WINFIELD, W.Va. — There’s been an increase in the amount of coyotes roaming the City of Winfield.
When asked about the top issue his city faces on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline,” Winfield Mayor Randy Barrett said “coyotes.”
“I’ve known since I’ve been mayor of a place right on the edge of town that they’ve had them there, but I got an email two weeks ago that they’re coming right down the subdivisions at night right off the hill,” Barrett told “Talkline” Host Hoppy Kercheval.
Barrett and other mayors from across West Virginia and the nation appeared on “Talkline” to discuss issues facing their cities. Some mayors mentioned dilapidated housing while others discussed the need for more police officers.
Among the unique issues like coyotes, Auburn, Kentucky Mayor Mike Hughes said his city has received some complaints about city workers cleaning head stones in cemeteries. He said some residents didn’t want their loved ones’ head stones to look “brand new” as if he or she just died.
“Sometimes we just have to listen to what people are saying. There are people who just like the old look,” Hughes said.
The coyote issue in Winfield is causing concern for residents who have pets like dogs and cats outdoors.
Barrett said there’s not much the city can do to address the problem.
“You can’t put poison out for them. You can’t shoot them in city limits. You can’t use a gun in city limits. I don’t know what you do. They’re everywhere,” he said.
There’s also no way to hunt the coyotes in the city, Barrett said.
“Coyotes are very hard to hunt. You couldn’t hunt them in the city, but you can hunt them out of the city. They’re a tough animal to hunt. They’re very smart,” he said.
St. Albans Mayor Scott James echoed Barrett’s concerns and said his city has also seen coyotes but not compared to the amount Winfield has seen.
“We’ve got some up in St. Albans. I remember as a city we had to hire trappers because there was two over at Roadside Park, so we hired a trapper and he trapped them and moved them on so we don’t have that problem anymore, but even up in my neighborhood you could hear them yelping periodically at night,” James said.
The mayors were all part of the Southern Municipal Conference at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling.