Segment 3, May 27, 2023

It has been in the news lately.  Bats in high schools, alligator attacks in Florida, bears in the Asheville-area, & snake sightings occurring more frequently.

As the weather warms, we all head for the outdoors.  Whether it is a hiking, fishing, golfing trip, or working in the yard we interact more with wildlife.

Andrew Cole, owner/operator of Song Dog Wildlife Management comes on to the Carolina Outdoor podcast to educate us on what’s happening & what we should do.

We’ll learn that warm weather doesn’t just get us outside.  It starts moving snakes around more.  He’ll talks about identifying them, how to handle them, and a few extraction stories along the way.  After snakes comes the subject of bats, squirrels, & then the namesake of the company, the song dogs, the coyote.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said in a statement that more coyotes are being seen right now because they are out seeking food.  Primarily in order to feed their young litter of pups.  Although they don’t interact with humans much, Cole warns us that coyotes with pups can be unpredictable.

The wildlife commission states, “pup season brings an added factor to interacting with coyotes”.  This time of year, if you pass through a brushy or wooded area and notice a coyote watching you or following you at a distance, it could have a den nearby,” biologist Falyn Owens said in the group’s statement.

“Calmly leave the area and notify others if you are near a public trail.”

Cole has been in business over ten years as the owner of Song Dog Wildlife.  His company deals with nuisance wildlife, prevention, re-entry, & education and consultation.

During the interview, Bill Bartee, host of the Carolina Outdoors, mentioned that there have been several Pepper or Bear Spray phone calls for coyote personal protection.

It never fails that when the weather warms, so do the wildlife sightings.

Bartee interviewed Cole holding a Pepper Spray cannister provided Charlotte fly shop, Jesse Brown’s, while wearing the ever-popular, Patagonia Stand Up Shorts from Jesse Brown’s.