Coyote Attack in Dallas Leaves Child in Critical Condition

Coyote iStock-Takennnn 484218198
Coyote iStock-Takennnn 484218198

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)-— On May 3rd, in the Lake Highlands neighborhood of the Dallas metroplex, a coyote attacked a two year old toddler on the front porch. It was about 8:30 a.m., according to AP. From Fox4kdfw:

A 2-year-old child is in critical condition at the hospital after being attacked by a coyote in Dallas. 

Police said it happened around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in the Lake Highlands area while the child was sitting on the front porch of a home on Royalpine Drive, which is not far from White Rock Creek.

Another coyote attack on a toddler had happened a week earlier in Huntington Beach, California.

In Vancouver, Canada, a spate of coyote attacks triggered an official response in 2021. 45 people had been bitten by August of 2021. By the end of the year, eleven coyotes had been culled. No more attacks were reported. Vancouver park authorities made it illegal to feed coyotes.

In Texas, Governor Rick Perry made headlines when he shot an aggressive coyote which appeared to be menacing his dog, while out near Austin, Texas, in December of 2015.

The attack in Dallas was unusually severe. Most coyote attacks on people are bites or nips, where hospitalization is not needed. The Toddler in Dallas survived the attack, was in critical condition at the hospital, but is now recovering at home. From ksat.com:

DALLAS – A 2-year-old boy who was attacked by a coyote
on the porch of his Dallas home is recovering after surgery, and officials searching for the coyote said Thursday that three that were acting aggressively have been killed.

As coyotes have increased in population and adapted to urban areas, coyote attacks have increased. In one research paper 142 incidents were recorded from 1960 to 2006. In overlapping research, 367 incidents were recorded from 1977 to 2015.

When most people were armed, and considered coyotes a pest, coyotes learned to be wary of humans. In urban areas, many people consider coyotes to be closer to Disney characters. Some people value coyotes highly.

Coyotes are a common animal. They are not in any danger of extinction. Coyotes which become habituated to the point they do not fear humans should be removed from the population. While attacks by coyotes on humans are relatively rare, attacks on pets are common.

Eye witness accounts of coyotes taking, killing, and presumably eating pet dogs and cats are common. In one intensive radio collar study, 8 coyotes were found to kill 19 cats over 790 hours of observation (about 32 days). Coyotes also prey upon dogs. A pack of coyotes can pull down even a fairly large dog.

The legality of shooting coyotes to protect humans is fairly clear. If a human is endangered, shooting a coyote is justified. Pets are considered domestic animals.

It is legal to shoot dogs or coyotes which are attacking livestock. Here is the relevant Texas statute:

Sec. 822.013. DOGS OR COYOTES THAT ATTACK ANIMALS. (a) A dog or coyote that is attacking, is about to attack, or has recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowls may be killed by:

(1) any person witnessing the attack; or

(2) the attacked animal’s owner or a person acting on behalf of the owner if the owner or person has knowledge of the attack.

(b) A person who kills a dog or coyote as provided by this section is not liable for damages to the owner, keeper, or person in control of the dog or coyote.

Many Texas cities have laws or regulations forbidding the discharge of firearms in city limits. They usually have exceptions for defense of self or others. It is less clear if an exception would be made for defense of domestic animals.

Texas became a Constitutional Carry state in 2021. Shooting coyotes safely in an urban environment takes extreme care.

It may be acceptable if the coyote approached closely and was not afraid. A shooter would have to be sure of a good backstop, so as to minimize risk to other humans.

Hollow point or frangible bullets would help reduce the chances of a ricochet.


About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

Dean Weingarten

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Montana454Casull

Dogs killed all my chickens and attacked me when I tried to stop them . I was packing a 1911-.45 and shot one of the dogs in the face when it lunged at me . It was a 200 pound mastiff , the vet saved it and it cost the owner several thousand dollars at the vets and restitution for my chickens . Hate to think of what might have happened if was not armed at the time . The mastiffs partner in crime was a big rottweiler that attacked me also . It turned and ran when I shot… Read more »

swmft

people who do not have their animals well trained do no one any favors

Hazcat

Dean, your reporting on these ever more frequent incidents is more grist for the mill for constitutional carry. Invaluable.

john

Know the law always contact your local DNR wildlife management department they are sure to advise you in what you can and can not do.

Local Police & State Police do not always know the laws when it comes to nuisance wildlife.

If immediately endangered protect you and your family that is always my first rule. Then be advised to think before you speak.

The Crimson Pirate

I would suggest that if there are no witnesses or cameras one simply walk away and say nothing to anyone.

Arny

Thanks for the heads up Dean.

JPM

Locally, a “sick” (likely Rabies) raccoon reported in a local neighborhood has the ignorant part-time, weekender, resident liberal Peta/Disney morons in an uproar to “save” the poor thing and treat it so it can be released. A couple of full-time residents, with a brain who actually use it, are advocating putting the raccoon down (shooting it) and the idiotic Bambi huggers apparently are more worried about a gun than they are about rabies.

The Crimson Pirate

Sounds like a good application for an integrally suppressed air gun. No ATF involvement, affordable, quiet, safer than a firearm in populated settings, and with a judicious selection of time and place no one would ever know who did it.

NB: the same technique might be applicable to the rabid leftists.

Wass

In NJ air guns are heavily regulated too.

john

They now make some bad ass air guns “O My” silent and very effective They even make a air rifle that shoots arrows Air Saber at 480 feet per second out to 70 plus yards that is hitting harder than most crossbows and compound bows.

Love them toys

Accurately launch arrows out to 70 yards with the power of air, no strings attached! The Umarex AirSaber airbow uses high-pressure air and a special arrow to achieve velocities up to 480 FPS and 178 ft lbs of energy. Includes Axeon Scope!

willyd

I live in a rural area in Mo, the wildlife loves my cat food I put out for them, thus doing my cat food for the wildlife is a little tough on the pocket1 I purchased a live trap this spring total capture so far in two months, 3 possums, 14 racoons, and last night while cleaning my mower I had one racoon walk right in where I was cleaning the mower, he is not going to be getting a free lunch off of me soon, trap is now set again! I lived in Pa and delivered in NJ where… Read more »

gregs

let them catch it and take it to a vet to be treated. my treatment takes only one shot and it is cured.

Bill

What code is this your n? Sorry it prob obvious to some but not to me! Thanks!

Bigfootbob

I am one of those Dean mentioned that highly value Coyotes. Right now, I feel the same about Cougars, the 4 legged kind, I have jokingly mentioned to my wife that I would like to have a breeding pair of Cougars and here’s why, it’s not the reason you’re thinking right now. I live in a little coastal town on the Pacific Ocean in the Soviet of Washington just outside of the Blue Curtain of the commie Pugetopolis area. The area is full of retired folks, loggers, brush pickers, fishermen and recently work at home folks. Lots, probably half the… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Bigfootbob
willyd

This is a VERY LARGE PROBLEM IN NJ, there is an over population of deer and hunting is very hard to do as to civilian population in the state, and the bureaucrats run all kinds of theories, but no solutions, gee I wonder why????

john

We have a similar issue with alligators here in Georgia folks think feeding them is a good thing. Me I like eating them fried hot sauce or cocktail no matter. Predators are important to the natural flow of life it is when humans step in and alter the balance by feeding them or by killing them to extinction that the whole ecosystem becomes tainted. On Fire Island NY the DEC made a bad choice on year they wanted to serialize the heard. The island was and is overrun with huge whitetails racks that can not belive. The Dec shot them… Read more »