would be set for anyone else to get an overlay to do a similar type of fundraising (which after expenses, is less than 2% of their budget currently)
There is no bar. There is no nightclub. There is no amplified music anymore.
Regarding the traffic, I appreciate your concern. But it makes sense to consider BOTH entrances to the property. One entrance is a residential street where the speed limit is 25 mph. The other entrance (the one you recommend Frazer use exclusively) is Ponce. Cars on Ponce regularly drive 55 mph. There are high speed crashes on that road every week. Have you ever tried making a left off Ponce onto South Ponce? It is harrowing. We are talking about disabled kids and adults here.
Here is an example of the “reasonable” requests The Druid Hills Civic Assn has made. The Frazer Center should provide two staffed positions (I guess this means taking teachers out if classrooms?) to stand outside with radio walkie talkies to stop all traffic coming into the center from Ponce while MARTA buses go up and down the steep hill. Which can take 20 minutes each time. The waiting cars shoud just idle on South Ponce. And if there is overflow (which there surely would be) those cars should idle on Ponce. As the other traffic whizzes by at 55 mph.
Really. I am not making this up. This was the homeowners’ recommendation to the zoning board.
Druid Hills Homeowners – Does this make sense to you? Does this represent your wishes? Do you really want your homeowners association to take positions like this against a school for disabled children and adults that has been there for 50+ years? Is this what your neighborhood stands for?
If not, please speak out. Write to your homeowners association. Make your voice heard. Thank you
Back to the Coyote Issue,
We have a good view of the train track, and last week I have spotted 3 large canine around 7am. They were big german shepard size dogs, and I had to blink a couple of times. They were all off leash, they were all looking very similar in color and size (identical to my eyes), tall triangle erect ears and neck, bushy fluffy tails, happily trotting down the track. No one was following them.
Later I checked the internet and confirmed (on my own) that they were coyotes – my daughter agrees the internet coyote photos look exactly like the dogs we saw earlier in the day. They came down Coventry, turned on to the train track towards East Lake. Initially they were two, and 10 seconds later, the third one came running to catch up with them.
If I understand correctly, I am assuming Durand Mill is on the other side of Decatur of the traintrack, so the trap may have been between the crossing (where McDonalds/Publix shopping center) and Coventry crossing, on the west side of the traintrack. I am not taking responsibility if I am wrong, but to those who walk and or have their dogs off leash, I would caution them to be careful in that stretch of traintrack.
From what I’ve heard, neighbors over at East and West Parkwood, and Lenox area neighborhood (Drexel/Melrose Ave) feel the presence of coyotes as well. I’m not surprised we at Chelsea Hights/Westchester are getting visits from the Coyotes.
Hopefully this helps a bit.