0.5 OT: What to do when face-face with a Coyote?

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by malcolm

it sounds like there is a thousand of them at night when they get to making noise.

Song dogs. And as you probably know but just in case - you can tell your neighbors that trapping even if successful is generally counterproductive, as is shooting them. As you said they are remarkably adaptive and will just increase litter size etc. when we artificially suppress them (assuming sufficient prey base), unless you use poisons.

[malcolm]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Song dogs. And as you probably know but just in case - you can tell your neighbors that trapping even if successful is generally counterproductive, as is shooting them. As you said they are remarkably adaptive and will just increase litter size etc. when we artificially suppress them (assuming sufficient prey base), unless you use poisons.

I live in a great neighborhood and love my neighbors but like a lot of suburbanites sometimes I think they have too much time on their hands. Other than bothering city officials I doubt they would take it upon themselves to do anything. I've never volunteered that I think when they are in town they live behind my house cause I like em.

[GregL]

There are certainly dangerous animals in North America that I WOULD fear; grizzlies, mountain lions, bison, even moose if they felt threatened. Coyotes are simply not on my fear list. Every time I have seen one, either from a bike or on foot, they have turned and run when then heard/saw me. Same goes for foxes, bobcats, and even a black bear I have seen while cycling in CNY. Note that I certainly would exercise caution around a black bear, especially a sow with cubs (very dangerous...). But coyotes, even the eastern variety with wolf DNA, are very shy.

A few years back, there were many coyote sightings in my suburban neighborhood. The nervous types were demanding that the town hire hunters to rid the area of coyotes. Fortunately, the town fathers were smart enough to bring in wildlife biologists from the state department of environmental conservation and Cornell University. At a series of public meetings, the biologists were successful in convincing the citizens that the best recourse was to keep their pets within sight and let the coyotes cut down the local rabbit and rodent population. Within a few months, the furor over the coyotes abated (and fewer rabbits and woodchucks got into my garden...).

The animal I fear most when cycling - white tail deer. They will run right into you with potentially fatal consequences!

- Greg

[11.4]

Originally Posted by GregL

The animal I fear most when cycling - white tail deer. They will run right into you with potentially fatal consequences!

I'd agree. I once had a young first-year buck jump off a ridge onto the road I was riding and pace me for half a mile. He was pretty good. Didn't quarter wheel me or drop me or anything. One curious deer. But when he decided he had had enough, he just moved right into me like a good track sprinter. I leaned back into him like another good track sprinter and made him give way. But he would have taken most riders down. And probably given us deer ticks in the bargain.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Dead Man

So you should fear your fellow man?

yer kidding, right? How many threads have been on here about 'man' killing or maiming cyclists? How many about coyotes killing or maiming cyclists?

Yup-'merica, if you don't like it, shoot it, whether it be man or beast. Living in a city and 'packing' isn't for the 4 legged coyotes, it's for the 2 legged ones.

[ripvanrando]

Originally Posted by Dead Man

Season?? Where are you? They're varmint, up here... 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no bag limits.

On farms with a predation permit, the farmers can protect their animals. They are varmints for sure. Outside of farm land, they are considered predators and the season is like September 1 to February 15th. They kill your cats, chickens, you name it.

[victoryfactory]

Originally Posted by Idris Icabod

I've seen a mountain lion once whilst mountain biking and that was a whole different experience. It also strolled away, maybe 50 ft in front of me, but it scared the ***** out of me

Mountain lions are scary!!
Don't you mean **** ?

VF

[slidey]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Song dogs.

What makes an animal a song dog?

I was going to ask 'What are song dogs?', then figured someone would quip, 'A Coyote', and hence the rephrase.

[bking]

re coyotes, other than Wiley of course, i now have a fun picture that always comes to mind. I was playing a late afternoon round of golf with my daughter when the resident pack of four or five and for coyotes really good looking animals as they ate well on rabbits and plentiful water on the course, trotted across the fairway in front of us picked up my daughters ball she'd just driven, and proceeded to trot lazily across and into a small ravine. Funniest thing to watch. "Don't let them get away with that, go get your ball!", I said to her. We both laughed at that scene for a bit.

[Mzilliox]

remember you are twice its size and in theory smarter, then act accordingly

[gdw]

and they only take little bites.

[BobO]

Originally Posted by bking

re coyotes, other than Wiley of course, i now have a fun picture that always comes to mind. I was playing a late afternoon round of golf with my daughter when the resident pack of four or five and for coyotes really good looking animals as they ate well on rabbits and plentiful water on the course, trotted across the fairway in front of us picked up my daughters ball she'd just driven, and proceeded to trot lazily across and into a small ravine. Funniest thing to watch. "Don't let them get away with that, go get your ball!", I said to her. We both laughed at that scene for a bit.

I have a similar story. Buddy of mine hit the drive of his life, off of a slightly elevated tee, he cut the left dogleg with a little draw and had maybe a seven iron to the green on a par 5. As I was lining up my drive a coyote came out of the trees on the right, snagged his ball and trotted off back into the forest.

Him: "hey,... Hey,... HEY!!!" "Now *** do I do???"

Me: "Play it as it lies."

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by slidey

What makes an animal a song dog?

I was going to ask 'What are song dogs?', then figured someone would quip, 'A Coyote', and hence the rephrase.

as far as I know its just a nickname if you will given to coyotes based on their yipping, howling ....

[slidey]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

as far as I know its just a nickname if you will given to coyotes based on their yipping, howling ....

Interesting, thanks!

[Tony]

Several years ago on the American river bike trail late in the evening while fixing a flat I observed two coyotes take a fawn from its mother. One would work the mother as the other tried hard to kill the fawn. In the end they succeeded. It was hard not to interfere, very hard.
Several weeks ago on a mtb trail I came across two mtber who just got finished killing a rattle snake. I asked them both why they killed the rattler, their reply "because its dangerous" I can understand killing to protect self and property, but killing because you consider coyotes and rattle snakes pests or dangerous is sad and wrong.