Coyote Returns, by Charlotte Hildebrand
03 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, coyote living areas
You can hear them at night; a pack of 50 or 100, or maybe just 20, down in the canyon yipping and yowling for a good long while after a siren goes off. I’ve never seen a pack, but I have seen a solitary coyote hanging out by the turn in the road, my headlights illuminating its opaque, glass-colored eyes, when I come home from work. I’ve wondered if this isn’t the same lone coyote that visits next door in the middle of the day, looking for a handout from my neighbor Thea.
Thea started feeding a coyote two years ago, when it was a toddler. I told her, pleaded with her, that it was wrong to feed a wild animal and, much to my surprise, she agreed; she promised to stop but then she didn’t. I felt helpless to do anything about it: my neighbor is old and lonely. The coyote was her friend.
I hadn’t seen the coyote for three or four months; I’d missed its absence, for no matter what you say, having a wild animal nearby can send shivers down your spine. It’s thrilling, yet….it’s still wrong. I was sitting down to write, when, out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash, it was the coyote back in Thea’s yard!
Coyote biding his time until I leave
I heard Thea calling to the coyote, “Come, come. Come, come,” in her German accent, as she placed food on the ground. I grabbed my video camera and ran outside. You can see in the video, the coyote looking to the left (Thea), then looking straight ahead (me) and the dilemma he finds himself in. He doesn’t know what to do: here’s a witness to his forsaking his wild coyote ways, and I imagine, he’s a little bit embarrassed. Later, he plops down in the grass in Thea’s lower yard, smelling the flowers (a true Ferdinand, the coyote), passing a peaceable afternoon.
After 45 minutes of taking the breezes and catching bugs, he goes back to dine at Thea’s table.
This posting was reprinted with Charlotte’s permission from her blog, The Rat’s Nest. Please visit her site to see and enjoy more of her fabulous writing!
Fall In LA County, by Charles Wood
31 Oct 2011 2 Comments
in coyote living areas, identifying individual coyotes
Mister
In Los Angeles it had been weeks since I had seen any of the coyote family that makes its home in a field by a concrete river nearby. Sunday I saw an eighteen month old male who I’m guessing was Mister, though it is hard to be sure given his winter coat. I haven’t seen his mom in six weeks and it has been eight weeks since I last saw his dad. From late spring through summer I see my coyote pack on almost any day. In fall and winter, if not for their droppings, you would think they were not there at all.
Mister's Message
Where do they go and how far away? Mister left a message for me today that is also a clue as to their whereabouts: they go where the ripened fruit is and eat a lot of it. If anyone reading recognizes the seeds, please let me know the name of the plant so I may try and locate some.
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.
“Don’t Hurt Them”
31 Oct 2011 2 Comments
in coyote living areas Tags: native grasses in San Francisco, native plants in San Francisco
"Don't Hurt Them"
Recently seen coyote sign with graffiti in the middle of Golden Gate Park in the City of San Francisco, one of the 10 largest urban centers in the United States! Most of us feel this way about our urban coyotes.
Please don’t hurt them, and please don’t take away their habitat. Their habitat includes thickets which offer them a protected place to live. Nativists are removing trees and thickets, and replacing them with native grasses which offer no habitat protection to our feathered and furry wildlife which now live in our parks.
Native grasses existed on sand-dunes which made up the landscape in 1776, but the ecology of the area has evolved since that time and it is because of this evolution that the wildlife we now have was attracted to the area and now lives here. This wildlife was not here in 1776 when the only plants were native grasses and four types of sparse growing trees.
PS: You can prevent uncomfortable encounters by keeping your dog on a short leash in known coyote areas.
Signs of Scat, An Old Coyote, A Sick Ewe and A Dead Rabbit: More on Ginny’s Coyote Area
22 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote paths, coyote scat, indirect signs of coyote presence, pupping
Hi Janet,
scat upon scat (now with mold)
Yesterday I walked the other way onto the well-used multi-purpose trail called the Springwater Trail. The first half mile of the trail heading east has had a lot of scat at times. This is the area I referred to as being half a mile away and possibly containing a den. Yesterday there was only one quite recent pile while everything else had been there a week ago. Today I walked to the pups sighting location. No new scat anywhere. I’m wondering if that means the pups have been moved. I also checked another part of the trail not too far away and found no new scat. I have seen a lot of it there before also.
We saw the lame coyote once when he trotted in front of our car. He looked and moved like a very old dog would move and that is why I label him as old. He is not thin but is very ragged looking. I have only seen a coyote once on the trail (that is how I found your blog because I wanted to learn all that I could about them) and that was right at the trail entrance near our house. Hunting for rabbits no doubt! Bud saw an adult last fall on one of his walks. Both of these had beautiful coats and seemed very healthy.
trail where pups appeared
Last week I met a family with grandparents walking on the trail and mentioned the coyote scat to the children. The grandparents told me they have sheep and coyotes stand at their fence and sing and whine all the time. The grandfather told me that recently he had a sick, old ewe and THREE DAYS later when he went to check on her he only found most of her skeleton. He is sure the coyotes picked her clean – including her gum tissue and ribs. They said coyotes would infrequently take a newborn lamb after I asked if they thought the coyotes actually killed anything. Any person who would knowingly leave a sick animal for three days – well I cannot relate to them. I’m very cautious what I say to people on the trail about the coyotes. One man we see on the trail is sure someone shot coyotes a few years back.
blackberries through which pups disappeared; there is more scat again now, indicating resumed activity in the immediate area
On Monday I noticed a dead rabbit at the beginning of the trail which is near our house. It appeared to have died mid-crawl. I turned it over and did not see any injuries or changes in hair. About a week earlier Bud said “it smells like something died in the blackberries” as we walked by the same location. Several neighbors and dog walkers who use the trail came to the same conclusion I did – that a neighbor might be poisoning rabbits. We are all very concerned. I really hope this is not the case. Yes, rabbits do incredible damage to yards and gardens but rabbit fencing keeps them out. I know, we added it to the existing deer fence around our yard. Yesterday the rabbit was gone but I suspect a neighbor disposed of it. I have read that coyotes are very smart about not consuming poisoned food and I hope that is the case here. We have a family of red-tailed hawks in the greenspace that I am really enjoying and I think they prefer freshly killed prey over carrion. Poison can travel so fast up and down the food chain.
I’ll let you know if I notice any changes. I don’t expect to see coyotes because our dog really seems to have a history with coyotes. He is a Bouvier rescue we have had almost a year. He spent several years running loose on the NM mesas and he thinks deer, coyotes and rabbits are to be chased. He also barks like crazy. I’m sure the local coyotes know him and make sure not to reveal themselves to us!
Ginny
Description Of One Coyote Area
16 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, coyote living areas
Janet, I went with Bud this evening so he could show me the details of his encounter with the pups. He also showed me where they dashed into the blackberries and there is definitely a pathway there if you know where to look. There has been a great deal of scat on that portion of the trail since Feb. which is why I suspected a den.
I did see five piles of scat that were left within the last 24 hours along the trail closer to our house and on the way to the sighting location. Three of those piles were from large coyotes so I’m confident there is a parent around. I will now worry less about the pups. One thing I noticed that I have not seen before is one pile of scat that had another one on top and around it. They seemed to be about the same age – probably several days. Is there a significance to this? This was very near where the pups dashed into the blackberries.
A dog walker who I recognized told me that she had encounters with two different coyotes very recently. The first was with an old, lame coyote which turned and trotted up the trail. This coyote has been spotted often in and near the greenspace. The second was just two days ago and that coyote stood in the center of the path and stared at her and her two dogs. She said that the coyote did not appear to be afraid of her and wasn’t moving so she turned her larger dog lose to chase it off! Her dog returned within minutes and they continued their walk. Both of these sightings were in the same area and not near the area where Bud saw the pups.
About three weeks ago someone dumped about 25 salmon along side the road near the entrance to the trail where she saw the coyotes. There is also an entrance very near that one which we use that has an abundance of rabbits. The coyotes are in the area daily I would guess although the scat now also has cherry pits. Ginny
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Hi Ginny — There is a lot of information here — a pretty complete picture in a nutshell! Thank you for sharing it! There is a den hidden by blackberries back and away from a trail, and a semi-hidden path leading to it, with scat at or close to its entrance. I’m wondering if what you describe as “one pile of scat on top and around another” might just be the “marking” by one coyote on top of the last guy’s marking which is typical of all canines? Or, it might be that a parent is “covering over” a pup’s scent? I have never seen two scats on top of each other, so I am speculating.
Your friend’s two encounters show two kinds of reactions: coyotes often trot off quickly when they see a person or a dog, but they sometimes will delay and study what is coming their way before leaving, being almost forced to leave at the last minute.
I have found that coyotes who live in urban areas do not appear always to be afraid of humans, although they do keep a safe distance away; they learn to take people and dogs in stride once they become accustomed to seeing them for a period of time. This is, unless a dog threatens them in which case a chronic antagonistic relationship could develop between the dog and coyote.
That you have an injured coyote is interesting — I hope it is just a temporary injury — you described that coyote as old. Old age takes its toll on all of us, including wild animals. It is interesting for me to find out how these senior citizens cope in their declining years. I’ve seen a lame (temporarily lame) young coyote hurry away from dogs from a much further distance than he did before or after the injury, so this may have had something to do with the older fella hurrying off. But also, each coyote is an individual with its own personality, and some tend to be shyer and more careful, and some bolder than others.
The salmon must have been a feast for all the wildlife around: raccoons, skunks, raptors as well as the coyotes. Scat reveals a lot about coyote diets. Coyotes are opportunistic eaters — which means they can eat almost anything that is edible. I guess they found a cherry tree!
Why Isn’t Mom Around?
14 Jul 2011 2 Comments
in care for the young, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote reactions to dogs, curiosity, dog reactions to coyotes, family interactions, individuality, pupping
Hi Janet:
Last evening my husband, Bud, and our dog were walking on the nearby trails and saw a coyote pup about 150 feet ahead zigzagging back and forth on the trail. He stopped, remembering that I had told him that coyotes are very protective of pups. Our dog has a bad sense of smell so didn’t notice the pup. Then another pup comes out of the blackberries and then a third. They were very curious and moved about 50 feet down the trail toward Bud and still our dog did not see or smell them.
Bud was delighted but also concerned and was ready to turn around when the little yapper dog who lives much further up the hill but next to the trail saw our dog and came down the trail full throttle and barking loudly. He was not at all interested in the pups but he did scare them and they dashed into the blackberry bushes. Bud continued up the trail and only when he got to the spot they disappeared into did our dog smell them. He then went nuts of course.
Is this normal for pups to be exploring without an adult near? We knew that there was a den closeby that area because of the amount of scat on the trail. We have noticed pup scat lately also. We also suspect there is another den about half a mile from this one. How much area does a group of coyotes claim? Or do they claim it at all?
We have many black-tailed deer in the area and many fawns each spring. I have been curious about the possibility of coyotes killing very young fawns that are left in hiding while their mothers graze elsewhere. I have never seen any evidence of this happening. Does it?
Thanks for all you do for coyotes! Ginny
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Hi Ginny –
Thanks for sharing your concerns — it’s a very interesting situation. From my own experience and from what I have read, coyote pups are keenly watched by their parents — either by one or by both parents. Even if a parent is not apparently around, the parent/s are always close by and ready to defend the pups if necessary. I should add that I have seen a mother coyote keep an eye on her brood from a huge distance away — she kept an eye on them as she relaxed in the sunshine. And then I saw her dash off in their direction, but I do not know why. Mothers do leave their pups when they go off to hunt, but she tucks them away in a safe spot where they normally stay.
Other possible explanations for pups without a parent close by, include an overtaxed single parent who happens to be in hot pursuit of prey nearby, or a parent holding off another dog which had chased it in hopes that that dog wouldn’t find the pups. Worse would be if the parents have been injured or are ill and unable to defend their brood, or if they’ve met an untimely death.
More than likely, the pups just strayed from where they were supposed to stay put. But it wouldn’t hurt to check on them.
Maybe you could take walks in that area of the woods for the next few days until you can figure out the situation? Whatever you do, don’t get too close to the pups and don’t try picking them up — a parent coyote may come out of hiding to ferociously defend its young. If you continue to see the pups without a parent, you have a dilemma: I’m not sure the pups can survive without their parents, however anything you do to interfere is going to alter their natural lives forever.
If you see the pups alone again, you could call the humane society. If they are progressive, they would help raise the pups in such a way so that they won’t become habituated and so that they can be released again into the wild. Most humane societies are not equipped to do this.
You could also leave the pups to see if they make it on their own — maybe the humane society could suggest a way for you to help these pups without actually intruding on them or overtly interfering so as not to habituate them or alter their wildness?
As for the fawns, coyotes tend to look for the easiest prey to catch. Voles and gophers work fine in my area, but they also eat skunks, raccoons and squirrels here. Yes, coyotes are known to prey on newborn deer. I’ve read where newborn deer are protected by their lack of odor — I don’t know how much protection this offers against coyotes. But also, coyotes are known to be very individualistic in their behaviors and just because coyotes in one area eat certain prey doesn’t mean they do so in other areas. So to find out what yours specifically are up to and what their eating and preying habits are, you would need to explore for such activity.
You said there was another den only half a mile away from this one. A coyote family normally has more than one den which it moves the pups between. Moving the pups diminishes flea infestations and also it serves as protection against predators.
Also, it is not unusual for coyotes — including very young ones — to be curious about walkers and dogs, and follow them. However, a parent — if he is around — may decide that this kind of behavior calls for disciplinary action: see Charles Wood’s posting More Dominant Male/Father Coyote Behavior .
I hope this helps a little. Please let me know, and please keep me posted on what you find out! Sincerely, Janet
~~~~~~~
Thanks for your reply Janet. Bud went to the same spot tonight and didn’t see the pups. There is a lot of underbrush and blackberries everywhere along the trail except where it has been removed as invasive species. Coyotes are not seen often because of this. Lots of people let their dogs run loose on the trail but Bud did not see anyone else yesterday although it is a fairly large, heavily wooded area with several trails.
Regulars on the trail only see coyotes a few times a year. Most of the trees are deciduous so I really tried to spot them during the winter but no such luck. I think they are very used to the dogs and walkers and so know where to locate so they are not within view. We will keep an eye on the situation as best we can. The city only removes invasive species by hand so they do not have funding for much work. They primarily remove the holly trees hoping to attract songbirds. There are some songbirds there but also in residence is a Cooper’s Hawk(s) who dines on those same songbirds. Ginny
Stalled by Curiosity in the Middle of the Street
12 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in coexisting with coyotes, coyote behavior, coyote living areas
Fortunately, it was very early so morning traffic had not really begun. The one and only other car that went by was going at a very low speed. Rather than run for safety as the car approached, the coyote just stood there and stared as the car passed within only a few feet of itself.
As the photos show, this coyote began crossing the street, and then got stalled right in the middle at the double yellow line. There was some odor that caught its attention and it had to check it out. But even after that task was completed, the coyote just remained close to the center double dividing line where it looked around and trotted back and forth — acting a bit confused and bewildered in that large and open asphalted space. It was in the street for a total of about a minute, but it seemed much longer than that. Finally it crossed to the other side, urinated, and then, unbelievably, it did the same thing coming back. Luckily no more cars appeared.
Please watch for ALL wild animals on all roadways. Roadkill can be prevented if we keep our eyes open. The highest cause of death for coyotes in urban areas is being hit by a car.
Purposeful With Pups Around, by Charles Wood
25 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in care for the young, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote reactions to dogs, coyotes defending themselves, pupping
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- DadApproachDog
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- DadRushDog
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- DadLeave
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- MomInReserve
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- DadSniff
Before twilight today I saw both of the parent coyotes who live in a small field that borders one of Los Angeles County’s concrete ‘rivers’. The last time I saw them was May 3. I’ve yet to see their puppies this year.
Dad is still looking a bit thin. I came across them both as I was leaving their field. Mom was partially in cover. I moved about twenty feet away from my leashed dog to get a less obscured picture of her. Seeing an opportunity, Dad quickly approached my dog Holtz. Dad disregarded Holtz’s barking and then charged. I snapped a quick picture and then moved to stand between him and Holtz. His opportunity blocked, Dad broke off his charge, moved back, calmed down and did some investigatory sniffing. Throughout the event, Mom stood at the ready. My read of Dad is that he would have stopped short of contact with Holtz regardless of my having blocked him. There is an element of bluff in Dad’s displays and he was aware that Holtz, for being constrained by leash, could not engage him and hence, a close approach was safe.
The photographs included in this post illustrate how purposeful my coyotes can be when they have pups around. Note that upon seeing my coyotes in their field, I head for the exit at once. On the way out, I’ll stop in a clearing and take some photographs. At times they merely hide, other times they do as they did today.
As mentioned in my post of May 3, Mom apparently has had her puppies this year. It isn’t clear to me if today Mom and Dad, upon seeing me from a distance, messaged their accompanying pups to stay hidden while they took action against the intruders. Instead, perhaps the two daughters from last year were babysitting so Mom and Dad could have some time off.
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.
Lost Alpha Status?
16 Apr 2011 1 Comment
in coyote behavior, coyote living areas, human behavior, native plant program
I’ve followed a female coyote for several years now — I’ll call her “mom”. She had puppies the first year and the second year — they all grew up and eventually dispersed. But the third year and this year there were no puppies. Why? We are told that only “alpha” coyotes reproduce. So, might no puppies be due to her having lost her “alpha” status and might this also have something to do with the possibility that a new family group of coyotes might now be using this same territory?
Coyotes form nuclear family groups which exclude other coyotes from their groups and from their territories. I’ve watched this mother coyote raise her various families. Never have we seen other coyote faces within her family group, or other coyotes in her territory.
The theory of lost status occurred to me due to a rumor — unsubstantiated at this point — that a new coyote group, including juveniles, might have been spotted recently, passing through what has been her territory. I have not seen a new group at all. Coyote rumors are rampant in this area: they often spin into a life of their own. So my theory is speculative, at the moment, and will have to remain that way until we verify what we have heard through the grapevine. But I wanted to explore this possibility of loss of alpha status, even if it exists only as a theoretical possibility. I have noticed changes in behavior that might be explained by a loss of alpha status.
Coyote groups are always family groups: genetically-related individuals with the same parents. They are not like dog packs, where unrelated individual dogs form groups for survival purposes. If a new group of coyotes was seen that included juveniles, the young ones would have had to have been born last year, when our mother had no pups. They would have been born to another alpha since only alphas breed.
The presence of another family might also explain why our mom coyote’s forays into the larger part of a park have dwindled, if not totally ceased — she has been limiting her outings to a smaller area now, and I’ve seen her eyeing the adjacent area where the new coyotes were purportedly spotted.
Why might she have lost her alpha status? Could this have happened when her mate was killed? We are assuming it was her mate who was found poisoned two years ago, right at about the time her second set of puppies was born. We assumed this because we never saw a male in her territory after that event. We only saw her and her growing pups. Was her status tied to his status, and then lost when he died? Or could she have lost her status because there was no male, whatever his status? Or might she have lost it by another means — for instance, she was badly injured by a car two years ago, which might have compromised her ability to remain an alpha?
Then again, she might be too old now for pups, or she might have sustained internal injuries from that car accident that prevent her from having more puppies. One theory brought up in the literature is that coyotes self-regulate their population sizes. If an area has all the coyotes it can support, coyotes will have very tiny litters, or none at all.
So, no puppies, and the possible sighting of another family group including juveniles makes me think of the possibility of lost alpha status. In addition, the previous bolder behavior which suggested an alpha is no longer what I am seeing in our mom. We will never know the answer to the “whys”. But we do know that this very proud, aware and responsible mother coyote has stopped having pups altogether for the past couple of years and she has retreated to a smaller territorial area where she has been less visible than she used to be. Time will tell how long this situation will last — it might be very temporary, or it could be long-term.
Habitat destruction could be driving coyotes out of their previous homes and into new areas.
Habitat Destruction. Habitat destruction is the single most harmful human activity to wild animals. Many of us are upset at the very short-sighted policies causing this habitat destruction which lead to displacement of our wild animals. The “native plant programs” is a case in point: dense animal habitat is being removed in order to plant native plants which offer little if any habitat value — these are mostly dune-type plants. Animal habitat consists of dense areas of growth, brambles and underbrush which are impenetrable to humans and dogs — this is what makes it a safe habitat for animals. In San Francisco we have vast areas of our Presidio which are now being cleared of their forested areas for the benefit of native plants — this means lost habitat. In addition, the remodeling of Doyle Drive, and its attendant habitat destruction, may be driving coyotes out of their original homes close to the periphery of the city, and causing them to move deeper into the heart of the city to find new places to live. If new groups of coyotes are being seen in some areas, this is the strongest explanation.
Tell-Tale Trail After Rainstorms
30 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote living areas, indirect signs of coyote presence
Here is a set of nice footprints I came across recently in one of the parks after a hefty rainstorm. The footprints are next to each other, indicating the coyote had stopped to observe something. Did it stop because there was a vole ahead to be caught? Or was there maybe a dog or human ahead to be avoided? Maybe the coyote had been traveling with its mate and stopped to observe what the other was doing. Or maybe it was traveling alone and stopped simply to assess the lay of the land before moving on. These are all common coyote behaviors.
Further on I came across another sign left by a coyote. Dogs for the most part tend to poop off to the side of a path. This makes sense — it is close to where they were walking. However, different from dogs, coyotes often appear to leave theirs as specific traces of their presence for others to see — often right in the middle of a trail or a trail intersection. If it is left as a “message” it is a form of communication.
I’ve actually observed a coyote in the “act” of defecating in the middle of a path, as a message for a person or dog who was following not too far behind. I am sure the message was to convey some kind of delimitation or boundary — either territorial or personal space — but its exact meaning I cannot be sure of.
Marking with urine is a sign that we humans can’t read at all, but we all have observed a dog or coyote go up to a spot where another canine has left its mark, and then mark on top of that — “trumping” it, so to speak. Humans can only be aware of this “sign” if they see a coyote mark, or if they have a dog who “trumps” another dog or a coyote’s marking — and you can’t be sure which.
Finally, on this trail, I came to a spot that suggested a turnoff point for a coyote — which would also be used by other wild animals — a “tunnel” in the underbrush that went deeper into the woods and away from all human and dog activity — an escape to safety.
Further along the trail I saw the imprint of raccoon paws on the path — the “hand” print is pretty clear, but there is also a “foot” print to the immediate right of it. Our parks have lots of wildlife. There were no signs indicating a scuffle, so this raccoon probably did not meet the coyote whose trail I followed. Although a group of coyotes can overpower a raccoon, one-on-one a raccoon can normally defend itself well — and does so ferociously — against a coyote.
