Cougars, coyotes and turkeys—oh my!

Caledonia residents love the rural side of things, but sometimes nature gets too close to comfort. 

Terrorizing turkeys

 Wild turkeys that chased people into their garages and caused traffic backups in the 5800 block of Erie Street were killed by the Caledonia Police Department, after the DNR issued a permit. The turkey saga earned Village President Ron Coutts a gift: A resident gave him a bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon as a joke (and he gave it back)

Coyote visits

People in Caledonia spotted quite a few coyotes this year, and when one killed a dog in Mount Pleasant, the DNR issued some advice for homeowners on how to keep their pets safe. The DNR also said coyotes top their list of nuisance calls, and said concerned homeowners can have coyotes trapped and removed from their land.

Cougar sighting

Bigger than coyotes and turkeys, was the cougar that a woman reported seeing while out riding her horse on Caledonia trails this fall. She said the big cat spooked her horse, and that it walked away without bothering them.

This article is one of several we'll be running in the last week of 2012 highlighting some of this year's most popular, memorable and biggest stories.