Sometimes I wish I was 100% retired. But then I get the privilege of talking to amazing people, like Ferdie Yau of Behavior Vets NYC about his work on the Gotham Coyote Project and his “coyote scat detection dog, Scout. Ferdie is one of those people whose enthusiasm and curiosity is so strong it would energize a slug. He’s a professional dog trainer, via a life training animals in the Central Park Zoo and studying human/jaguar conflicts in South America. (I’m going to write a post in the future about what it’s like to train sea otters versus sea lions, foxes versus polar bears. Oooooh, that’s gonna be fun!)
But today, it’s all about coyotes, or canis latrans, which translates as “barking dog.” Coyotes are also known as prairie wolves, brush wolves, American jackals, yotes, pasture poodles, yodel dogs, and, as someone said on a stream I read from Texas, “dead.” Yeah, it’s the old “predator as evil” thing, just on a different level than attitudes toward wolves.
Attitudes toward coyotes across time and cultures range from symbols of military might, to savy and amusing tricksters, to “cowardly and untrustworthy animals” by Europeans who colonized America (Wikipedia). Sadly, in my mind, that attitude has changed little in the United States. While wolves are both revered and despised in this country, evoking what can only be described as astounding intensities of love or hatred, coyotes get little attention except from those who want to kill them. However, studies like the Gotham Coyote Project and a similar project in Madison, WI, the Urban Canid Project (coyotes and foxes) are bucking that trend, and adding to our knowledge about this impressive species.
Coyotes are complex, fascinating animals, who, pure and simply, deserve more respect. Previously a canid of the plains and the desert, coyotes have expanded their range significantly since the arrival of Europeans, (and the slaughter of wolves), and they now range across all of North America, except for the most northern reaches of Alaska, Canada and Greenland, and south into Central America.
Genetic studies suggest that North American wolves have a substantial amount of coyote DNA, and we know that coyotes and domestic dogs can also interbreed (“coydogs”).
A coyote’s social organization is very much different than the wolf, who specializes in taking down large prey as a pack. Coyotes pack up when their resources demand it, and live singly when they are better off hunting small prey that can’t be shared. They can live as a family unit, a mixed pack of unrelated individuals, or spend time on their own, depending on what works best.
My favorite new fun fact about coyotes is that they occasionally hunt together with badgers, digging up rodents side by side. Wikipedia tells us that some have been seen lying together, licking each other’s faces. Insert audible “Awwww” here.
This flexibility is part of what causes conflicts between people and coyotes, because, increasingly, coyotes are moving into suburban and urban areas. Ferdie tells me that genetic studies suggest that a small number of coyotes traveling into the Bronx have since expanded into an impressive number of successful breeding groups in the city. Here’s from a trail cam in the Bronx of some coyote pups playing:
Unlike the standard story about coyotes being crepuscular hunters (most active at dawn and dusk), the Bronx coyotes are adept at avoiding people at all costs by hunting only at night, and often traveling in brushy areas too dense for people to use. This is especially true of the females, which was only discovered when Ferdie’s Scout began finding scat in brushy areas off the trails, not visible to the human eye.
Coyotes do well here in southern Wisconsin, and, as former lamb producers, we are well aware of their presence. Without them, I never would have had Bo Peep and Tulip, my two Great Pyrenees livestock guarding dogs. (Whose presence–primarily scent marking and barking–resulted in no lambs lost the entire time that I had them.) My love for these two dogs knows no bounds, and I will forever be grateful to coyotes for bringing them into my life.
But coyotes can cause trouble, as is true of any large predator when it’s habitat overlaps with people. Coyotes can and do kill livestock, especially lambs. Coyotes have, although rarely, killed domestic dogs, and tragically, a young child. Attacks on humans and domestic dogs are increasing, especially in California.
Ferdie’s work, and that of other experts, are part of an effort to ameliorate conflicts between people and coyotes. Most importantly, they are working to educate people to avoid feeding coyotes, either intentionally (not uncommon, sigh), or unintentionally (leaving food out for feral cat colonies for example). Coyotes are going to go where the food is, and that means if you leave dry dog food outside in your yard, it’s bait for a coyote. Coyotes are just as fond of garbage as any other flexible omnivore–research has found plenty of examples of human garbage in the stomach contents of coyotes.
There are other ways to avoid conflicts with coyotes, as advised by the Urban Coyote Project, including don’t let your pets run loose, don’t run from one but don’t chase either, and report any aggressive or fearless coyotes to animal control or the police. (Or either of the coyote projects I’ve mentioned.)
Here’s some specific advice from Ferdie: If you have coyotes in your area who are doing a good job of avoiding humans and conflict, one of the best ways to maintain that peaceful relationship is to let them be. Let the coyote parents teach their young how to avoid humans so successive generations of coyotes stay out of trouble.
This reminds me of a friend who has a couple hundred sheep in an area full of coyotes. He also has three livestock guarding dogs. Friends ask him why he doesn’t shoot the coyotes, and he answers “That would be crazy. All the adults in the area know to stay away from my farm because of the LGDs. If I shot them, then other coyotes, who haven’t yet learned about the guard dogs, would just come in and cause trouble.” Wise words indeed.
There are some other things that I wish we could do for coyotes. One is fighting to ban “coyote killing contests,” which are legal in 40 states, including Wisconsin. These anachronistic “contests” violate just about every ethic known to anyone who cares about sentient animals and the environment. Contact your state DNR or local legislators if you agree. I’ll be doing that this week.
In addition, DNR regulations about the hunting of coyotes are significantly thin. I won’t go into the details here, because it varies by state, but know that coyotes are used by “Licensed Hound Dog Trainers” to teach hounds to track coyotes rather than other game, and the rules that regulate what people can do, or not do, to coyotes leave, uh, a lot to be desired.
I don’t want to end on a downer here, but coyotes are fascinating animals that we need to learn to live with. As someone who raised lambs for decades, I know full well that they can be destructive. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to live with them, with compassion, curiosity and respect.
What about you? Coyotes in your area? Any problems with them, or with how they are treated? (Note: Past posts related to respecting wolves or other canid predators have resulted in death threats to me and my dogs. Any comment coming even close to that will be referred to law enforcement, and will not stop me from saying what I believe. )
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: From no rain to nothing but. From really cold to REALLY hot to jacket weather to humid and sticky. It’s disorienting, but I’m so grateful that we finally got rain, unlike so many areas in the midst of a horrific drought. The sheep are thankful too, because the pastures are green again and they don’t have to start eating dry, old hay instead of juicy green grass and clover.
Skip and I discovered what’s called a “widow maker” while walking back down the hill to the house after working sheep. This large branch broke off, but then hung up on another branch, just waiting to fall on some unsuspecting, squishy mammal. The name is not overly dramatic; these hung up limbs can kill and hurt people, and do on a regular basis if they are not dealt with carefully.
Jim came to the rescue. He tied a long cord to an axe (he’d drilled an eye bolt into it’s base for a rope attachment), threw the axe with trailing cord over one of the branches, moved safely away, and proceeded to pull. And pull and pull and pull.
My only contribution was to suggest a different angle–I always did love physics–and bingo, off it came!
While I was taking photos of the branch (Wild Cherry tree, by the way), I happened upon this tiny bit of loveliness growing under a fence.
It’s a Deptford Pink, maybe maybe a result of all the work we’ve done clearing honeysuckle and seeding with native plants? So far it’s been all blood, sweat and tears, so I’m thrilled to see this tiny (less than an inch) potential reinforcement for all of our work.
Here’s to some loveliness in your life this week. And check out the status, and regulations about, coyotes in your area. They deserve our attention.
j says
There are a number of terrific resources to help with deterring predators from livestock if you can’t have a livestock protection dog. My county has a fantastic program that promotes non-lethal deterrent methods including equipment you can borrow, thanks in large part to the dedicated efforts of a determined and highly effective couple in our area. From them, we’ve learned about Foxxlights, which light up in random patterns all night, to motion-sensor lights that throw out a red beam to frighten predators. These methods can really work when used appropriately. We also close up our animals at night so they are not out to temp predators or fate, after losing a ewe to a cougar. Problem solved, and we are free to enjoy the area wildlife without concern.
Trisha says
Wonderful, j, thank you. Love learning about Foxlights, new to me. And yes yes, simple if often all that is needed. A friend lost 4 lambs to coyotes, and then simply had them lamb closer to the house and barn and hasn’t had a problem since.
Tammy says
We have coyotes in our neighborhood and area — our security cameras pick them up — but we have never had an ounce of trouble from them. We just let them be. My sense is that a lot of people here consider them a nuisance, even when they’ve never had a problem either.
I have friends with sheep who’ve had good success with Great Pyrenees, like you did. We have a lot of bear here in NH and I have a friend who kept losing goats to bears until they bought a guard llama. That was the end of dead and missing goats! I saw that guard llama in action one evening at their farm. We were having cocktails and saw a bear climb over a fence in a far field. So did the llama, which took off at a dead run at the bear. The bear stood there, with the llama tearing across the field at it, then hightailed it back over the fence and into the woods. It was pretty impressive.
lak says
I saw my first coyote running across the road a few years ago, and then another about 30 feet from the deck of my condo. My deck is off a small pond with large green space, my am staff was on a lead attached to the deck, I did not see the coyote until it was 30 feet away, my dog just stood up and all 63# of her is rock solid muscle, she never made a sound, nor did the coyote, there was a short staring contest and then the coyote took off so fast I was not sure the encounter even happened. I do not ever leave my dog outside on a lead without me present, it violates my condos laws, but she enjoys sitting outside with me in the grass. It appeared that my dog outweighed the coyote significantly. The legs of the coyote past the elbows were black from the mud in the pond, obviously searching for the baby geese, and by the looks of some of the feather piles I have found in the morning, they are successful. The circle of life and the food chain. It was truly a beautiful animal, and their choir of yips at night is eerily beautiful. I have nothing but respect for both the wolves and the coyotes, and I always keep in mind that cows are not walking into the supermarket and laying down in freezers, I participate in the food chain as well.
Kat says
We had a small flock of sheep when I was a kid. We also had a pair of Great Pyrenees. The dogs were pets during the day but spent nights in the barn with the sheep. One day we saw a coyote walking along the fence checking over the sheep; shopping for dinner. Then the Pyrs rose up in the yard and explained in detail just what would happen if the coyote went after one of their sheep. I think I’ll always get a chuckle out of just how quickly that coyote vanished.
I had the rare privilege of growing up close to nature. My parents always modeled accommodating wild creatures rather than being at war with them. That’s why we had Pyrs. Coyotes could be a problem but we gave them a good reason not to be and everyone was better for it. It’s why these days my parents have a yard moose that comes in the fall, cleans up the fallen crab apples, mows the lawn, and fertilizes before moving on to winter quarters. Sometimes she brings her family. https://www.flickr.com/photos/33350160@N02/albums/72157687346446352 I’d much rather live with the wild things.
Trisha says
Kat: Yard moose? Made my heart sing.
Emma says
I have small dogs – I have turned around while walking one of them (Northern California, by the ocean) to see us being stalked by a coyote. It was terrifying! A big shout, and it whirled and ran away; I scooped up my dog and went home. Make no mistake, my dog was nearly a nice dinner, but never ONCE did I think the coyote was at fault???? I was an idiot (reformed, promise) and walked my dog at dusk, in a hilly and quiet hiking area, with no leash, in an area full of rabbits and other small wildlife. I would 100% have been at fault if something happened. I just cannot fathom someone BLAMING an animal for snagging an easy meal??? It’s awful to lose an animal under our care, and of course we want to protect livestock that are livelihoods but I just do not understand the vilification of coyotes and wolves who are simply surviving.
Alison Bailie says
Alberta’s cities are home to many coyotes and though I love to see them (at a distance) and hear them howling along with the fire engine sirens, sadly the physical interactions are becoming more frequent.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coyote-attacks-city-warning-1.6083573
lots more education needed on storing garbage etc.
sarah todd says
Wow Depford pink have been my fav wild flower for years now, so delicate and precious . Re coyotes you’re speaking my heart , I too have a flock of sheep , I lost one of my fav ewes 10 yrs ago to a new a nursing mother coyote . As upset and guilty ( i should have protected her) I felt about losing Sylvia to Momma coyote I LOATH the senseless blood lust that many here feel towards coyotes. I can’t have a LGD bc I have many new guest dogs here ( do B&T) and dont want an conflict btwn new dogs on the farm and LGD. So I have put my sheep into the barn at dusk every night since losing that ewe. Many times “hunters” have asked if they could hunt coyotes on my land ( 100 ac woodland & 20 pasture) and they are stunned when I say an adamant NO , but your sheep etc etc. Long way to say I couldnt agree with you more and I wish I could help STOP the year round open season on coyotes.
Tracy says
We have had coyotes for as long as I can remember. The closest I’ve come to contact is on a morning walk with the dogs before 7am. The acknowledge and keep moving. When they howl in the middle of the night, my three Cocker Spaniels have been known to answer back. So much for a peaceful night, lol. Just recently we had a badger sighting and evidence of them digging up rodent tunnels. Interesting that the two species are known to hang out with each other.
Jan says
I just started to get coyote’s in my yard and neighborhood (surburban). We’ve always had a small population of deer in our commons area. This past winter I saw coyote tracks in the snow on my driveway, sidewalk and front porch. Last week while walking my dogs very early in the morning to escape the heat, I saw a coyote calmly trotting down the road in front of me. Since we also have an overabundance of skunks, groundhogs, rabbits, chipmunks, and other small critters, they may stay as far as I’m concerned.
LisaW says
Ohh, I love coyotes, and they are very common in Vermont. We have had a pack howling outside our window everywhere we’ve lived (city, suburb, country). I have so many coyote stories it’s hard to pick a few. (I have written to our Fish&Wildlife officials and state reps to ban the coyote “hunt.” So far, no go, but it’s getting more and more attention [as is hunting with dogs, urg].)
One fond memory is when Olive, who had recently been granted bed privileges, bolted upright, straight as a rod, tilted her head back and started howling (this must have been around 3 or 4 am). A full-throated, deep howl that startled us all awake. We then heard the coyotes outside as they were regrouping for the morning and vocalizing their locations. We laughed so hard because we had no idea this is scruffy, bearded, nervous-nelly terrier could howl with the best of them. We’ve added Adele to her nickname list.
The most harrowing story took place many years ago. There is a preserved area that runs by a stream and backs onto fields and woods. We loved taking the dogs there; it was a nice loop through a variety of habitats. It was just turning to dusk when we started in this particular time. As we walked deeper into the woods, the light quickly faded. Our dog, Ester, a 90-pound-golden, was just a head of me on the trail, and as I stepped over a log I heard the strangest noise. It sounded like a sick cow or moose moaning lowly. I called Ester back (she came right away, good girl), and the sound got louder and was multiplying. My partner said in a low slow voice, “Lisa, stop right now and slowly back up. Do not turn around, don’t run.” His words still give me the chills. Needless to say, I did just that (I had already leashed Ester) and slowly walked backward until we felt it was safe to turn around and walk out. It was hard not to panic or run. Come to find out, we had stumbled into a large pack of coyotes just gathering for the night. That sound of warning stays with me.
And the time we were camping on an island (Ester was just a fuzzy puppy) and the coyotes surrounded our tent . . .
I have a visceral reaction to their howl, but I do respect and admire them – they are part of our landscape and mindscape.
Sue says
Fascinating! Living in the UK, we obviously don’t have coyotes (or wolves…), but there are foxes, lots of them! I love seeing them and love their tenacity and how clever they are (teasing my dog who goes bonkers when he sees them, for example, because they know full well that he’s on a lead!). However, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to feed them, attract them more and more into residential areas and get them used to people (and dogs…). They’re wild animals, let them be wild!
MinnesotaMary says
Thank you for this adult description of coyotes. I have also studied them and have encouraged my neighbors and friends to a) haze them if they see them boldly approaching or even not moving away, and b) leave them alone if they accidentally come across them. As long as the yotes are behaving well (staying out of sight) there’s no reason to harm them. They have their place in our ecosystem. I’m sorry you have received threats in the past for this balanced view of predator canids. I hope this post nets more reasonable comments
Judy says
I might get blasted for this but coyotes are a huge problem for us in Southern California. Here small dogs and cats cannot ever be outdoors safely on their own anymore. And living in such close proximity to humans with our urban sprawl coyotes even have little fear of us. My brother was walking his two small dogs one morning and turned around to see one of them almost being snatched off the end of the leash by a coyote.
We’ve lost multiple cats, including one that ended up torn apart in my parents’ yard. Our new neighbors moved in and were letting their cat roam the neighborhood, despite several warnings from others. I haven’t seen it for a few months and hope they decided to heed the warning.
I even had a friend that went running one morning in a paseo and realized *he* was being sized up by a pack.
The coyotes here do not stick to dawn and dusk hunting, although they are more active then. But it’s common to see them roaming in the middle of the day as well.
I listened to an interesting National Geographic podcast about them that said hunting is not the answer because another will just pop up to take its place right away. It suggested being loud and making a ruckus so scare them away permanently.
I do feel we need to coexist with nature but I do again think that coyotes are a big problem. The fact that they’ve spread so far seems it would also be an issue in terms of invasive species.
Linda Case says
Thank you SO much for this, Trisha!! I am glad that you included the Urban Coyote Research Project, as Chicago is one of the sites for that program! Mike and I have lived out in the country in rural IL for over 30 years, with multiple dogs and cats, and our training school. We have also been literally surrounded by coyotes throughout this time. We purchased a wildlife camera about 2 years ago and last winter filmed multiple coyotes in the south acres of our land. We even found that we have (hopefully still have) a three-legged coyote! (We named her Betty…..could tell she is a female, who looked quite healthy). Here is a compilation of our winter project, fyi: (Betty is included):
https://www.facebook.com/LindaPCase/videos/4382874458406159
P.S. Hope your boy is doing well and handling this heat okay!
Shelley says
To add to your list of Cool Coyote Cognomens — I understand another nickname for them is “song dog,” which I love.
Ellen says
Thanks for the very positive article. Humans have created the environments that are so favorable to coyotes and are then shocked when they show up. And do what coyotes do. I’m glad to report that my neighbors in the suburbs of Austin, TX are pretty accommodating. Very live and let live, as long as the number of little dogs gone missing doesn’t go up too much.
Trisha says
Oooo, I love “song dog” Shelley! I wish everyone could hear their yip-howls. Amazing music!
Trisha says
Judy, I hear you that coyotes are truly a problem in your area. That’s in part why I wrote the article. I have heard too that So Cal is the area of most concern. From everything I understand about wildlife ecology, hunting is indeed not the answer, but teaching them to be afraid of people is. Note some of the comments that mention some techie solutions for that that sound promising.
Charlotte Kasner says
I’ll second that – we certainly do have urban foxes. I’m a Londoner but had never seen a fox until about 35 years ago. They are pretty unfazed by people and can be seen out and about at all times of day, although they are more active from dusk to dawn.
Annoyingly people do feed them and of course they are attracted by the vast amounts of discarded rubbish, not helped by worsening collection services. We do have a problem with the spread of mange and lungworm affecting dogs.
I have a hunch (not backed by any evidence) that urban foxes are possibly starting on the route to self-domestication. They will interact with people (one swiped a friend’s glove as he was gardening and played “catch” for a bit) and I know people who have raised orphaned cubs alongside their dogs and then released them as adults.
I shall be convinced once I see white patches, floppy ears and curly tails appearing!
What does everyone else think?
Heidi Rosin says
I’m a South Dakota native and love coyotes – they are our state animal! I had the honor of seeing one in Sioux City IA early one morning on way to work. I thought I was slowing for a small deer and as got closer I knew it wasn’t so pulled over to curb. At first I thought dog but it stopped on the bern and looked back and I said ‘coyote’ in awe as we made eye contact. It turned back and continued on it’s way and I continued on mine. We also live on west side edge of town and late at night hear them sing their beautiful music. And last but not least my dad who grew up in a sod house in north central SD refers to our Canaan Dogs as ‘Middle Eastern coyotes’ LOL!
Linda Gallacher says
We live in a residential area of 1 acre properties. There are numerous coyotes that are daily visitors. I see them at all times of the day making their rounds of the neighborhood. They have posed no problem at all and keep the rabbit population in check. Most neighbors don’t mind them and just take precautions with small dogs. No one lets their cats outside knowing they could easily become a meal. In our area, the majority of people enjoy living in harmony with nature. I consider it a gift to be able to observe coyotes in the wild.
Mary Eckstein says
Check out some of the posts from Wild Heart Ranch from about two weeks ago. An emaciated, mange covered female coyote was brought in and they helped her recover. As soon as she was able, she was released. We love the coyotes in our area here in Maine. They help keep the rodent Lyme-disease bearing population down. I have a small dog, and it is no hardship for me to go out with her each time she needs to potty. I get to listen to the birds and see my flowers. I hate leg hold trapping season. My husband, if he sees the traps out when he walks, will “mark” them (you know what I mean), which is not technically ‘tampering’ with them (you know how badly some men aim), but hopefully alerts the canids that something human is there. A good friend of mine with Jacob sheep has a Maremma, who does a stellar job.
LunaGrace says
Another name some indigenous people call them is The Trickster. Having lived all over the West from New Mexico to Washington state (and have coyote stories from them all) the two most memorable ones are the night the local coyote family discovered the 4 bummer lambs we had just purchased to raise for meat safely tucked away in a loafing shed. The coyotes wanted to get at them in the worst way but my four 12′ x 60′ runs of my twelve Siberian Huskies stood in their way. I stood quietly looking out the window in my 10 year old daughter’s room in the night, watching the coyotes run back and forth, yipping under the full moon, trying to puzzle the situation out. I nearly jumped out the window when she startled me by asking, “What are we going to do about the WOLVES?!”. Thanks to my pack of Siberians, the score was lambs 4, coyotes 0.
The other story is from when I was hiking one of my favorite trails in the Black Hills of South Dakota with my Karelian Bear Dog off leash. The trail was so remote, we had hiked this trail for years, and the dog was loose to prevent mountain lions from making a meal of me. The trail dipped down in a draw before climbing up a long hill and suddenly we had a coyote on each shoulder, keeping pace with us on the ridges above. My dog kept dodging towards one side, then the other either trying to drive the coyotes off or engage with them in some way. And then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone. I wasn’t sure what to make of them “escorting” us, but hiked on up to the top of the hill. And then had to turn around and go back the same way we’d come up. Reaching the same section of trail, our coyote escort trailed us once again, one on either side of the trail for the same distance as before. I felt relieved we’d made it down without incident. Thinking back on the encounter, I’ll bet we were close to their den with pups.
It never ceases to amaze me how the coyote hunters cannot figure out Cause and Effect. They’ll shoot all the coyotes in an area and complain about how the rabbits and prairie dogs are more numerous suddenly. Followed by a bumper crop of rattlesnakes. Frankly, I’d rather deal with coyotes than rattlesnakes.
Best bumper sticker from Wyoming sheep country:. Eat more lamb — 10,000 coyotes can’t be wrong.
Kathy Stepp says
My closest interaction with a coyote was in a midday walk with my Samoyed. We startled the coyote who was sleeping in a field of tall grass. It stood up and stared at us. My foolish dog (on a leash) started play bowing and trying to invite the coyote to play. For just a second, the coyote bowed back! Then it shook itself all over and stalked off. I thought it looked embarrassed! My youngest intact male Samoyed sings to the coyote girls in the spring. They answer but thankfully keep their distance.
Jan says
There have been coyotes in our rural neighborhood for years, and personally I’ve not yet had any difficulty with them. I love hearing them sing and talk at night, which then wakes up my greyhounds who respond in kind, it is so deep and moving, until the song ends for both parties and the night is again still as an undisturbed pond. Once while jogging at dawn I happened to turn and spotted a coyote sitting at the edge of the field next to me. We eyed each other for only a moment but the sight of him so calm and non-threatening is something I will always remember.
Nannette Morgan says
I’m a big fan of coyotes, wolves and foxes even before I had the privilege of working all three species at few years ago at a special trainers seminar. I live south of San Jose California in what’s known as Coyote Valley. I’ve had the good fortune to see them at a distance (along with other native creatures) on a park walking trail. The trail is used by people, horses and dogs. I once saw a family of coyotes at a distance on a hill watching all the humans and others on the trail. I kind of felt like we were their entertainment instead of the other way around. San Francisco Golden Gate Park has been having issues with too-friendly coyotes approaching people though.
James Grey says
I must confess I never had live stock and I am from London UK, therefore my experience with coyotes is very limited. But because I am originally from Russia, I lived with wolves (well, they are very close to coyotes I believe). I mean I know more about them, and once, when I was a teenager in my say 12th, I met a wolf one-2-one in the woods…
Our summer house was at the edge of the woods, not really far from a pretty big city. We often saw deers, mooses, foxes and… One evening, when the sun was nearly down, I was on the field between our house and the woods – about 25m from the woods and 50m to the house – when I felt an eye… I looked to the woods and here he was, half in the woods, half out looking at me with those green eyes. He wasn’t stalking. He was just looking and I did the same – straight to the eyes with my interest. Strangely, I had no fear. I looked with respect and he was looking like observing – very neutral I would say. Then, nboth at the same time, we turned around and went away from each other – me to the house, he – to the woods. Blimey, I am still under impression. It was probably a turning point of my life as I started studying dogs later that year and that was a very beginning of my professional career with dogs.
Tails Around the Ranch says
Despite living 3 miles from the center of downtown Denver, there are the occasional sighting of coyotes. My neighborhood is populated mostly by millennial aged people who tend to be quite fearful of them. If someone sees one mildly walking around in the early morning, NextDoor lights up with warnings of caution warnings to hide all cats/dogs and small children to remain inside. While I know first hand yes, they can (and will) prey on outdoor pets, they mostly try to avoid humans. They are great opportunists but personally, I love them, a beautiful creature who has adapted remarkably well but wish they’d be a better hunter for the over-population of destructive squirrels. Good luck trying persuading your state legislators to scale back on the wholesale slaughter of them with obscenely cruel methods.
lin says
I live in the California Bay Area, and if there are coyotes in my town, they lie low (I kind of think the raccoon mafia have made a deal with them). But there are a lot of them in the hills, and San Francisco is notorious for their coyotes. Janet Kessler has a very interesting website about coyotes and SF coyotes in particular. https://coyoteyipps.com/ She’s spent 14 years studying the local packs.
For those with little dogs; you may want to take a look at Coyote Vest. It was developed by a man whose little dog was snatched by a coyote., and he developed what he calls ‘Body Armor’ for small dogs. https://www.coyotevest.com/
Trisha says
Jan: “. . . as still as an undisturbed pond.” What a lovely image.
Abigail says
I live in a suburban area outside of Portland OR, in an apartment complex at the time. I had two big dogs, one a rottie mix and the second some kind of hound dog mix. We went out for their last potty of the night in a playground in the middle of the apartment complex. As we turned back to my building to go in we saw a coyote just sitting watching us. It was between me and my building. My dogs and I just quietly backed up and watched the coyote watch us. Finally the coyote stood up and trotted off. I don’t know how long it had been watching. I knew they were in the area and they still are. A few years after this incident I was driving to work very early in the morning and saw a mother and pup crossing the street. I like them, I think we should coexist.
Cindy says
I live in the Arizona desert. There are lots of coyotes, and other wild animals around here. My encounters with coyotes have not been bad, but I don’t have sheep. One day I was unloading my groceries from the back of my car, turned around and found a coyote standing about 6′ away watching me. I tend to never be afraid of them and just raised my hand as if to throw something at it, and it ran away. It seemed so dog-like. A rather more annoying one decided to eat its rabbit kills on my doormat on my front porch. It always left the head, the guts and a mess that I had to clean up. It did this every spring until I moved the doormat away from the door, to the edge of the porch, and thus less private. Another time, I walked out my front door to get the newspaper and there was either a very large coyote or a gray wolf lying there on its side sleeping in the sun. I don’t know which of us was more shocked, but we shared a very similar look of shock right into each other’s eyes. Then it got up and loped off. I love these experiences.
Bitsey Patton says
I live in a university town in Kansas. Coyotes are common within the city limits, and many people freak out. In general they keep to themselves, but outdoor cats and small dogs best beware. Personally, I love and respect them. They were here first.
Karie says
How do you protect your sheep now? Been wondering that for awhile. Been a long time since Tulip passed.
Barbara says
This jogged my memory about a news story from a few years ago regarding a coyote hit by a man in a truck on his way to work. He had felt a thump but couldn’t see what he had hit. He got to work and discovered a coyote alive but injured stuck in his truck’s grill. The coyote was rehabbed and eventually released. Those coyotes are some tough wily customers. I respect their tenacity and will to survive. I too think we should find a way to coexist.
Ferdie Yau says
I live in the Bronx, NY and have been watching generation after generation of coyotes grow up in the neighborhood since 2012. I know coyotes can generate a lot of emotion and I’m glad to see people sharing their experiences whether positive or negative. I appreciate the compassion from people who have suffered losses due to coyotes.
Yes, coyotes in urban areas are becoming bolder. Is it because bold coyotes in rural areas are killed while bold urban coyotes find food? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-38543-5
There is so much more important research that needs to be done to help us understand how to live with wildlife no matter where we are. Just in my little corner of the world, bobcats are coming back to the Bronx. What’s next? Bears in NYC?
Thank you, Trisha, for the opportunity to share. There is so much we have to learn about living with wildlife.
chris says
We have 20 acres and are surrounded by coyotes all four ways. We have never had a problem with them (we have even had them close, we had just walked on the path we keep mowed in the 20 acres and one minute past a spot, a coyote howled and he was back where we had just walked but never bothered us). They have plenty to eat around here with all the critters yet they never seem to bother the deer (which we have a lot of because we do not hunt them). Our neighbors are like kill, kill them for no reason. Just senseless but then humans (at least most of them we meet) think they are superior to animals instead of learning from them. How sad.
Trisha says
Thank you Ferdie for your generous time when we talked last week!
Leslie Sachlis says
Thank-you for this post. We have many more predators that we had when we moved here many years ago. The county was scheduled to have “controlled” development, but that was wishful thinking. There are very few green spaces left and the wildlife has not gone away. Our resident predators include foxes, bobcats, a variety of raptors and what I believe are coywolves. They are larger that coyotes. Until the last few years they were not visible unless you were out at dusk or dawn. When I mentioned that I had seen one of our predators, some neighbors just shook their heads – maybe thought I had an active imagination. Now you may see them in daylight hours. A bobcat can jump from a standing position on the ground to the top fence rail on a six foot chain link fence. He/she did it on ours and then lightly jumped down on the other side and kept going. I have had no confrontations but have given them room when I have seen them. A couple weeks ago I saw what I first thought was a stray dog two houses in front of me when I was on a walk in the neighborhood. It was midday. When the animal turned around to look at me I realized it was not domestic and it was more than forty pounds, so perhaps a coywolf. It was on a mission and just kept going – a little faster but not terrified. What concerns me is educating the public. Many cannot differentiate domestic from wild. The other issue that comes up is hybrids. Our failed foster (failed and returned to rescue) may have been a hybrid based upon what they knew/did not know about his background, his body structure, his yellow eyes, and the decisions he made behaviorally. I talk about wild encounters and encounters with unknown domestic animals in my story times at the library with young children and their caregivers. I hope it helps.
Drew W. says
Wow! may be one of my favorite blogs of all time. Two of my favorite people engaging with one of my favorite topics! Love all of this. This is a fantastic resource I steer people in Colorado to when I see the anti-Coyote posts pop up on social media sites. http://www.projectcoyote.org/
Teresa says
Living in a country with no native mammals bar 2 species of bat, wild canids fascinate me.
Thanks for such an informative piece.
Seems attitudes are similar to that shown toward dingoes in Australia.
Emerson says
What a wonderful discussion of coyotes, including the comments. FYI: The coyote range map from wikipedia needs some adjustment. It appears to show coyotes arriving in eastern MA about 2000. Coyotes were observed on Cape Cod at least as early as 1980 and I can attest that they were abundant in wooded areas of Gloucester MA when we moved here in 1985.
Locally they occasionally take chickens, probably cats and an occasional small dog, and I have spoken with a couple of dog owners who felt stalked by coyotes, but have never heard of an attack on a human; all the ones I’ve seen are at least semi shy.
We had two indoor/outdoor cats who lived to 17 and 19 and several neighbors had cats who also lived into their teens, but there are abundant rabbits, wild turkeys, squirrels, geese, ducks, chipmunks, mice etc. among whom there are probably enough unwary or slow individuals that are easier prey than a smart healthy cat.
Shana says
We live along the Santa Ana river in So California and there are many coyotes that live along the riverbed. They do come into the neighborhoods occasionally and people lose pet cats mostly but small dogs as well. I know a lot of people here are afraid of them and would love to see them trapped or killed but I shudder to think what would happen to the rabbit and ground squirrel populations without the coyotes to control them.
A question on the LGDs – do they help prevent wolf livestock attacks as well? It would seem to be a great option rather than shooting them the way so many farmers and ranchers are want to do and is now becoming legal in many western states again.
Gloria says
Thank you for this wonderful post and all of you who commented. I live in a golf course community in southern KY. We are in the midst of a wooded area with creeks a d small lake. We have several predators, including bobcats and coyotes. I take my little dog out; I don’t “let” him out, especially now that I’m in a townhouse here. I’ve seen coyotes cutting across my path several times @10:00 at night. Each time my leashed dog and I just froze. The coyote then ran into the woods. I never felt afraid; I just felt enthralled. My Bichon never barked or pulled toward the coyote. He knew he’d run into something other than just another dog and his behavior reflected it.
Julie says
We live in a rural area in western Wisconsin. We’d seen the scat on our dirt roads and heard coyotes in the area, but it was still disconcerting to me to glance out my kitchen window last week, mid-afternoon, and see what appeared to be a very healthy coyote trotting causally across our back lawn. We’ve got small dogs (cocker spaniels) that are taken out on leash, except when they are playing ball or agility with us in a fenced area by our barn, but there have been a few occasions when the dogs have slipped out a door or pulled a leash out of my hand. Definitely makes me nervous, especially since I know the fence won’t be much of a deterrent if a coyote is determined to get in that area. I usually carry pepper spray on walks and hope I have the wherewithall to use it if it’s ever needed (there are occasionally loose/bigger neighborhood dogs to watch out for too.) But I’m not a fan of anything being hunted for sport, and we just try to be as careful as we can.
Adam says
Living in Los Angeles I have definitely noticed that the coyotes have become quite bold around humans. I was recently hiking in some nearby foothills when I spotted a beautiful sable-colored coyote. I hastily grabbed my cell to try and snap a picture of the notoriously skittish creature. To my surprise, he scurried in my direction until finally plopping down on the grass about five feet away. It was an unusually hot day, and he appeared to be settling down in some shade for a rest. Incredible that he felt almost no fear in my presence.
Judi says
I live in New Zealand – so no coyotes here, but about 30 years ago when we were staying in Yosemite, as I walked along a trail with my son, we became aware of a coyote walking a parallel path about 10 feet away from us. She stayed with us for a couple of hundred yards before heading away. We later found she was a regular in the area, and had been named ‘Francine’. It was a special experience.
My first fox meeting was on Prince Edward Island 20 years ago. He nonchalantly wandered out of a driveway as we were passing. Beautiful…
Ilene Segal says
This is a link to a YouTube video of a coyote and a badger hanging out together from the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Pretty amazing.
https://youtu.be/mGyHlYPupHg
MaryLynne Barber says
I would like to recommend a book I read: “The Daily Coyote” by Shreve Stockton. The author adopted a coyote pup while living in Wyoming and raised it to an adult. It is beautifully written, sometimes humorous and sometimes heartbreaking.
Trisha says
I loved the Daily Coyote!!
Bobbie says
Very good information about coyotes. I think that slowly people in this city are learning that one should not have their cats running free, and that coyotes should not have access to food and water at houses. Nextdoor.com helps in neighborhoods where people report finding parts of cats, or when they spot a coyote, etc. Some people just patiently suggest over and over to keep your cat inside if you want to keep it, don’t leave food out for any reason, and point out that coyotes are with us, are going to continue to be, and we must adjust our ways in order to help them. I see signs that all this is getting through, over years, bit by bit.
Marsha Cashwell says
I have gone through a period of hate for coyotes, after, one by one my barn cats who I had for 10-12 years disappeared, and I a pretty certain they were coyote meals. I now put my cats inside their own room in the barn every evening, but zi know they are at risk still. I am fortunate to live on a 150 acre wooded property that adjoins a 1700 acre state WMA, so it is an ideal environment for coyotes and all the other wonderful wildlife we enjoy. I have wildlife cams and see them frequently, mostly not close to my barn. “ Coyote America” is an excellent book about the life and migration of coyotes and has helped me understand and appreciate them now.
Trisha says
Good for you Marsha! We had coyotes circling our lambs for years, had LGD dogs to protect them and it worked out well. I still loved the coyotes, so glad you appreciate them now too!
Callie Simmons says
Thank you for sharing a detailed review of coyotes. Very informative! As far as I know, in Southern California, coyotes are considered an environmental concern https://ivypanda.com/essays/coyotes-as-an-environmental-concern-in-southern-california/ . They easily adapt to urban environments and, fed by locals, lose their usual human fear and innate foraging behaviors. There’s a wildlife service program aimed to find solutions to coyote problems.