CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) Mecklenburg County recently reminded residents via its Twitter page that coyotes could on the prowl more often this winter.

Donald Ingram is a coyote hunter who works at Carolina Sporting Arms on South Boulevard in Charlotte. He said, while North and South Carolinians can hunt coyote all year, winter is the prime season.

"They're traveling farther to find food in the wintertime," said Ingram.

As for Charlotte city limits, where coyotes have been spotted in recent months, Ingram said the area is like a buffet for the prowling beasts.

"It's a banquet. There's no hunting allowed, so we don't deplete the deer or the rabbits or the small game. So he's got a pretty steady food supply. Plus, Fido and Mama's cats," said Ingram.

NORTH CAROLINA - In order to help reduce the number of wildlife-related automobile crashes, the N.C. Department of Transportation reminds motorists to be aware of the increased presence of deer on state roads during the fall months. 
 
More than 19,500 animal-related crashes were reported each of the last three years, and 90 percent of those involved deer. Since 2008, the incidents have resulted in 3,453 injuries to people, of which 17 were fatal, and nearly $136 million in property damage.
 
“Deer are constantly on the move this time of year, especially in densely populated areas,” said NCDOT Director of Mobility and Safety Kevin Lacy. “Drivers need to be alert at all times. However, if you can’t avoid a deer, it is better to hit it than to lose control of your vehicle and cause a bigger accident.”

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Neighbors and Mecklenburg County officials disagree over whether coyotes living in east Charlotte pose a threat and should be removed.

Several coyotes have taken up residence in the Evergreen Nature Preserve, a county-run preserve in between Independence Boulevard and Central Avenue.  The preserve is only about four miles from uptown Charlotte.

A number of residents and the homeowners association in the nearby Eastway Park and Sheffield Park neighborhoods are calling on either the county or state to have the animals removed.

The calls come after several incidents in which coyotes followed residents closely while they were walking their dogs.

In the case of Eastway Park resident Deanna Haynes, a coyote bit her dog Ally.  She says it happened a few months ago right after she'd brought the large Ally and her much smaller dog Jack onto a trail at the nature preserve.