Have you seen any coyotes around town recently? If so, you're among the scores of Patch readers who've already sent in their spotting locations via Facebook.

We’re not telling you this to scare you. In fact, according to the Cook County Coyote Project, there hasn't been a documented case of a coyote attacking a human in Illinois since at least 1985—the beginning range of the study. On top of that, there have only been two cases of coyotes killing a human in the U.S. and Canada in modern history.

That said, residents are indeed reporting interactions with local coyotes. The Cook County Coyote Project website says one of the best ways to prevent coyote conflict is to avoid feeding them, whether it’s intentional or not.

Furthermore, coyotes typically come out at night. If you see a coyote during the day, that's indication the animal may be bolder than most and therefore more likely to attack. If you ever find yourself in this situation, the study recommends you yell, wave your arms and try to throw something at the coyote. Never run away!

While coyotes have been known to attack pets, the Cook County Coyote Project says coyotes do not frequently attack dogs, and when they do, they tend to be smaller dogs. Cats, on the other hand, may represent more alluring targets. Don't lose too much sleep over it, though. The vast majority of a coyote's diet is made up of mice and rats.

If you run into what you think might be considered a "nuisance" coyote, don't hesitate to call Cook County Animal Control at 708-974-6046.

Tips for safely co-existing with coyotes

The University of Illinois Extension offers the following tips for living with coyotes — and dealing with any problems that may occur:

• To help protect small children and pets, all possible food for coyotes should be removed from around the homes in your neighborhood.
• Coyotes are always on the lookout for food. Coyotes are looking for the mice, rabbits and birds that bird feeders and pet food left outside attracts. If you do not want the coyotes near your home, stop feeding other wildlife and leaving pet food outside. Make sure ripe fruit is picked up and garbage is secured in containers.
• Keep a close eye on small children and pets whenever they are outside and a coyote is in your neighborhood. Consider using a dog run or fence to protect small pets.
• From a distance, try to scare the coyote away by being loud and throwing something or spraying water towards the coyote.
• Alert your neighborhood and the local municipality as soon as a problem develops with a coyote.
• Coyotes are a permanent fixture in Illinois’ rural, suburban and urban areas. Seeing a coyote(s) cross a field, backyard, golf course, road, etc. does not necessarily constitute a problem or a dangerous situation for  humans or domestic animals. Target the responsible coyote(s) when a pattern of  “undesirable” behavior develops. Usually it will be easier to change human and domestic animal use of an area than to capture a coyote.
• Coyote population reduction (removing some or all of the coyotes in an area) is usually unrealistic and always temporary. Removal of coyotes requires time, effort and funding. If removal of a coyote is deemed necessary, hire a person with coyote removal experience who is licensed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Coyote removals approved by the IDNR usually involve the use of cage (live) traps or padded foot-hold traps.

Editor's note: Homewood-Flossmoor Patch Editor Ryan Fitzpatrick and Plainfield Patch Editor Shannon Antinori contributed to this report.

If you've spotted a coyote recently, let us know in the comments and we'll add the location to our map. And, if you happen to snap a photo of one of the elusive creatures, please email it to Guest Editor Linda Ozbolt at lindaozbolt.patch@gmail.com - and we will share it with your fellow Patch readers!