… one coyote at a time. That’s what I occasionally tell my wife as I head out the door to do some calling. According to this article, I may not be too far off… 
I wish I could get in on some of the 
Madison residents may hire shooter to take out nuisance in neighborhood
By RON SEELY / Wisconsin State Journal
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MADISON � A group of West Side Madison residents is considering hiring a sharpshooter to kill problem urban coyotes that have become increasingly brazen in recent weeks, attacking and killing neighborhood pets and exhibiting little fear of people.
Tammy Graupner, who lives in the Highlands neighborhood off Old Middleton Road and whose poodle, Puff, was killed by a coyote in February, said a number of other confrontations and sightings of coyotes have people in the area worried.
Of special concern, she added, is the possibility the animals’ behavior toward pets and people could escalate to someone, possibly a child, being attacked.
Dan Hirchert, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the neighbors have spoken to him about the agency providing help in killing the problem coyotes. He said the agency would have to coordinate with city officials before any final decision is made.
“We’re really in the information-gathering stage right now,” Hirchert said. He added that he intends to use motion-sensor cameras to monitor coyote activity.
Because it is illegal to discharge firearms within the city limits, Madison probably will have to approve the use of sharpshooters, city officials said.
Graupner said the group is concerned only about the coyotes regularly showing up in the neighborhoods and causing problems, not the entire pack that may have established a territory in the area. Besides, she added, research shows extensive efforts to eliminate coyotes have been unsuccessful and can result in higher breeding rates and, eventually, even more coyotes.
Problems in the neighborhood date to February, when coyotes killed Graupner’s poodle and another small dog in nearby Parkwood Hills. Though neither pet owner saw the coyotes actually kill the dogs, evidence in both cases pointed strongly to a run-in with coyotes, possibly from adjacent Owen Conservation Park.
More recently, at least one larger dog also was injured in a confrontation with what the owner believes was a coyote. Karen Rahmeier, who lives on Anchorage Avenue near Owen Conservation Park, said she heard what sounded like a dog fight near her porch after letting her dog out at 5:45 a.m. March 19.
“I’m much more afraid than I was,” Rahmeier said. “My dog is big. She’s more than 80 pounds.”
Experts do not discount the possibility of someone being injured by a coyote that has lost its fear of being around humans. Graupner cites a 2004 study by the University of California-Davis that documented 48 attacks on children and adults by coyotes in southern California between 1998 and 2003.
Patrick Comfert, lead animal control officer for Madison and Dane County, said the California situation is somewhat different because the state had several years of drought that caused starvation among the coyote populations.
A more analogous study, he added, probably is one done in Chicago that tracked more than 200 coyotes by radio collars. Despite large numbers of coyotes in the city, no attacks on humans have been reported.
Madison District 19 Alderman Mark Clear, who represents much of the area involved, said the possibility of hiring sharpshooters likely will be a major topic at an April 22 meeting on the issue.
How to live near coyotes
Cover compost piles to discourage foraging coyotes.
If coyotes are a problem, consider not feeding birds or clean up seed piles beneath feeders that can attract small mammals, a food source for coyotes.
Do not leave pet food outside.
Do not leave pets, especially cats and small dogs, outside unattended.
If confronted by a coyote, shout to scare it away.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
