Five coyotes were trapped and killed in southwestern New Canaan in October and November under a state-issued permit, records show.
A raccoon also was caught in the trap and released on site, according to information from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Issued Sept. 23 for the area of Adams Lane after a coyote snatched and killed a small dog outside, the nuisance wildlife control officer’s permit ran through Nov. 30.
Here’s a summary of the trapper’s work, according to a Nuisance Wildlife Control Special Permit Report submitted to DEEP as required by state regulations:
Animals Trapped and Killed in New Canaan
| Date | Species | Number Taken | Control Method | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/18/19 | raccoon | 1 | trap | released on site |
| 10/24/19 | coyote | 1 | trap | killed |
| 10/25/19 | coyote | 1 | trap | killed |
| 11/11/19 | coyote | 2 | trap | killed |
| 11/15/19 | coyote | 1 | trap | killed |
NewCanaanite.com obtained the report through a public records request.
State officials originally had issued the permit through Oct. 23 but extended it for five weeks “due to limited success at the end of the initial period.”
It isn’t clear who hired the trapper. Sunshine laws do not require disclosure of clients’ names.
Asked about the active trapping at the time, Officer Allyson Halm of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section voiced concerns that it would be both ineffective and problematic, giving residents a false sense of security while they must still supervise their pets. She also said non-targeted animals can be trapped. Three winters ago, a coyote could be seen dragging a leg hold trap through the snow in northern New Canaan for weeks before the animal died. Earlier that year, the a red fox became ensared in a leg hold trap on Briscoe Road.
Why must the animals be killed and not released in remote areas elsewhere?
5 coyotes killed because 1 coyote killed your small unleashed pet dog. Idiocy prevails over common sense!
Killing them only creates more of them…people would know that if they went to the coyote lecture at the library. They will breed more frequently now to replace what they lost.
No one wants a coyote snatching their pet, but we pride ourselves on living in beautiful nature here in The Station Next to Heaven. Please….keep you pet close to YOU, be vigilant and save both animals. We’ve learned that killing a coyote or a deer causes them to breed to replace their kind.
What kind of trap is used and how is the coyote killed? No one knows who hired the trapper? How does this happen? I would appreciate answers to these questions. Please do not send your pet outdoors without a leash and YOU attached to it!
You do not understand how fast one of these attacks can happen. A coyote jumped our fence and attacked our five year old in our yard( not when we lived in New Canaan but Wellesley). I was standing right by her side. Once you watch your child being attacked and pulled away by one of these wild animals you may forget about living in nature and applaud the authorities for controlling the animal population, so we do not have our children and pets viciously attacked in the “Next Station to Heaven.”
NCL lecture was very informative thorough. Killing them only creates more of them through the family hiearchy. Live with Mother Nature don’t destroy through ignorance.
We had the opportunity to interview Allyson Halm from Animal Control and Dana Goin from the Wolf Conservation center about Coyotes in New Canaan. Find out some background here: https://studio.youtube.com/video/vWztlAyINSQ/edit
Opps, very sorry. Wrong URL. Watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWztlAyINSQ&t=26s
I love animals — all animals — I guess Avinash Phillips never had a Dog that he loved “5 coyotes Killed because 1 coyote Killed your small pet dog”
I will make that trade any day (would like to know how they were killed)
but if ONE small dog that some one loves (owner should know were their pets are and bear some blame if they come to harm by any means)
is saved from being taken and killed by a coyote I am all for it
In the old days if you had a farm with chickens , other livestock you
would eradicate the predators — I am sure you love your dogs
more then a chicken or a sheep COYOTES don’t belong in NC
You can’t love animals while advocating their eradication because someone was irresponsible with their pet. Figure out which side of the fence you are on.
To the irresponsible pet owner:
Please recognize that wild animals are all around us. Accidents do happen but they are wholly preventable if you take the right precaution, especially if your pet is small and vulnerable to a larger predator. A sledgehammer to a tough nail only worsens the problem.
I agree with you Richard P Vachula
Everyone keeps talking about pets being attacked and/or killed.
What about when it is a small child? No, thankfully, it has not happened in New Canaan yet, but it has occurred in similar communities & neighborhoods in Westchester County & areas of Northern NJ.
Will people be so quick to defend them should that happen?
Coyotes are opportunistic animals and THAT is why their numbers are growing. Just look at their history in this area and it is plain to see why they are growing in numbers and becoming more aggressive.
Avinash — you way off in your thinking— I can love animals if I want to keep predators
Out of NC — They can live as long as they don’t live here — reason again they are predators they have to eat — and when they can find food they will look anywhere
To find it and if one hungry Coyote is bad —a pack of Coyotes is dangerous not
Only to cats and dogs but can as a group of 4 or 5 be a real danger
We’re do you draw the line when it comes to loved ones which included
Our pets who are family members — Avinash get a cat or dog and let me know how you feel in a year or two
I could not agree more Anne K Cross as we went through such an incident with a small child when living in Wellesley , MA . Our daughter was five when a coyote jumped a stone wall and went right after her. It was a horrifying experience as I had to drag her away from the animal since I was luckily within a few feet of her when it occurred. I am so happy to hear they killed five coyotes in town . We hear them on many nights howling and making horrific noises when they kill their prey which only reminds me of what they are capable of doing to small children. Forget about living with nature as some have cited, as between the ticks that have proliferated from not controlling the deer population , along with the increase in population of coyotes and bobcats , more needs to be done to control these animals from roaming our town so that our residents, small children and our pets are protected.
You’re “so happy to hear they killed five coyotes in town”? Not a good look, lady.
Yes Michael , have you lived through a coyote attack on your small child before?
Because any reasonable person who believes their child was attacked by a Massachusetts coyote would wish death upon the species?
That is how you speak to your readers? That is not a good look. The person is talking about a horrific incident she experienced. Plus, it is not irrational for someone to be concerned about wild animals being in the neighborhood and the potential effect it could have on her and others’ loved ones. I don’t think she wished death upon a species. I think she was talking about controlling wild animals and keeping them out of the town so that they are not a danger to the citizens of New Canaan. And I have to say, I don’t see editors of publications jumping in the fray of their publication much, if ever.
So you develop a problem with my own commenting as soon as you happen to disagree with me? I’ve been speaking directly and plainly to New Canaanite readers since launching the news site six years ago. You’ve been commenting here since June 2018—mostly in defense of the ill-fated Pop Up Park—now suddenly “jumping in the fray” is problematic. To be clear: If a reader comes into a comment thread here saying they’re happy about animals being killed, they’ll be called out by me and possibly others. Whether Carol misspoke or meant something other than what she wrote, I don’t know. (I also don’t know why you think she needs you to re-interpret her comments.) To the points made within your separate critique, I think there’s room for you to get more educated on suburban wildlife. The links to videos with experts in this thread might be a good start. You may find that “keeping” wildlife “out of the town” is unhealthy and unrealistic. Thank you for reading the site and submitting your comments. Try harder in the future to stay on point.