Feeding coyotes could soon no longer be allowed in Indian Harbour Beach.

  • Coyote-human encounters on the rise
  • Ordinance would allow police to issue fines
  • Citation could cost as much as $250

The City Council will consider a ban on feeding coyotes within city limits at Tuesday night's meeting. The vote comes after an increasing number of human-coyote encounters, plus reports of missing pets.

"One came right up, 15 to 20 feet, from me," said Don Wahrendorf, who spends his mornings walking around Gleason Park. "(It was a) pretty good size."

Mark Ryan, the city manager in Indian Harbour Beach, said some of the coyotes are no longer afraid of humans.

"The behavior changed — I'm going to say — in early April," he said.

Ryan blames the behavior change on people feeding coyotes.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has jurisdiction in cases of humans feeding coyotes, but city leaders said their response is sometimes delayed.

So the City Council on Tuesday will consider approving an ordinance that will allow police officers to issue fines to people caught feeding coyotes on public property. The citation could cost $250.

“You get a pack of coyotes here, you don’t know what they’re going to do. You got little kids around here. I’d be a nervous wreck if I had my grandkids walking around or something here,” Wahrendorf said.

The ordinance will be taken up at the council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Indian Harbour Beach City Hall, 1116 Pine Tree Drive.