Scary Coyote Confrontation

[bdburch]

Hi everyone, I just want to share my evening with you since I am still a little shaken by it. I am house sitting a friends home that backs right up to Peters Canyon and I decided to take the 2 Golden Retrievers on a walk going up Pioneer Road. It was about 8:10pm when a very domesticated coyote dropped down from the green belt and started walking towards me, my girlfriend and the 2 dogs. I decided to hold my ground but the male retriever some how got out of his collar and took a dead sprint towards the coyote. I, in sandals ran as fast as I could after him thinking I was going to have to try breaking up a fight with a wild animal. Luckily my dog lost the coyote in the green belt bushes and I was able to jump on my dog while the coyote watched from about 20 feet away.

I guess the moral of the story is I see a lot of hikers with their dogs off leash in Peters Canyon and I strongly urge any of you dog walkers to not only keep your dog on a leash but also get a harness type collar. The male dog weighs about 95 pounds and even the choke collar was no where near enough to stop him. I have ridden in Peters Canyon for well over 2 years and have never seen a coyote. I have been guilty myself of letting my dog off the leash before there because I thought it was perfectly safe. Just the thought of seeing my smaller dog lose its life because of my actions would haunt me for the rest of my life. Thanks.

Keep your pets safe!

[Rockinthecasbah]

moral of the story dont be dumb i have seen red diamonds big enough to eat some of the dogs walking around peters

[Chewyeti]

Originally Posted by Rockinthecasbah

moral of the story dont be dumb

You are as subtle as a sledge hammer....

[drclark]

I totally agree with the OP. Those who love their dogs will walk them on the leash unless it is a controled environment. Its like a saftey belt for you dog. Glad to hear everything turned out ok. I would also question the wisdom of wearing sandals on a hike like that. No telling what a snake bite on the foot would feel like.

drc

[bdburch]

Originally Posted by drclark

I would also question the wisdom of wearing sandals on a hike like that. No telling what a snake bite on the foot would feel like.

drc

I wasn't actually in Peter's. I was on a sidewalk on Pioneer Rd. which backs up to the park. I am just thinking if this happened on a paved road surrounded by homes, I am sure it is more likely to happen in the actual park. But either way, it was not the best idea to be wearing sandals while walking a 95 pound dog.

[station]

Once my dog figured out if he backed up fast enough he could slip out of his collar I had to get one of these. They work well and I recommend them to other dog owners.

[Rockinthecasbah]

Head Coller, like the halter etc.. alot more control I use one for my dane/lab who runs after everything

[Zonacat]

Coyotes are wimps. I am guessing your 95 lb. dog would have taken the coyote down.

[Jordansrealm]

Nearly every park I have seen in Southern California has a sign that says please keep your dogs on their leash. Its there for a reason!

[Shannon]

Similar situation happened to us while walking our aussies. One of them was an escape artist out of her collar. But instead of the coyote just running away, it stayed and actually seemed to play with our dog. We weren't so much worried about 'breaking up' a fight, but what kind of diseases our dog might get should she get bit by the coyote. Glad your situation turned out okay.

[scottay]

They say a pack will send a female in heat to attract a dog, then the female will lead the dog to the hidden pack to be jumped.....


.

[OldDogDan]

Originally Posted by Zonacat

Coyotes are wimps. I am guessing your 95 lb. dog would have taken the coyote down.

Good chance the coyote would have led the dog into the bushes where several more were waiting.

It is not normal behavior for a coyote to approach people & dogs walking -- always be wary of something like that -- yes, disease (rabies) could be a factor -- but coyotes also seem to be getting more aggressive and less afraid of humans.

[Marshall Willanholly]

I'm amazed this thread has made it this far without a Foxfire reference.

[Permagrin]

2 years and you've never seen coyote in the park? That surprises me 'cause I used to see them everytime I was there, especially at dusk. Not so much lately though.

[dirtvert]

i don't worry about coyotes, but we don't let our dogs off leash anymore unless it's at the dog park, beach, or school. there are lots of environmental reasons to keep them on leash, but our bank accounts were the deciding factor. both of them have gotten serious wounds from running through brush.

[OMR]

THEY DO ADAPT: Despite being extensively hunted, the coyote is one of the few medium-to-large-sized animals that has enlarged its range since human encroachment began. It originally ranged primarily in the western half of North America, but it has adapted readily to the changes caused by human occupation and, since the early 19th century, has been steadily and dramatically extending its range.[30] Sightings now commonly occur in California, Oregon, New England, New Jersey, and eastern Canada. Coyotes have been seen in nearly every continental U.S. state, including Alaska. Coyotes have moved into most of the areas of North America formerly occupied by wolves, and are often observed foraging in suburban trashcans.
Coyotes also thrive in suburban settings and even some urban ones. A study by wildlife ecologists at Ohio State University yielded some surprising findings in this regard. Researchers studied coyote populations in Chicago over a seven-year period (2000–2007), proposing that coyotes have adapted well to living in densely populated urban environments while avoiding contact with humans. They found, among other things, that urban coyotes tend to live longer than their rural counterparts, kill rodents and small pets, and live anywhere from parks to industrial areas. The researchers estimate that there are up to 2,000 coyotes living in "the greater Chicago area" and that this circumstance may well apply to many other urban landscapes in North America.[31] In Washington DC's Rock Creek Park, coyotes den and raise their young, scavenge roadkill, and hunt rodents. "I don't see it as a bad thing for a park," the assigned National Park Service biologist told a reporter for Smithsonian Magazine (March 2006). "I see it as good for keeping animal populations in control, like the squirrels and the mice." As a testament to the coyote's habitat adaptability, a coyote (known as "Hal the Central Park Coyote") was even captured in Manhattan's Central Park in March 2006 after being chased by city wildlife officials for two days.

Little known fact: Coyotes will sometimes mate with domestic dogs, usually in areas like Texas and Oklahoma where the coyotes are plentiful and the breeding season is extended because of the warm weather.

ATTACKS ON HUMANS:
Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause serious injuries, due to the relatively small size of the coyote. However, coyote attacks on humans have increased since 1998 in the state of California. Data from USDA Wildlife Services, the California Department of Fish & Game, and other sources show that while 41 attacks occurred during the period of 1988-1997, 48 attacks were verified from 1998 through 2003. The majority of these incidents occurred in Southern California near the suburban-wildland interface.[32]
Due to an absence of harassment by residents, urban coyotes lose their natural fear of humans, which is further worsened by people intentionally feeding coyotes. In such situations, some coyotes begin to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small children.[32]
There is currently only one recorded fatal attack on a human. In 1981 in Glendale, California, a coyote attacked a toddler, who despite being rescued by her father, died in surgery due to blood loss and a broken neck.

Always trust a coyote to be a coyote... like a shark to be a shark.

Finally, they always seem to go for the slowest riders on SART.... We started out with 27 and only 26 came back ???