The Ohio coyote population has boomed over the past decade.  But now they are becoming braver and they are starting to be seen in more urban areas.

It used to be unthinkable to see a coyote in northeast Ohio. Now they are everywhere.  They don't have any natural predators around here and one female can have up to 12 pups per litter.

So if you see one within city limits, don't be surprised.

Sometimes coyotes get confused with dogs or foxes but as you can see they are much smaller than a fox and they can be brown or gray.

You can usually scare them away by making noise.  State wildlife officials say be sure you are not doing something to attract them to your property.  

That means secure your outside garbage, remove outside pet food at night and clean up around the grill as well. 

"Just the presence of a coyote is nothing to be alarmed about however if that coyote does tend to stick around too much to not run in the sight of a human clapping and shouting at it then that could be a problem animal," said Jamey Emmert from the Division of Wildlife.

 That's when you would call the division of wildlife.  And don't forget your small dog or cat could be an easy lunch for a coyote at night.  Keep them inside too.

"There's other things to be concerned about too, great horned owls, large raccoons, cars, things like that.  If you care about your pets take every precaution you can to protect them," says Emmert.

If you live in a rural area you can actually hunt coyote all year round and there are no bag limits either. Just make sure your local laws allow for gunfire in your township.