I don’t know when or where this young coyote’s wanderings began, nor when or where they ended. I was able to observe a 15 minute snippet of it as it wandered in an area of about 300 feet. The area was an overgrown grassy hill slope near a road and near some houses on the edge of a park. The coyote was probably trying to get one last bite of food — possibly a gopher — before heading in for the day. I saw it “pounce” on something once, but it walked away without a prize. The coyote’s activities included: meandering at a walk, a romp down the hill, hunting by standing very still and watching movement on the ground, pawing the ground in one spot which produced no results, sitting very still to observe roadway activity, monitoring for noise and activity around a house before continuing — possibly it was listening for dogs which are a coyote’s main threat in an urban setting, peering carefully into bushes, and standing still at alert to watch for danger on a regular basis. The coyote did not venture close to the road or houses, but always remained within the “wilder” overgrown park. This coyote was unaware of me — otherwise it would have “checked” on me now and then. I was far in the distance and obscured by some tall vegetation.
What Coyotes Do: Wandering About on a Hill Slope
05 Apr 2010 Leave a comment
in coyote behavior, exploring, hunting Tags: coyote behavior
Curiosity vs. Fleeing
05 Apr 2010 Leave a comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, fleeing Tags: coyote behavior, curiosity, fleeing
Coyotes generally prefer not to be seen. However, they also can be quite curious which at times overrides their shyness. I think both of these tendencies, curiosity and shyness, are always present in a coyote, but sometimes one is stronger than the other. If you happen to see a coyote, you can be sure that it saw you. It might stop to examine you or your dog, especially if you have stopped to look at it. It is probably best, if you have a dog, to always keep moving on — all interactions between coyotes and dogs should be avoided in order to avert future problem interactions. Here are three examples of coyote encounters I have had:
I was alone when one coyote came in my direction. It stopped when it saw me and placed its front paws on a rock to lift itself so that it could see me better. I stopped to watch it and I was very still — it was probably curious because of my own stillness. This stillness often increases a coyote’s curiosity: it wants to know what you are doing and where you are going, and it can’t figure these out when you are still! The coyote did not hang around long, just long enough to get a good look.
In a second example, the set of two coyotes, pictured above, had been fleeing from a group of dog walkers when they happened in my direction. Again, I was alone and very still as I watched them — they approached a short distance to look at me. At the same time, they kept their attention mainly on the dog group which was coming in their direction. Dogs have often chased coyotes, so the coyotes often are wary and defensive against dogs, especially the more active dogs. As the dog walkers approached, the coyotes fled.
In my third example, I saw a coyote which was very shy. It saw me walking on a path. Without stopping, it hopped up on a rock to get a better view of me. I continued walking. I could see that this coyote was uncomfortable that it had been seen. It did not stay to examine me, but fled very quickly and I did not see it again.
Please keep your dogs leashed in a coyote area. Please see the posting at the head of this blog: safety measures for keeping a coyote from coming too close. Coyotes in our parks have never come up to humans, though they have approached some of the dogs. Please keep a safe distance for your own, your dog’s and the coyote’s safety.
Mom and Yearling Still Together
05 Apr 2010 Leave a comment
in affection, coyote behavior, exploring Tags: coyote behavior
I observed a mother coyote relaxing as she watched her yearling run up to her and then go off to explore a very high rock — maybe an 8 foot tall “needle” rock. The pair was out in the same spot for over half an hour. The youngster on the rock must have felt like “king of the mountain”: it remained there for twelve full minutes, standing tall and turning to look in various directions. It undoubtedly had a wonderful vantage point. After the twelve minutes, it lithely climbed down the sheer, almost 90º wall of the rock — how it was able to get a foothold I have no idea. It then slithered into the bushes and I did not see it again. The mother remained out for a little longer before “going in” herself.
