December 06, 2024
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Fake coyotes keep things from getting ugly at Ottawa High School, scare geese away

So far it’s working, school official reports

By Michael Urbanec
A coyote decoy is placed behind second base the baseball diamond during the soccer game between L-P and Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 at Ottawa High School.

A coyote decoy is placed behind second base of the baseball diamond at Ottawa High School during the soccer game between La Salle-Peru and Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. (Scott Anderson - sanderson@shawmedia.com)

Ottawa High School has had some issues this season with geese hanging around the athletic fields and leaving their droppings behind, so Head of Field Maintenance Brad Johnson placed fake coyotes around the field.

So far, it’s working.

“Coyotes are a natural predator to the goose, so when they fly over what they’re seeing is a plastic decoy with a bushy tail,” Johnson said. “It looks like a real coyote standing there so it keeps the geese from landing on the athletic fields and leaving droppings behind for the students to run through or get tackled into.”

Diego Nanez 1, of Peru, stares at a fake coyote on the baseball diamond during the soccer game between L-P and Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 at Ottawa High School. The decoy was placed by the school to scare critters from coming onto the field.

Diego Nanez, 1, of Peru, stares at a fake coyote on the baseball diamond at Ottawa High School during the soccer game between La Salle-Peru and Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. The decoy was placed by the school to scare geese from coming onto the field. (Scott Anderson - sanderson@shawmedia.com)

Johnson said he tried orange survey flags all over the field but it didn’t work as well as necessary.

“The coyotes are the most humane way to keep them away,” Johnson said. “You know, instead of chasing them out.”

The plan right now, Johnson said, is to move the coyotes into new locations once per week.

A coyote decoy is placed behind second base the baseball diamond during the soccer game between L-P and Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 at Ottawa High School.

A coyote decoy is placed behind second base of the baseball diamond at Ottawa High School during the soccer game between La Salle-Peru and Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. (Scott Anderson - sanderson@shawmedia.com)