People in Hopewell on alert for coyotes prowling the area

HOPEWELL, Pa. — People living in Hopewell say you can hear them at night, howling and crying in the darkness. They’re sometimes spotted slinking away during the day. Neighbors want families with small children, cats and dogs to know what’s out there.

“We’ve noticed them coming around our garage area, the lighted areas,” said Jessica Hargest.

Hargest said she can usually spot a coyote prowling her yard, sniffing around a bit and then running off. It’s the start of the mating season right now and the animals seem to be drawn to her dogs, Fiona and Rooney.

In a decade, Hargest said she’s never seen a coyote in her neighborhood. Now she makes sure her dogs are leashed when stepping outside. And every night her cameras pick them up.

“They’ve been running in front of the neighbor’s yard. The other night they were sighted running through the front yard,” she said.

The state game warden told Channel 11 during mating season, coyotes are more likely to be seen during the day. While it’s nothing to worry about, pets should be kept indoors or on a leash and you’re urged to not leave pet food outside.

If you do encounter a coyote, the best thing to do is make a loud noise, but don’t ever run away.

“Coyotes are very shy animals. They will run away,” game warden Zeb Campbell said. “You should never run from a coyote because it will bring on the predator-prey instinct. They will chase you just like if you run from a dog.”

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