Face to face with a Coyote

whistlepig · Mar 5, 2012

Where we used to live the coyotes were so bad (and still are) that they were snatching small dogs and cats out of folks back yards if the dogs and cats were not on a leash. Folks there are telling me about back yard BBQ's and pool parties ruined by coyotes snatching cats and small dogs while everyone was watching. Where we used to live was inside the city limits. No discharge of firearms allowed. We can pop a coyote where we live now.

cqaigy2 · Mar 5, 2012

westcliffe01 said:
Here is another one:
Coyote stalks and starts going in for attack on elderly lady and dog - YouTube

Common theme: People not allowed to be armed, so wild animals eventually think you are part of the food chain.

I think her little yap dog might have been in trouble if not for the old lady.

the6shooter · Mar 5, 2012

I just wonder what the guy in the rubber boots, would have been saying if the coyote got him off his feet, in the show with no traction ?
I used to drive a bulk cement truck, to mountainous areas of California and off load the powdered cement, and after I would shut the truck down and eat my lunch in the cab, and would hear these noises as I sat there in the seat. And then I would hit the switches of the cab, and wah-la the truck would be surrounded with over 50 ferral dogs. These dogs where all shape and sizes. after that time I never turned the lights out. And everytime I delivered there. sitting in the truck you could hear them, untill the truck started up.
the6shooter

Ken45101 · Mar 5, 2012

I am suspicious about any "encounter" with a coyote where they have a camera running. I suspect there is a lot more to the story and they have been doing something to attract the animals.

We have plenty of them around here, we hear the packs at night. But every time we have encountered them, they have ran away. Two years ago, a found a pair of them within 50' of our horses who were grazing and not paying a bit of attention to them. I assume the horses are used to the coyotes being around.

Our dogs killed a coyote a couple of months ago, about 500' from the house. OTOH, in past years we have had a couple of small dogs disappear that we suspect the 'yotes were responsible for. This time, the dogs returned the favor.

Ken

nybirdman · Mar 5, 2012

Any wild animal acting strangely would be considered ill,either distemper or rabies.I would not approach.Twice I have had raccoons at the front door of the house during daylight hours....acted accordingly.
We are over-run with coyotes in our area but you seldom see them.Local hound hunters have killed 29 this year alone and it has been a slow year.

MasseyWV · Mar 5, 2012

As strange as it may seem, I've never actually seen a wild coyote. I know they exist here, but in all my years of living here, I've seen just about every kind of wild critter, but a coyote.

Ken45101 · Mar 5, 2012

MasseyWV said:
As strange as it may seem, I've never actually seen a wild coyote. I know they exist here, but in all my years of living here, I've seen just about every kind of wild critter, but a coyote.

That's probably not too strange. I think they are more active during the night. Most of the times I've seen them, it's when the dogs flushed them or I was riding one of the horses and flushed them.

But we sure hear them at night!

Ken

mjw357 · Mar 5, 2012

that coyote in the first video, is just playing with that guy. If he would have kept quiet, it would have just been on it's way. He's a bonehead, because he's letting the coyote get used to him. It's like feeding the bears at a national park. They get used to people and don't fear them anymore.

I hear them all the time at night and around nightfall. Our property is probably 1/2 mile to the closest woods, mostly farmland around us. I have yet to see one, and that's fine. We don't have a problem with rats/mice either. Not many rabbits, come to think of it. One of our neighbors shot one on their property last year. As long as I don't see one on my property, I have no problem with them.

20 20 · Mar 5, 2012

This is the reason I use a walking stick when out for my walk. I love nature and walk on a back road with allmost no traffic(might see a vehicle once a week). I like to walk before sun rise and enjoy seeing the deer etc... We have had problems with coyotes in the past, even had them going into our crawl space waiting for us to let out the puppy. I have been surrounded by them at night, it is an erie feeling. The north eastern coyote is much larger then its southern cousin and has a whole different additude. The reason the NEcoyote is bigger is because of crossbreeding with wolves years ago. With the cross breeding they also seem to have more of a predator instinct instead of a scavanger instinct. Not a whole lot is known about this newer breed, but have heard then can be dangerous.

To answer the question what to do. I believe it would be much the same as when meeting a black bear. Hopefully you'll have a walking stick or at the very least a stick close by. Raise the stick in the air making yourself look bigger then yell and act insane. I have had a large black bear within 20 feet of myself and actually talked to it. When it was sick of me it started walking towards my house, I didn't want him going in that direction so I ran at him and threw my arms in the air and yelled, he ran the other way.