Coyote sightings causing concerns in North County

ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- North County residents are reporting a significant increase in the number coyote sightings in the residential area.

“They seem to be a lot more embolden, that they're not as afraid of humans as much,” Encinitas resident Bill Carli said.

And they say the animals are much more brazen and not as easily scared. 

“Now it's essentially unsafe for my little dogs to be alone in my backyard to be alone in my own backyard. I'm a prisoner in my own house,” Carli said.

He installed Ring cameras, tall fencing and bright spot lights, but he says it doesn’t deter them.

“The population either is growing, or with the growth of the North County, their area to roam has been reduced, but either way they're attacking more pets in peoples backyards while they're having a barbecue,” Carli said.

“We first off we locked eyes and then then he saw me come and he got up and then I just started yelling," Encinitas resident Evan Bicher said about the coyote.

An empty lot next door to his property has become a sort of wildlife refuge for small creatures. Bicher calls it the "skuntuary."

“I got a little nature cam back there and watch them cruise around, and I like the coyotes too, they have a place in the ecosystem," he said.

Bicher says his Ring camera kept buzzing at 11 a.m., alerting him to a very large coyote.

“It was a coyote pacing back-and-forth, then it came and laid down under the tree and I was like 'oh no,'” he said.

Bicher called animal control and was told to make a lot of noise try to scare it away.

“I ended up following him down the street because I didn't want him camping next door,” he said. 

Coyotes fall under the umbrella of California Fish and Wildlife. They did not return calls by the time of broadcast, but offered suggestions to scare coyotes off by making loud noises, never leave small pets unattended outside -- especially at night. Unless an animal attacks a human, it's not their policy to hunt them.