Near Encounters

20 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, evading

Here are two occurrences of near encounters in two different parks. In the top row of photos, a coyote was calmly wandering along when a man and his leashed puppy happily walk by on a nearby path. Neither of these took any notice at all of the coyote in the near distance. The coyote helped the situation by sitting absolutely still among the tall grasses in which he blended in well, while watching the duo walk by. After they had moved on, so did the coyote, ever so cautiously and silently and then keeping more to the edges of bushes and trees. Coyotes do their utmost to avoid humans.

In the bottom row of photos, is a coyote who emerged in a green area where its camouflage did not serve it well. There was a group of dog walkers and their small dogs coming its way. These walkers commented positively about seeing the coyote, happy to see wildlife in the area. Although the coyote stopped and watched them, it soon hurried on through the very unprotected open space at almost a run, stopping to sniff one spot — in clear view of all — before moving on. When it arrived at the end of the open field where there were some bushes and trees which offered some protection, the coyote turned around and sat to watch and see if anyone might be after him. No one was — all the dogs were leashed and calm  – so he continued on his trekking undisturbed. Although this coyote did not avoid detection, he did hurry through the area, minimizing the amount of time he was in anyone’s visual field.

What I have described here are coyotes trekking through an area as they hunt or head to a resting spot. They tend to be seen most often at much greater distances, perhaps as they rest and observe from hill slopes or knolls. The distance offers a kind of “buffer or safety zone” to both them and to those who observe them.

Mom’s Mistake, by Charles Wood

18 Jul 2011 1 Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, urban coyote ailments

In Los Angeles county this week I saw Mom a few times and also a couple of the yearlings.  Thursday Mom came under the bridge headed south into her field, having come from the nature preserve.  She paused when she heard my camera’s shutter.  It took her about a minute to go hide and watch.  The nape of her neck:  looks like mange, something I haven’t seen on her before.

Tonight, Saturday, she was headed in the opposite direction, coming from the south headed north toward the nature preserve.  Alerted, she stopped to hide and watch.  My friend Lynne was with me.  When Mom hid I knew the show was over because Mom sits and watches for as long as I stay.  So I left for the car.  Lynne followed initially and then stopped as I continued toward the car.  The show wasn’t over, though it took me leaving to get Mom to move again.  Mom headed for the bridge to pass north into the nature preserve, yet she didn’t because Mom finally saw Lynne hadn’t continued to follow me.  Consequently, Mom walked towards Lynne and then stopped to stare at her, a chain link fence between them and separated by about sixty feet.  Lynne left and presumably Mom went into the nature preserve.

That was the first time I have been aware of Mom making a mistake.  Apparently she thought bothhumans had left, freeing her to resume her walk north.  Nevertheless, Mom recovered quickly from her misperception and proceeded to successfully move Lynne along.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Fleeing

27 May 2011 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs

Here is the look of a coyote fleeing, first dogs, and then a person. The coyote seemed to have a definite idea of where it was going when I first saw it. I followed far behind. Then, suddenly, the coyote stopped because, about 200 feet ahead, in its direct path, it could see dogs playing in an open area. The coyote observed for a few seconds, and then turned to go the other way, looking back a couple of times at the dog group to make sure it had not been seen. The dogs and owners did not see the coyote. The photos from the top row depict this situation.

As the coyote headed back in the direction from which it had come, a lone walker appeared about 100 feet ahead on the path coming in the coyote’s direction. I was on this same path, so that now, the coyote was between two humans on the same path. The coyote jumped off the path and into the tall grasses and continued 100 feet further away from the path. The coyote remained on rigid alert and ready to bolt as it and the lone walker eyed each other intently  for a few seconds. The bottom row of photos shows the coyote in this situation. The coyote did not like the situation and bolted further off and out of sight.

These are the most typical and common coyote reactions when a coyote inadvertently chances upon either dogs or humans in its path. The coyote does not want to encounter dogs or people — however, this sometimes just happens by chance as the coyote makes its rounds or moves to a different part of a park.

If the dogs had seen the coyote, there very well could have been a reaction by the dogs. Unleashed dogs, of course, are freer to do as they please and don’t tend to make intelligent choices when wildlife is involved. Pupping season presents additional challenges for all concerned: a coyote feels much more territorial and protective during this time period, and we humans need to be more vigilant about keeping our and our dog’s distance and respecting a coyote’s needs.

So, There!!

18 May 2011 2 Comments

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyotes and dogs, oneupmanship

Here is a sequence of events that gets you right into a coyote’s world.

I came down a path to find a coyote high on a rock, carefully watching some dogs and walkers approach. As the dogs and people reached a point where they might have spotted the coyote, the coyote hurried down the rock, waited for a moment and then hurried to behind a bush to hide and wait for the group to pass by — I was impressed with this little coyote’s intelligence and planning. Neither the people nor the dogs saw the coyote at all.

After this group had passed, the coyote scrambled back up to the lookout on the rock, watching this group until they were totally out of sight. A huge yawn and stretch was in order to celebrate the successful evasion. But it was important now for the coyote to “speak its mind”. It trotted down to the path where the group had passed, smelled for the exact location to leave its mark, and pooped. Then it walked a little further, smelled another spot where the group had been and this time urinated on that spot. And that is precisely what this coyote thought of that group.

The history behind this is that this particular group of dogs has continually chased this coyote, and one of the walkers has continually thrown stones at the coyote. So, yes, the coyote avoids them, but feels free to “speak its mind” about them — telling them off in its own way!

“River Pack Update: Some things change, some stay the same” by Charles Wood

31 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, coyote's coat, group activity, identifying individual coyotes, individuality, reactions to a human

My last post was February 22, 2011 when I photographed the mom coyote that lives in a small field that borders one of Los Angeles County’s concrete ‘rivers’.  That post was about 9 weeks after having seen Mom, Dad and their two undispersed female children who by today would be about a year old.  In the past I called one of the children Bold and the other Shy.  I have included their earlier photographs in today’s post.

A couple weeks ago I began to enter their small field a few times to walk along its roads with my leashed dog Holtz.  Coyote tracks and droppings were on the roads, yet my coyotes, if even present during my visits, would not come out.  I remember winter 2009-10 was a time I rarely saw my coyotes.  Winter 2010-11 has been the same.  I wondered if Dad was still paired with Mom and if not, who would be with whom and would there be more pups this year.  I wondered if the two female youngsters had dispersed or worse.  Perhaps they had all moved to other areas.

Today as I walked south on their road, at their nest area, I spotted the first youngster peering from the brush.  She came out to watch us and then left to hide.  In her photograph, note she has distinct blemishes below her left eye.  Regardless, I’m not sure if this first youngster is Bold or Shy.  I seriously doubt it was neither.

I continued my walk and later left the field via the same road.  Dad peered out from the nest area.  I photographed him and he went back into the brush.  I walked on towards the exit and Dad and a youngster came out to the road and watched our progress and assessed whatever odors we had left on the road.  I say ‘a’ youngster because I am not sure which it was.  Eventually Dad and the first youngster pictured began to follow Holtz and I as we continued to leave.  They did so after returning to the brush and coming out to the road several times.  For the fact that they were not in my continuous view, I’m not sure Dad’s companion in approach is the same youngster shown marking on the road.  I am sure Dad’s companion in approach is the first youngster because the final picture of her in this series shows the same blemish pattern below the left eye.  If she is Bold, she is still so.  If she is Shy, she is less so and learned more from Dad today about how to deal with intruder dogs.  What has changed, and what is the same?

Certainly Dad is the same in his distaste for Holtz.  When following us, Dad decided to quickly close the distance between us.  Before so doing, he scraped dirt.  He and the youngster split up, where Dad came east of the rocks and the youngster came towards us to the west of the rocks.  They met up at the rocks, the youngster holding back as Dad charged Holtz.  The Dad And Youngster photograph was taken after Dad’s charge.  He had come to about 20 feet and stopped, backed off some and stood as shown.  He seemed calmer so I took his picture.  I didn’t take pictures during Dad’s charge because I was charging towards Dad to get in front of Holtz.  Here we see one function of long hair on a coyote’s nape and shoulders:  he sure looks bigger!

My exit strategy after such a confrontation is to walk on, stop, turn around and stare, walk on, turn to stare.  Dad’s exit strategy is to pace, yawn, poke his tongue out, find a nearby site to lie down, attend to his grooming needs and stay put as we leave.  The youngster wanders around, visits Dad, wanders some more, going back and forth yet not forward.

I’m happy to know Dad is still holding his field and that at least one of last year’s pups is alive and undispersed.  I suspect that Mom is present and that there may indeed be more pups this year.  I’m interested to know if last year’s pup(s) will remain and have a role in caring for newborns.  The weeds are growing back quickly in the areas cleared in fall and winter.  The coyotes make use of the additional cover as a puppy kindergarten.  Last year I began seeing the pups in late June, observing them from outside of the field.  The information gained today leaves me content to now keep out of the field.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos:Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Maintaining A Safe Distance From Walkers

01 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs Tags:

This little coyote watched intently as a group of walkers with their leashed dog got closer and closer. When the coyote decided they were too close, off he darted, looking back to make sure they were not on his tail. They, in fact, had turned down another path.

Coyotes Avoid People If Possible

08 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, critical distance, evading

I watched a coyote make its rounds to hunting areas in the morning. Of particular interest was the calmness and easiness with which a coyote did so, heading off in one direction, finishing there, and moving on to another one close by.  For the most part, whenever a person came along on a path, the coyote was able to “duck” out of the picture without ever being seen — even if the person had come quite close. If they can avoid it, coyotes would prefer not to be seen. They tend to go the other way if people are around.

But surprise encounters on a path do occur. Again, the coyotes have bound off when a walker has come too close, or it has meandered off slowly if the coyote first noticed the walker at a farther distance.

Yesterday I watched as a group of people saw a coyote come down a path. I’m sure both the group of people and the coyote were a bit surprised, but it was a calm, comfortable surprise. Yes, just like the rest of us, a coyote uses the trails because these are “the paths of least resistance!”  The people were all keenly interested in the coyote, but obviously they did not want to interfere with it, so they stopped and watched with their leashed dogs at the far end of the path. The coyote kept right on walking within about 100 feet of them, then stopped and turned back. But I was that same distance in back of the coyote. The coyote, all very calmly, turned and again walked towards the people for a few more paces and then veered off the path onto and down the grassy hillside . There was no skittishness or panicky activity in the coyote, just a matter-of-fact and calm dealing with what had been presented. The coyote had not acted “threatened”. Both coyote and people were very matter-of-fact about the encounter!

A Dominant Coyote’s Awareness of Everything

01 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, blatant visual message, coyote barking, coyote behavior, family interactions, group activity, hunting

I zeroed in on a dominant mother coyote’s awareness and staying in control of her territory today. The day began with the coyote walking towards a dog which was trotting down the path — with one of the coyote’s year-old pups sauntering along behind the dog as if they were out on a hike together! The dominant coyote gave her bouncing warning display — thereby communicating what she wanted to communicate — and then marched off with the pup following her. It was the same display as in my posting of:  Keep Away From Me.

The walker and dog continued their walk out of the area, the coyote pup disappeared, and I stayed to watch the dominant coyote perch high on a ledge where she kept a lookout on a place way across into the distance. After only about five minutes, the coyote leaped down and was off. I lost visual contact with her, but decided to head to the spot where she had been looking. Sure enough, that is where she had gone — she had followed her pups there, probably having seen them from the distance.

From here, she appeared to lead them all to another distant spot where they all stayed for a while. She kept an eye on the others who played and hunted. She did not participate, but sat down to watch. She watched the younger coyotes, and she watched a couple of dogs and walkers in the far distance. After about 15 minutes, she got up and began trotting back. She trotted in front of the other two — it was probably a signal to them —  and they followed her to yet another area. At this point she curled up on a rock while one of the younger coyotes hunted for a few minutes and then disappeared as the other had.

Within a short time she got up, stretched, caught a couple of voles, then headed up to a bluff where she spent the next hour. She watched a few dogs on a trail below. As the morning wore on, several walkers and their dogs walked in the direct vicinity of the bluff, but on the path below it. When this happened, she sat up, or stood, to get a better view over the rocks. At a certain point, she began very soft, barely audible to me, but continuous “grunts” — as if she were preparing to bark. She was reacting to dogs, however distant they were from her; dogs which bothered her on some level.

This continued for some time, so I left to take photos of other wildlife close by. I was only about 300 feet away when she began an intense barking session, so I immediately returned. I could see a dog and walker on the path, but I had not seen what about them had provoked the coyote. The coyote barked for close to 20 minutes, then hopped down off her ledge and headed out of the picture for me. I had been watching her for almost four hours: I suppose she was “making her rounds.”

The picture I got was of a dominant mother coyote’s being very in charge of her life and very purposeful in her behaviors. She warded off a possible dog threat (not really a threat, but she was doing her job), she monitored the area from a high perch and kept her eyes on her pups who were far, far off in the distance. She ran hopped down and ran the distance to join them and then led them to an area for further hunting and playing. When she was ready to return she did so in such a way as to cause the pups to follow. She curled up in another area, always keeping vigilant of what was happening around her as the pups finished their hunting and then disappeared. Then she went up to another high ledge where she again, this time without the encumbrance of her pups, monitored dog activity, grunted when she became distressed, and then went into a full mode barking session as a statement of her presence and possibly a claim to her territoriality in that area. Then she hopped down and disappeared into the underbrush!

All In An Hour: Snippets of Coyote Behavior

20 May 2010 Leave a Comment

by yipps in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, hiding, hunting, resting

I was able to see some interesting behavior today — all within about an hour! Each of these observations coincides with one row of three photos above.

I saw a shy, yearling coyote join its mother on a lookout rock above a trail. But the young one didn’t stay long: its self-protective instincts are strong. A dog walker and his leashed dog came in their direction. The walkers did not see the coyotes, and even if they had, they were 50 feet below the ledge where the coyotes were and could not have reached the coyotes. The minute the young coyote saw them, it took off, lickity-split, and I did not see it again. I’ve seen this coyote flee quickly when it thinks it has been seen!

The other coyote stayed relaxed and calm, watching the occasional walker go by below. This coyote was actually on the edge of another, higher, less used path. Today, someone came walking along this path. The coyote bolted into the shadows only 5 feet away, but it did not run off. The walker walked on without ever seeing the coyote. The coyote watched the walker leave, and then it went back to its previous resting spot.

I noticed tongues today — tongues sticking out. I have noticed this before in conjunction with both dogs and coyotes who were concentrating intently on each other as they tested each other face to face. I wonder if there is a correlation with concentration and possibly even making a split-second decision? The coyote in the 3rd photo appears to be just “licking its chops”, I think.

Coyotes are extremely attuned to the dogs and walkers that have confronted them. Coyotes have the same anger and fears that humans have. Few humans are willing to recognize this, but one only has to observe to see it. So when a woman and her unruly, unleashed dog walked by on the path below, this coyote became very agitated. This dog has chased the coyote, and the woman throws stones at it. First the coyote stood up to watch the two approach. When they were directly below, the coyote began grunting its displeasure and almost began a barking session. The coyote was preparing itself for the habitual antagonistic behavior from the dog and walker. The woman and dog walked on without going after the coyote, so the coyote calmed down and remained in this spot a little bit longer before moving on.

I then followed this coyote a short distance as it poked its nose into the ground now and then. While it was doing so, I noticed two squirrels playing at the base of a tree. Just as I was wondering why the coyote had not seen them, the coyote did notice them and ran to the trunk of the tree. It sat there a few minutes, but obviously could not climb straight up a trunk, as the squirrels had.

Maybe this had inspired this coyote, because then I watched it climb a tree! This was not a totally vertical tree. Rather, it had grown at an angle such that a coyote could walk up it and search for squirrels. There were none. The coyote in the tree was about ten feet off the ground.

Coyotes Respond to Previous Dog Behaviors; Coyote/Dog Interactions Are Drawing Coyotes Towards Humans

14 May 2010 8 Comments

by yipps in avoiding humans, coexisting with coyotes, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, following

Coyotes have approached certain dogs in our parks — and not always just out of friendly curiosity. I have only seen this happen IF the dog first came to within about 100 feet of where the coyote was, and only to particular dogs. Could the wariness which coyotes have always had be waning? No one I have spoken to has ever seen a coyote approach a person in our parks, not ever  – it is always the dogs which they approach. However, this has occurred even though a human was near by. Humans who are with their dogs can ultimately scare the coyote off because coyotes do maintain their fear of humans. But why are they sometimes approaching dogs?

There are a number of unleashed dogs which have had antagonistic encounters with a coyote. From what I have seen, these are the ones the coyote reacts to later on if the dog comes within its “critical distance” — about 100 feet, rather than just flee. In fact, these particular dogs — those that have had antagonistic encounters with a coyote — seem to actually “attract” the coyote: it is these the coyote monitors, it is these the coyote has followed. The coyote seems to need to keep tabs on these dogs, and to even “show them who is boss” . . . IF the coyote has a chance. The coyote’s behavior is a defensive “standing up for itself.”  In this case, the coyote has taken the initiative to give warning to a dog to stay away.

My own little cattle dog, Cinder, is the very best example I have of this behavior: Two young and large unleashed Dalmatians went after her a number of times as she and I walked on a sidewalk. The owner apologized, but this did not solve the problem for my dog. She was a shy little dog who was actually afraid — she always stayed right next to me. Then at a much later date we passed these two dogs again. My husband and our larger dog were with us this time. We could not believe what we saw: my shy little cattle dog actually charged at these two dogs as they headed away from us — she barked ferociously at them — her body language was very clear: “take that, leave, and leave me alone.” She came loping back to us triumphantly. The shy little dog had the will to let the dogs know what she thought; she was sick of their treatment of her. She was standing up for herself. Our reaction was “Yay Cinder!”

Coyotes can distinguish each and every dog that frequents a park. And they certainly remember the behaviors that have been dished out to them by certain individual dogs. Some of these dogs, always those which are unleashed and unruly, have distressed the coyotes by chasing them and by approaching too close to them. The coyotes have always reacted in the past by fleeing, or by backing off to a safe distance before barking or exhibiting bluffing displays to ward off the dog. These self-protective warning displays are very clear messages.

Coyotes more recently have actually approached a few of these dogs in the same manner that Cinder approached the two Dalmatians. The coyotes don’t run across the park to accost a dog; what happens is that a dog will unknowingly come into the coyote’s wider “critical space”, or the dog and coyote will inadvertently find themselves heading in the same direction. This then is when the coyote might make a move — as far as I can tell, always coming up from behind, the same as my dog did. The coyote’s behavior involves the same “chase-chase” and “oneupmanship” which I have described before. Others have read it as taunting. In all cases it is a warning and a message. The “display” is clearly a repellant one.  To understand the logic of this dynamic one has only to know how certain dogs have treated the coyote, no matter how long ago.  A subtler interaction that few humans are attuned to is the eye-contact, body language and energy level which so easily communicate threat to a coyote. A dog pulling at its leash towards a coyote is in this category. The coyotes read the meaning of these behaviors easily, and may react to them. These are interactions we need to prevent. Keeping our dogs leashed and as far away from any coyotes as possible is the only method that works for keeping them from interacting on any level. Please keep your dogs leashed in our urban parks, both for your dog’s protection and the coyote’s.

In an urban park it is expected that there will be a certain amount of “habituation” taking place between a coyote and humans and dogs: each is going to get used to the other, no matter what, due simply to being in the same physical setting. However, it is actual “interaction” that needs to be prevented in order to keep our coyotes wild. Interaction seems to breed familiarity, and familiarity breeds contempt, it appears. Dog owners have allowed interaction and interference between their dogs and coyotes: chasing, communication which is antagonistic and getting too close to the coyotes. It is “interaction” of this sort between coyotes and dogs which is actually slowly breaking down the “wild” barrier that was in place when these coyotes arrived in our parks. It is this dog/coyote interaction which is actually drawing coyotes towards humans — it is happening through our dogs. The only interactions I have ever seen between humans and coyotes has involved humans shooing them away from their dogs: here you have a coyote and a human in close proximity — interaction and proximity is breaking down the “wild” barrier that we all want so badly to preserve. Dog owners can keep this sort of interaction from occurring. Humans observing or photographing coyotes in the park do not interact with coyotes or attract them. These same humans have not caused dogs to approach or pursue the coyotes, and neither do these same humans cause coyotes to approach the dogs. I’m mentioning this here, because it has been absurdly suggested by dog owners who refuse to leash their dogs. It is the dog owner’s responsibility to keep their dogs in check.

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