A renegade coyote appears to be preying on family pets in the Tower-Soudan area, with at least two suspected attacks in the past week.

A dog in Soudan was attacked and killed by what family members say was a coyote in the family’s yard on Main Street on Aug. 16.

“My husband had just let the dog out, around 9:30 p.m., said Heather Salazar, “when he heard the dog yelping and saw what he thought was a coyote dragging our dog into the woods.”

Bosco was a chihauhua, and a rather roly-poly one, said Heather. The family isn’t quite sure how old Bosco was, because they had adopted him, but he was much-loved by the family.

“The kids are just lost without him,” she said.

Valerie Lenci, in Tower, also reported a coyote-dog incident last week, but hers had a happier ending.

She was outside with her dog behind their house on North Third Street when she saw a coyote come running out of the woods.

“It wasn’t scared at all,” she said. Valerie scopped up her dog, and screamed and yelled, but it wasn’t until she started running towards the coyote that it retreated. Later that night, her husband saw a coyote in their yard.

Lenci said they have been hearing a group of coyotes calling at night, and have seen tracks and other sign in the woods north of Tower.

DNR Conservation Officer Dan Starr said he visited the Salazar home to see if he could find any definitive signs of either coyote or wolf. While he didn’t find any, he said area residents should take caution with their pets in both Soudan and Tower.

Starr noted that coyotes are not a protected species, and can be trapped or shot, but said any gun use in Soudan or Tower is regulated by the local gun ordinances and the discharge of firearms in a platted areas like Tower or Soudan is not permitted.

Starr said it was unusual for a coyote to be so “brazen.”

“People should be wary,” he said, and they should contact the DNR if they see a coyote or wolf that isn’t wary of humans.

Starr said he is exploring options for tracking down the coyote, including seeing if he can find an area trapper interested in trying to catch it.

“I am somewhat alarmed,” he said. But Starr said people need to understand that they are living in the northland.

“There are going to be conflicts with critters,” he said.

Breitung Police Chief Jim Hill said they have been in contact with the DNR on this issue, and suggested that if anyone sees unusual coyote behavior they can also call the department.