WILDLIFE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091509

The video of a very rare daytime gathering of over half a dozen coyotes in a Portland, Oregon, backyard has wildlife experts buzzing; but on a sadder note, Jessica Simpson has added her name to the list of celebrities whose pets have been poached by coyotes. A dog park in Ohio is being frequented by some different canines. A letter to the editor praises an article in yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune about wolves; and as the wolf hunt in Montana begins, residents are divided on the benefits of this activity. Some helpful tips for avoiding deer-auto collisions are offered in the next item; but anti-hunt activists in the UK are protesting a deer hunt that took place on Sir Paul McCartney's property. Hunters from Kentucky who take elk or deer in other states are forbidden from bringing certain parts back to Kentucky due to fears of spreading Chronic Wasting Disease to that state; while residents of Johnston, Iowa, are being advised not to feed deer, a practice which defeats the purpose of deer management. Wildlife officials in Louisiana have been frustrated in their efforts to try to catch a bear that continues to dumpster dive and spook cattle; but a trio of bears were left lounging in a tree in Boulder, Colorado, as wildlife officials decided to wait them out rather than chase them out. A California hiker was saved from a severe bear mauling by his dog; and the photo of a polar bear at a zoo in Tucson, Arizona, has entered the finals in a National Geographic photographic contest. Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch, a volunteer hawk-watching group in Delaware that counts raptors migrating south for the winter, is profiled in the next article. A pair of dogs has been quarantined after mixing it up with a rabid skunk in Virginia. 'Operation Possum Blitz', one New Zealander's attempt to rid her area of possums, is under way. And finally, for those of you who have toyed with making animal sounds from time to time, here's someone who can actually call raccoons (soon to be a competition at the local county fair, no doubt!)

Woman's backyard hosts coyote party

Jessica Simpson's Dog Snatched by Coyote

Coyotes found in Anderson Twp. dog park

Wondrous wolves

Wolves in the crosshairs as hunt starts today

Keeping Safe When Deer Take To The Road

Huntsmen 'filmed on McCartney deer sanctuary'

Kentucky defends against fatal deer, elk disease

Tip: Don't serve dinner to the deer in Johnston

Bear eluding traps in Dularge area

Momma bear and two cubs relax in Boulder backyard tree

Dog Saves Owner From Bear Attack In Calaveras Co.

Former R.I. zoo polar bear stars in national competition

Hawk watcher counts the birds

Skunk in Varina tests positive for rabies

Blitzing the pests out West

Monkeying around paying off