Coyotes on my Trail!!!!

[dloveski]

I love winter trail runs.....except this non-winter of winters has resulted in icy and treacherous trails due to lack of regular snow.

Today, while running alone through the foothills, I came upon a coyote, right around the bend on the trail. He was huge, regal. Did not move. I looked behind me, and running on my flank was an identical big coyote. Awkwardly, I stopped and started talking to them.

They were unimpressed, ran down the slope and stopped. But they tracked me from a respectful distance for a while, all of us pausing to look at eachother.

I was excited to see them and convinced myself there was not a thing to worry about unless I saw a third coyote join them---then it might get dicey as truly no other human or their pet was around for a few miles.

I love trail running, as each adventure is unique. What a way to start a morning!

 

[Downunder Diva]

Wow what an amazing experience - running with coyotes!! Are they dangerous? (my knowledge is limited to B&W old western movies where they seem to feature prominently...). Do you have to worry about bears on your trail runs?

 

[dloveski]

Wow what an amazing experience - running with coyotes!! Are they dangerous? (my knowledge is limited to B&W old western movies where they seem to feature prominently...). Do you have to worry about bears on your trail runs?

Coyotes are not dangerous to me----only fawns, small household pets, rodents, and unsecured garbage cans. I'm more worried about homo sapiens and their out of control pets in remote run areas.

No bears to worry about in the foothills of SLC.

In Idaho, where my cabin is near W. Yellowstone, most definitely bears are a concern when running through the woods---esp. in late spring and late fall. I have a big cannister of bear spray that I take instead of a water bottle on these more 'wild' runs. I saw quite a few bear tracks on the trail this last fall, which gives one pause.

There was a mauling not far from my cabin late fall---a guy lost his finger and had a broken arm when he came upon a grizzly in her daybed as she fed on a nearby deer carcass and he surprised her.

 

[mustski]

Oh my ... lions, tigers, and BEARS! Coytotes I can handle and see all the time, but when I run into black bears when camping, I get freaked. I can't imagine Grizzlies.

 

[liquidfeet]

Not good. Coyotes are smart. If you didn't act dangerous to them and didn't scare them off, then they think you are not dangerous. But they are dangerous to you. Right? You had no weapon; they had teeth.

Here in New England coyotes are breeding with wolves. They have killed a woman hiking in Maine, and have attacked other humans. Be careful out there. The next time you encounter them scare them off by throwing rocks at them. Keep them wary and concerned about your danger to them - don't let them think you are potential prey.

When running on the trail or hiking alone, I carry pepper spray. Just in case. I want to have something that makes me at least a little dangerous for when I run into lions and tigers and bears.

 

[litterbug]

Dloveski, this must have been a good winter for coyotes with all the warmth, which probably kept rodents out far later in the season than usual. I do love a nice healthy looking yipper!

Not good. Coyotes are smart. If you didn't act dangerous to them and didn't scare them off, then they think you are not dangerous. But they are dangerous to you. Right? You had no weapon; they had teeth.

I've never heard of a coyote attacking an adult in this region. I wouldn't leave a small child alone, but as you say, coyotes are smart, and out here they're more likely to get shot at by humans. They know what we are, and don't want to mess with us, except perhaps to steal our boots at night and chew them up for the salt (never leave your boots outside your tent!!). Besides, even a small adult human is big enough that the struggle wouldn't be worth it for them.

It's different with mountain lions; there've been some reports of attacks, but that's been in growing suburbs around big cities, where they're habituated to humans. But I've never actually seen a cougar in the wild, although one did trot along on my ski tracks when I skied into the Grabens in Canyonlands one fine winter morning after a freak snowstorm. Those were some biiiig paw prints!! I wish I'd seen him, but the only person I know who saw one was a woman who came upon a mountain lion sleeping on a ledge as she climbed up a steep trail, also in Canyonlands. It stayed asleep (must have been a downdraft), but she decided to go back down and delay that leg of her trip for a day.

Bears--I've done well around black bears in the Adirondacks, but brown bears are different. There are exactly three things I fear in the outdoors: grizzlies, avalanches, and people. Not necessarily in that order!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Living in a area similar to W.Yellowstone, with all the big predators, I still fear moose and bison more than anything! I think there has only been one person in US history killed by a wolf, and at least in our state no persons have been killed by mountain lions. I have both seen and heard wolves and pumas with zero problems. Most grizzly attacks can be avoided, especially by non hunters. I have been charged by moose twice, once from behind, and like the original thread poster I fear humans most and hence carry people spray almost year when going solo. Beware of ungulates would be my recommendation!

 

[Chatagirl]

The only 'wildlife' I encounter is the urban kind. And, believe me, San Francisco offers up some pretty unique varieties. A friend was chased along the Embarcadero by some dude wielding a staple gun. Luckilly she was fast enough (17 min 5k) to outrun him. I wouldn't have been so lucky :(

I really do want to get out on the trails more. Even if it's just on something local I always feel like I've been on a mini vacation after at trail run.

snoWYmonkey encountering a bison on a run.....OMG. We have some in Golden Gate Park and they are HUGE even from far away.

 

[VickiK]

Staple gun--omg, that's like out of a nightmare. Where in San Fran was this? I'd rather deal with the 3 adult coyotes.

 

[litterbug]

Ah, I should probably add moose to my list because they're certainly fearsome, but believe it or not, I've never actually seen one. Apparently I've walked right by them on trails and roads. I see elk, I see birds, I see antelope, I see bears...but never a moose. Perhaps, being so massive and with their freaky long legs, they look like trees out of the corner of my eye?

 

[Pequenita]

Beware of ungulates ...

...and shun the fruminous bandersnatch.

Wow! That's neat. I don't know anything about coyote behavior...

The only wildlife I've come across while running have been great blue herons, and I have no idea whether they're mean, so I've given them a wide berth and tiptoe around them on the trail. The last thing I need is to be pecked at the shins.

 

[litterbug]

I love great blues! They're so...prehistoric! One of the coolest experiences I've had was sitting quietly on a dock (at Cumberland Island, right by a salt marsh) at sunset and having a great blue land right beside me and stand there. His head easily 6-8 inches above mine. I tried not to breathe, but eventually I tried to turn my head slowly enough not to startle it but the poor thing just about fell over and then flapped away. And then there was the rainy day in Binghamton when I stood by the river and saw one flying all stately and graceful upstream. Beautiful!

 

[Downunder Diva]

OMG!!! Grizzlies, bears, bison, elk, moose, pumas, wolves, coyotes ... have I left anything out? Apart from the two legged animals but they're universal in their distribution. You guys definitely win in danger stakes - all we have here in the colder parts are the kangaroos - I know I know they ** look ** cute but they can be really mean. A 6' rogue old man roo bailed me up and chased me whilst I was riding my horse whilst another drowned our blue heeler cattle dog in our dam (they're good at luring dogs into dams as a defense strategy - they balance on their hind legs whilst holding the dog under with their front paws...). So swimming with Roos should be off everyone's agendas... Just warning you so you'll know - don't swim with the cute skippies.

 

[VickiK]

A roo drowned your dog? Bastard.

 

[Downunder Diva]

A roo drowned your dog? Bastard.

Yes... It was tragic and awful, Digger (our blue heeler gentle giant but incredibly dumb) used to chase the Roos out of the veggie patch. We heard frantic barking only to find Digger in the deep dam in the clutches of a roo being held under with Tweed our red kelpie attacking the roo from behind. The roo let Digger go and we started chaining him up. A few weeks later again frantic barking but this time Tweed was on the bank of the shallow dam - she knew better than to go into the shallow water with the roo who was only immersed up to his waist. Digger didn't have a chance this time - he had slipped his collar ( had a neck like a wrestler meaning no neck). RIP Digger - my wonderful loyal larriken mate who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed...:(

 

[VickiK]

Oh poor Digger. :( How awful.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Poor Digger indeed...that is heart breaking. Oh, for the Bison, not really on the slopes, more nordic skiing. Still....

 

[contesstant]

A roo drowned your dog? Bastard.

I agree! That's awful :(

Coyotes used to get my parents' cats all the time. The scaredy cat was always hiding! It was the brave ones that got taken out. Otherwise, coyotes don't bother me. Cougars, on the other hand...that'd make me nervous!

Maybe I'll see a woolly mammoth at Mammoth this weekend!

 

[Chatagirl]

Staple gun--omg, that's like out of a nightmare. Where in San Fran was this? I'd rather deal with the 3 adult coyotes.

Right along the waterfront between the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf. Usually crowded with tourists but not so much at 7am. He was a homeless person sleeping in one of the entryways to a pier warehouse.

WOW! Roos drowning dogs....hard to get my mind around that. Poor guy :(

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Maybe I'll see a woolly mammoth at Mammoth this weekend!

Just watched an awesome show on PBS Nature about a watering hole at Snowmass that captured and entombed multiple woolly mammoths 15-45,000 years ago. Bones found while Snowmass was dredging for a snow making reservoir. Intriguing, mystery not yet solved/ongoing.

Coyotes here, too - and lynx! OMG, we *think* we heard one several years ago right on our property.

What a sad tale about the roo and dog....:(

Wild life out here is one of many reasons why my (scaredy) cat is indoors, although she can brilliantly camouflage.