DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – Coyotes are causing concern in South Florida, leaving their mark in many neighborhoods throughout Broward County.
Residents spotted coyotes at the old Tam O'Shanter golf course in Deerfield Beach, where coyote tracks were clearly visible.
Residents have snapped some photos of the wild animals, but they move quickly. Residents said they often hear the coyotes at night.
"The howling at nighttime -- it's, like, around midnight, one o'clock in the morning," one man said.
"It's kind of eerie to hear them all howling like that," another resident said.
Some residents are noticing that the coyotes, who are likely hunting, are moving closer to them.
They said there is a lot of construction in the area and residents have noticed fewer ducks and squirrels wandering around.
"They only have a certain amount of acreage here that they can hunt, and once they clean that out, they're going to start looking for other places," Peggy Renard said.
Renard said the animals have become familiar faces. She said she doesn't necessarily mind them, but keeps her distance and keeps her pets away.
But others have had some run-ins with the coyotes.
Mike Fleinek said his cat was found mauled to death by a groundskeeper at Crystal Lake Golf Club.
"They say he saw her there mangled up and he knew it was the work of a coyote," Fleinek said.
The city of Deerfield Beach said it connects concerned callers with experts to teach them how to live around coyotes.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the encounters are happening more often and coyotes are found in all counties in the state of Florida.
Experts said coyotes are opportunistic feeders, so they warn people to watch their pets closely.