tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post8303214493598798003..comments2023-12-22T12:05:09.831-05:00Comments on An Adirondack Naturalist in Central New York: Communing with CoyotesEllen Rathbonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-7513339558584710942009-11-12T09:54:43.818-05:002009-11-12T09:54:43.818-05:00Thanks for the news bulletin, Gromit, Barefoothear...Thanks for the news bulletin, Gromit, Barefootheart and Joated! I don't have TV, so in many ways I'm cut off from the news. If it isn't covered on NPR (when I'm listening), then I don't hear it.<br /><br />One has to wonder what triggered these animals to attack. Was it pack mentality (I've seen perfectly sweet dogs become insane when in a pack)? Was the woman running and this triggered a chase/hunt response? Did they possibly have rabies or distemper? <br /><br />Did someone witness this? If not, how do they know there were two of them? I guess I'll have to look up the article!<br /><br />I never take anything for granted. Any animal, in the right situation, can (and will) attack. I suspect that for the most part, wildlife fears humans, but every so often one will take the plunge and attack...for whatever reason. <br /><br />A local woman was riding her bicycle up near the old iron mine several years ago and a young coyote started following her. I think a car finally came along and she was "rescued."<br /><br />It all just goes to show that nature deserves our respect. Don't be foolish. Don't try to be overly brave. Remember, they are faster than us, and are better armed (lots of teeth and the ability to use them).Ellen Rathbonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-3003494318198583052009-11-12T08:17:38.404-05:002009-11-12T08:17:38.404-05:00The attack referred to by Woodswalker occurred in ...The attack referred to by Woodswalker occurred in Nova Scotia, in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, about 2-3 weeks ago. You can read all about it in the Halifax newspaper (it's online). Inexplicably, a pair of coyotes attacked and killed a healthy, fit 19-year-old woman, who was hiking on a fairly popular trail. Nothing like this has ever been reported before. Odd, and obviously horrible in this case. But I don't think they are a real threat to people. To domestic dogs, of course, they are a serious threat. You are wise to be very careful when you are out with your dog.Gromithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01722174195370819734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-39241399166848904222009-11-11T20:53:48.661-05:002009-11-11T20:53:48.661-05:00The coyote attack was in Nova Scotia. A young wom...The coyote attack was in Nova Scotia. A young woman was killed. It seems so strange, like something is missing from this story. Now a coyote that has been living in the Beeches, an area near downtown Toronto since last winter, is getting renewed attention with calls to kill it. It killed a small dog last February, but officials were unable to catch it over the summer.<br />Coyotes are adept at living on the edge of habitations, so there are bound to be conflicts, I guess.barefoothearthttp://willowhousechronicles.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-49836771504791649712009-11-11T17:51:33.677-05:002009-11-11T17:51:33.677-05:00Coyote numbers are up in my little corner of the P...Coyote numbers are up in my little corner of the Park as well. (Southwest corener: Town of Ohio in Herkimer County.) At least one of them is nearly the size of a wolf. (And I know what a wolf looks like from trips to Minnesota and the UP of Michigan.) All to the detriment of the local deer population. We've seen few fawns the last two years and in the past three weeks we've seen nothing but coyote tracks in the few snow falls we've had. No deer. No snowshoes. We also lost our local fox population. Three years ago we had an active (and very productive!) pair of foxes in the area. Today they and their offspring have disappeared.joatedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-54525608125237001512009-11-11T12:44:31.828-05:002009-11-11T12:44:31.828-05:00Jackie C - I wonder if the growl was directed towa...Jackie C - I wonder if the growl was directed towards your dog. That would be my guess, but who knows what goes on in the mind of a fox.<br /><br />Woodswalker - I don't know if my dog would've been an attractant or a deterrant. I can see it going either way, which is why I really didn't want to take any chances. If we were posing some sort of a threat to the coyote, I'd think attack would be more likely, but since we didn't even see the animal, the chances of it perusing us should've been slim. Unless it was a young coyote with a lot of curiosity. And maybe my dog was hurling insults at it...who knows!?!<br /><br />Woodswoman - I have to keep my dog on a leash all the time, too - he's taken off on me more than once, disappearing into the woods. So, he's only leash-free in our fenced-in yard. It's a shame though - I dream of having a dog I can walk with off-leash. >sigh<Ellen Rathbonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684750034177425795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-6080660821393713812009-11-11T10:58:17.688-05:002009-11-11T10:58:17.688-05:00I see signs and hear sounds of coyotes frequently,...I see signs and hear sounds of coyotes frequently, but never felt any reason to fear them. But I did read recently about a young woman being attacked (can't remember the details). Would a coyote be more or less likely to attack if you're accompanied by a dog?Jacqueline Donnellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13390548854179921303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-41823960137037554282009-11-11T10:14:04.815-05:002009-11-11T10:14:04.815-05:00Loved your story about the coyote. I recently had ...Loved your story about the coyote. I recently had an encounter with a red fox; I too, was walking my dog through a recently disturbed stand of woods and there, before us, ran a red fox across the road. He then stopped and stood atop a small hill looking back at us, not 25 yards away. The thing that scared me was his growl, it sounded almost cougar-like, definitely a warning sound. I too, thought there was little danger that this wild animal would pursue us, but I took no chances and we quickly retreated. I left slightly shaken up, but very grateful for that close look at such a beautiful animal. Thanks for you story!Jackie Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16617258566844653956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194066715822423007.post-37015425178827265912009-11-10T13:33:31.565-05:002009-11-10T13:33:31.565-05:00Cool story. One DOES wonder what they were saying...Cool story. One DOES wonder what they were saying to one another. My two idiot dogs would not have been content to bark back and forth with a coyote but would probably have rushed off into the woods after it (which is one reason they're never off leash). I wonder what a coyote would do with a pair of incredibly dumb and enthusastic 50lb basset hounds? I wouldn't care to find out. I would have left quickly, too!Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06370084953064042249noreply@blogger.com