By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FAIRFIELD - Kim Hargrove won't let her son, a high school freshman, walk alone in the dark to catch a school bus at 6:15 a.m. after seeing coyotes in her yard.

"I see three or four a day," says Hargrove, who lives on Carlsbad Court, along Pleasant Run Creek.

Increasing complaints from residents, and numerous sightings around town, have prompted City Council to ask police to buy three or four traps to capture and kill the wild canines along the creek. Traps will be checked daily.

"People are concerned, so we have to do something," says Police Chief Michael Dickey. "This is the best alternative we can come up with."

In recent weeks, coyotes have been seen in Rolling Hills, Winton Hills, on Boehm Drive, near the high school and by Harbin Park.

"The coyotes are getting to be a problem," says Dr. Dave Haeussler, a Fairfield Animal Hospital veterinarian who has seen them at his house, near the Fairfield YMCA.

No people have been reported hurt by coyotes, Dickey says. But at least one Fairfield veterinarian, at the Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital, has treated a family pet believed to have been attacked by a coyote.

"It only takes one kid ... to get hurt or injured, and we're in big trouble," says Mayor Erick Cook, who suggested the creek traps. "Let's try it on a small scale and see what effect it has."

Haeussler has warned his neighbors to accompany their pets outside, and not to put food out for stray cats. "They're asking for trouble if they have a small animal unsupervised outside," he says.

For council, it was the second discussion about coyotes this year. Council decided in March against trapping or hunting the animal in favor of an education campaign about coyotes. Information has been posted at www.fairfield-city.org.

The problem isn't unique to Fairfield. Blue Ash City Council heard coyote complaints in October, and Springdale last year hired sharpshooters after a pack of coyotes killed a 10-pound poodle.

Though primarily carnivores, coyotes will eat garbage, pet food and some vegetables, in addition to rabbits, mice or other rodents.

The city Web site urges residents to make garbage and pet food inaccessible to wild animals.

The Web site says "the biggest problem with coyotes is that they may become comfortable in the presence of humans." Says Haeussler: "They're becoming pretty bold."

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com