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- Coyote Stalking Gopher
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- Coyote Going For Gopher
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- Coyote Checking Me Out
I live in Daly City, on the western side of the western-most street, just south of the San Francisco city limit. My backyard backs onto about 150 feet of cliff top before it plunges down to the Pacific. About a month ago, at dawn, I just caught sight of a sharp featured canine creature loping northward along the cliff top. Before I could grab my binoculars he was out of sight. But I’d seen enough coyotes in the mountains and the desert to know it was a coyote.
Then yesterday morning around 8 I saw this handsome guy just standing out there, stalking a gopher hole. This time I had time to grab the binoculars. I opened the window to see him more clearly, and at that point he looked up and was quite aware of me, but he didn’t bolt. I guess the prospect of the gopher was too enticing. I wanted to take some photos, but I had no idea where my point and shoot was. I’m a photographer, but I prefer film and it had been so long since I’d used my G10 I didn’t even know where it was. Knowing he might be gone by the time I found it, I risked it, and when I’d finally found it he was still there, intent on getting the gopher. Got a few shots off before he finally made his leap at the hole. I don’t think he got his prey. He trotted off north. I’ve attached a few pix.
I then googled “coyotes in San Francisco” and that’s how I came across your name and website. I’m wondering where this guy lives. I’m about a mile south of the stables at the SF/Daly City line, and there are pretty large stretches of wildland above Thornton Beach, below Skyline Drive and the Olympic Club golf course. I’m wondering if his den is down in that area, or if he comes all the way from Golden Gate Park. Any ideas?
In any event, it was a thrill to see him. I don’t own any long lenses, so the 30mm zoom on my G10 is about the best I can do. If I could entice him into hunting the gophers right in my backyard I could get a better close-up.
I’ve enjoyed your website and blog.
Apr 29, 2012 @ 16:18:03
Comment from Jennifer: There has been much research conducted on the range and behavior of coyotes in urban environments by a group lead by scientist Stan Getz in Chicago. According to their findings, the average home range of an urban coyote is less than 6 miles. There is easily six square miles of open space with no major roads where you spotted this guy, so chances are this coyote is a resident.
I recommend you check out their research if you are curious, as they have been studying their 200+ Chicago coyotes for more than ten years now.
Reply from Janet at Yipps: Professor Stan Gehrt at Ohio State University is conducting fascinating research on coyotes in the Chicago area which is home to 2000 (two thousand, not two hundred) coyotes. He also has a superb website with lots of fascinating information: http://www.urbancoyoteresearch.com/index.htm. Please check it out!
Apr 29, 2012 @ 23:47:03
Hi Mark: Your male coyote may be solitary or he may be mated and possibly with children. A coyote pair will use a den when the pups are small, not usinig it otherwise. If he is mated, he probably lives in your area somewhere with an established territory. If solitary, he lives on the perimeter of the territory of other coyote family groups in your area, if any, with forays into those other territories when temporarily undefended. Coyotes will share some spaces that are beyond the territories they do defend. I’ve seen coyotes in territory of less than 2 square miles, which is in line with the findings of the Chicago study referred to above. See http://www.urbancoyoteresearch.com/Where_Coyotes_Found.htm Home-Range size, where the territory they defend is smaller than the home range by their definition. And of course, he may have just been passing through.