Urban Wildlife

Meck Co. leaders want to know how bad coyote problem is

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012, 10:38am

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Just how bad is the coyote population in Charlotte Mecklenburg? That's what Mecklenburg County commissioners want to know.

The board heard from the county's parks and recreation department about the coyote population.

Chris Matthews, a spokesperson for the department told commissioners they don't know how many coyotes are in Mecklenburg County.

They asked for more time and resources to study the increase in coyotes and to determine the extent of the problem.

Commissioner Bill James even expressed interest in giving the department money to use a GPS collar tagging system to study the coyotes.

But coyotes have been a growing problem in Mecklenburg for years.

WBTV has covered the complaints and fears from neighbors extensively.

Take Anthony Berusa, for example, who recalls when he first saw a coyote near his home.

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Coyotes in Meck. Co. may be more visible in winter months

Submitted by Kristy Etheridge, WBTV Reporter

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011, 11:23am

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) Mecklenburg County recently reminded residents via its Twitter page that coyotes could on the prowl more often this winter.

Donald Ingram is a coyote hunter who works at Carolina Sporting Arms on South Boulevard in Charlotte. He said, while North and South Carolinians can hunt coyote all year, winter is the prime season.

"They're traveling farther to find food in the wintertime," said Ingram.

As for Charlotte city limits, where coyotes have been spotted in recent months, Ingram said the area is like a buffet for the prowling beasts.

"It's a banquet. There's no hunting allowed, so we don't deplete the deer or the rabbits or the small game. So he's got a pretty steady food supply. Plus, Fido and Mama's cats," said Ingram.

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87,000 gallons of wastewater spill into creek

Submitted by Nick Needham on Tuesday, November 15th, 5:46 pm

CHARLOTTE - The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department notified the public of the following wastewater spill Tuesday:

A sewer spill occurred near 4426 Stallings Road on Monday.

A broken pipe caused wastewater to overflow.

An estimated 87,168 gallons (of 108,960 gallons) reached Crooked Creek. A crew found the spill and immediately took appropriate cleanup/repair actions.

No dead fish were found associated with this overflow.

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North Carolina Wildlife launches new website

Submitted by Chris Dyches

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, 2:58pm

NORTH CAROLINA - The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced today a new, interactive website that features reorganized content, streamlined navigation and improved menus.

Whether you’re a hunter, angler, boater or just simply enjoy nature, the newly redesigned website will let you quickly access licensing information, game lands maps, boating access areas, public fishing areas and other tools, information and services.

The content has been reorganized, streamlined navigation and improved menus so you can find what you need, when you need it.

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NCDOT to motorists: Look out for deer during the Fall

Submitted by Chris Dyches

Friday, September 30th, 2011, 12:28pm

NCDOT to motorists: Look out for deer during the Fall

NORTH CAROLINA - In order to help reduce the number of wildlife-related automobile crashes, the N.C. Department of Transportation reminds motorists to be aware of the increased presence of deer on state roads during the fall months.

More than 19,500 animal-related crashes were reported each of the last three years, and 90 percent of those involved deer. Since 2008, the incidents have resulted in 3,453 injuries to people, of which 17 were fatal, and nearly $136 million in property damage.

“Deer are constantly on the move this time of year, especially in densely populated areas,” said NCDOT Director of Mobility and Safety Kevin Lacy. “Drivers need to be alert at all times. However, if you can’t avoid a deer, it is better to hit it than to lose control of your vehicle and cause a bigger accident.”

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Police shoot raccoon hitching ride on school bus

Submitted by Jeff Rivenbark

Monday, September 12th, 2011, 4:56pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A school resource officer and a bus driver chased a raccoon off a school bus at a high school in Matthews Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred at Butler High School located at 1810 Matthews-Mint Hill Road.

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg School bus driver picked up the bus and drove all the way to the school before discovering a raccoon was hitching a ride inside the bus.

The driver pulled up to the school and immediately motioned for the school resource officer to assist her in getting the raccoon off the bus.

No students were on the bus at the time, and they never came in contact with the animal.

The officer chased the raccoon off the bus and it ran into a nearby clearing where it was shot and killed.

The carcass will be sent to the State Lab in Raleigh for testing to determine if it has rabies.

Police have informed CMS officials about how to decontaminate the bus in case the animal tests positive for rabies.

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Drought may affect hunting conditions in dove fields

Submitted by Chris Dyches

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011, 12:37pm

NORTH CAROLINA - Because of ongoing drought conditions, some of the N.C. Wildlife Commission’s game lands dove fields may have less-than-optimal hunting conditions for the beginning of dove season.

Due to the drought, some crops failed and wildlife management personnel had to plant the fields later than usual. Because of that, some fields may not be mowed at the beginning of dove season.

The Wildlife Resources Commission is encouraging hunters to check www.ncwildlife.org for a list of dove field conditions before heading out to hunt.

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