Trapper Nabs Four Coyotes in Rossmoor

Rossmoor’s second experiment with coyote trapping ended in success this week with the capture and killing of four coyotes.

All four were caught using snares set in an area of dense shrubbery behind Martha Ann Drive. It was the community’s second attempt at trapping this winter. Earlier this year, a trapper hired by the county and funded by donations from members of the Rossmoor Homeowners Association failed to catch any animals using cages.

“Apparently, coyotes see a cage, and they are smart enough to avoid them,” said David Lara of the Rossmoor Predator Management Team.

With the improved results of the snares, the community may try trapping again at a later date, Lara said. 

“May and June are when we see a lot of pet killings because it’s the birthing season, and the mothers are feeding the young,” he added.

A number of factors could influence the coyote activity in the area and the trapping strategy. Caltrans workers have been clearing brush along the San Diego (405) and the San Gabriel (605) freeways for the West County Connector project. Because coyotes make their dens in the trees and shrubs near the freeway, residents are hoping that the clearing will drive them away. However, this week Caltrans halted the work temporarily. The brush removal won’t resume for a few weeks, said officials with the Orange County Transportation Authority.

“I am a little disappointed that it appears Caltrans will be halting for a few weeks before clearing the brush because I was hoping they would get it done before the birthing season, so the coyotes would have to go somewhere else to give birth,” said Lara.

Still, Lara said he hopes there will be fewer pets killed this summer because of the brush clearing and because of the grates and modifications installed by the county late last year to deter the animals from crossing into Rossmoor from nearby channels.

Recently, the community had a spike in coyote sightings, and it turned out that the heavy rains had knocked out one of the grates. That would indicate that the grates are working, added Lara.

Of late, the Predator Management Team, a 500-member resident group, has found itself embroiled in debate over the politics of the coyote issue.

In January, PETA Cruelty Investigation Director Martin Mersereau issued a statement criticizing the decision to hire a trapper, calling it a “cruel, endless, and expensive killing cycle.”

However, residents had long been upset by pet killings and so dissatisfied with the county’s response that they raised the money to hire the trappers this year. Frustration with the county’s handling of the coyotes in Rossmoor has been a recurring complaint in the community, and it has fueled the ongoing effort for the Rossmoor Community Services District to take control over animal control services from the county.