Coyote Yipps
Information and stories about San Francisco coyotes: behavior & personality, coexistence & outreach, by Janet Kessler: Unveiling first-hand just how savvy, social, sentient and singular coyotes really are!
- Home
- Bio
- Coyote Voicings: Howls, Yips, Barks, & More
- My YouTube VIDEOS
- SF Families to 7/22
- Take A Short Coyote Survey
- Territories & Population in SF
- UrbanCoyoteSquared: GALLERIES
- *FIRST: A Guidelines and Safety Box
- Introducing My Coyote Yipps Blog
- San Francisco as Habitat and Place
- Contents By Topic
- Resources
About My Site and Me: This website reflects my 16 years of intense, careful, and dedicated field-work — empirical observations — all photo-documented without interfering or changing coyotes’ behaviors. Be welcome here, enjoy, and learn!
Coyotes reappeared in San Francisco in 2002 after many years of absence, and people are still in the dark about them. This site is to help bring light to their behavior and offer simple guidelines for easy coexistence.
My information comes from my own first-hand observations of our very own coyotes here in San Francisco. They have not been studied or observed so thoroughly by anyone else. Mine is not generic information, nor second-hand.
Note that none of the coyotes I document and photograph is “anonymous” to me: I know (or knew) each one of them, and can tell you about their personalities, histories, and their family situations. There have been over 100 of them, distributed among over twenty families, all in San Francisco. Images and true stories have the power to raise awareness and change perspective.
Contact: Janet@coyoteyipps.com
© All information and photos in my postings come from my own original and first-hand documentation work which I am happy to share, with permission and with properly displayed credit: ©janetkessler/coyoteyipps.com.
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Be Aware of Denning Sites
Zoom Talk: Coyotes in San Francisco: Population, Family Life, Stewardship
(A crash course in SF coyotes!)
October 18th Presentation at PHS/SPCA: Inside the Lives of Urban Coyotes
(Another crash course in coyotes generally!)
Instagram: Coyoteyipps
#coyotecoexistence #urbancoyote #sanfrancisco #sfwildlife #wildlife #wildĺifephotography #coyotesofinstagram
Spending this huge amount of money on killing coyotes and other animals is a CRISIS on BOTH SIDES. It's a LOSE/LOSE proposition for everyone. Please read the article, and then the insights by Walkaboutlou on coyoteyipps.com, which will show you alternative solutions that work. And then please help spread this information however you can to the ranching community and the state of Wyoming. Thank you, Lou, for the alert and insights and various solutions!
Dad. It was at dawn that Dad appeared on the scene, which immediately attracted his pups like a magnet, so much so that he was tripping over them, and they over each other in their excitement and desire to reach Dad first. This is where the term "to be underfoot" must have come from. And this didn't have to do with love -- except in a roundabout way. They knew that Dad had food for them.
As an aside, coyotes are not the only ones who prey on gophers. Just in case you've forgotten, Great Blue Herons are also predators and mighty hunters! I didn't get the photo I was waiting for of the gopher bulgingly slithering down that long neck -- Great Blue Herons swallow their prey whole the way coyotes swallow their gophers, except that coyotes chew and compact the animal and its bones to get it down -- but the bird flew off before attempting to chug it down it.
Backtalk. Even pups can be insolent at an early age! Swipe to see pup's retort to his mother's snarl. Reminds me of my two-year-old niece's response to her Dad's reprimand after some bad behavior, "You need to watch yourself." Her reply was, "YOU need to watch YOURSELF, Papa!" These photos were taken at twilight in bad lighting from 400 feet away with a 2x zoom extender: these aren’t the clearest photos, but they do tell a story!
Have you ever seen a mother coyote transport her pups? In this case, it was about 5 blocks, in the middle of the day when few dogs were around and not much traffic. Half an hour later, she toted the second one. The original den would no longer do, so it was time to move. Neither Dad nor Yearling Daughter were involved — Mom did it all by herself. I’ve written this one up more thoroughly on my blog, “The Move” on coyoteyipps.com.
Here's another mother as you can see if you look carefully. You can be sure that she’s every bit as caring and protective as the mother jackal in the previous photo, and she will put in the same effort if need be to defend her pups.
Rarely I'll post something that's not mine, but this is too amazing not to post: THIS IS NOT MY PHOTO. This breathtaking shot was taken by Ateeb Hussain and can be found on National Geographic's Photographer of the Year site. The story, as written by Jayanthi Galahitiyage:
Same pup, in a more relaxed state, soaking from the foggy dew and fog produced rain from trees. Swipe to see a another view of him. He's one of a litter of three. This is the size and shape of a seven week old pup.
Pups now are about 7 weeks old! Notice his purposeful stride: he knows exactly what he's doing and where he's going. That's a characteristic he’ll retain throughout his life.
On the other hand . . . After chewing on that piece of snake and filling it with punctures through which the interior foul odors could escape, our snake-chewer lowered herself onto the snake remains and had a wallowing session as she attempted thoroughly painting herself in snake odors: I think of it as a perfume bath. Our dogs do the same thing: it appears to be an unrestrained and joyful indulgence. Maybe this was her purpose in chewing it ?
It was dusk, so all I could see was the coyote chewing on something long that did not appear to be an animal of prey. Had it been tossed to her by the humans standing close by and watching her? I became livid at the thought because I had already hugely curtailed the feeding at this location -- having spoken to everyone and cleaned up dropped food every single day for three years straight.
Be A Coyote Ambassador!
INTRODUCTION PAGES
- Introducing My Coyote Yipps Blog
- Contents By Topic
- Resources
- Take A Short Coyote Survey
- San Francisco as Habitat and Place
- UrbanCoyoteSquared: GALLERIES
- Coyote Voicings: Howls, Yips, Barks, & More
- Bio
- *FIRST: A Guidelines and Safety Box
- My YouTube VIDEOS
- Territories & Population in SF
- SF Families to 7/22
Top Posts & Pages
Coyotes: What to Know and Do
Download & Print Flyers
- Como espantar a un coyote para que se vaya
- Conflictos con coyotes
- Coyote Advisory from our video
- Coyote Coexistence & Dogs
- Coyote Facts & Fiction
- Coyotes Playing With Dogs
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- Farms and Ranches: the Futility of Killing Coyotes as a Management Tool
- Guía Para Coexistir Con Coyotes Urbanos
- Guidelines For Coexistence
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Killed By Rat Poison – Flyer
- Sign in CHINESE: 土狼警讯
- Sign in SPANISH: ALERTA COYOTE
- Sign: Coyote Advisory
- Simple Rules for Coexistence
- This is a denning site
- Trilingual Video Poster
- Truth About Coyote Conflicts
- 共存简要守则 – Guidelines in Chinese
Published Articles & Recap
- A View Transformed: from fear to understanding
- Bay Nature Connections Interview
- Bay Nature: Raising Kids In The City
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Coyote Behavior & Peaceful Coexistence
- Coyote Town: Leave SF's Coyotes Alone, by Julia Wong
- Coyote Whisperer Warns of Coyote Encounters During Pupping Season
- Coyotes: Beyond The Howl
- EXHIBIT: Coyotes, Beyond the Howl
- Family First: Wily Coyote's Here to Stay, by Linnea Due
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- How to get Along With Coyotes As Pups Venture Out, Bay Nature
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Inside A Coyote Family
- Janet Kessler: The Urban Coyote Watcher, by Leath Tonino
- Keep Our Coyotes Safe & Wild
- Making Peace With Coyotes by Tripp Robbins
- On First-Name Basis With San Francisco Coyotes
- Pacifica: Neighbors in the Night
- Photographer's Raccoon Adventure in GGPark
- Recap: My Position Regarding Coyotes
- Reservoir Coyotes, by Tom Molanphy
- San Francisco Residents Coexisting With Coyotes, by Robin Hindery
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SF's "Coyote Lady", SacBee
- Sharing Bernal Hill With Our Coyote: A User's Guide
- The Bernal Hill Coyote is a Female and Human "Kindness" Could Kill Her
- The Coyote Whisperer, by Shelby Carpenter
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Need for Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The SF resident documenting coyote population
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives (PDF version)
- Wildlife In Focus: Coyotes
- YIPS & HOWLS EXAMPLES
TRANSLATION
Web Advocacy and More
- Anticoagulant Intoxication Fact Sheet
- Aversion Conditioning by Lesley Sampson
- Beware of the Alpha (PDF), by Molly Heatherwick, 3/15/2023
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Caught On Camera: Presidio Coyotes
- Citizen Coyote: Let's Get To Know Them: An Introduction
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project
- Coyote Lives In Maine
- Coyote Photos by Charles Wood
- Coyote Settles the South by John Lane
- Coyote Tracker
- Coyote Watch Canada
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE FACEBOOK
- CoyoteCoexistence Facebook (alternative link)
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE.COM
- Coyotes As Neighbors: Video
- Coyotes, wolves, cougars. . forever
- Coyoteyipps INSTAGRAM
- Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- History of San Francisco's Native Plant Program, NAP
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- International Consensus Principles for Ethical Wildlife Control
- Mapping Expansion of Coyotes Across the American Continent
- Melanie Furr: America vs. the Coyote
- Micromanagement of Nature Benefits Few Animals
- NapRap
- Rat Poisons Are Harmful
- Save Mount Sutro Forest
- Saving Trees In The Bay Area
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SFForest.Net
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- This is a denning site
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives
- URBANWILDNESS.COM
- Wild Dog Foundation
- WildCare: Live Well With Wildlife
- Wildlife Services: License to Kill
Published Articles & Recap
- A View Transformed: from fear to understanding
- Bay Nature Connections Interview
- Bay Nature: Raising Kids In The City
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Coyote Behavior & Peaceful Coexistence
- Coyote Town: Leave SF's Coyotes Alone, by Julia Wong
- Coyote Whisperer Warns of Coyote Encounters During Pupping Season
- Coyotes: Beyond The Howl
- EXHIBIT: Coyotes, Beyond the Howl
- Family First: Wily Coyote's Here to Stay, by Linnea Due
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- How to get Along With Coyotes As Pups Venture Out, Bay Nature
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Inside A Coyote Family
- Janet Kessler: The Urban Coyote Watcher, by Leath Tonino
- Keep Our Coyotes Safe & Wild
- Making Peace With Coyotes by Tripp Robbins
- On First-Name Basis With San Francisco Coyotes
- Pacifica: Neighbors in the Night
- Photographer's Raccoon Adventure in GGPark
- Recap: My Position Regarding Coyotes
- Reservoir Coyotes, by Tom Molanphy
- San Francisco Residents Coexisting With Coyotes, by Robin Hindery
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SF's "Coyote Lady", SacBee
- Sharing Bernal Hill With Our Coyote: A User's Guide
- The Bernal Hill Coyote is a Female and Human "Kindness" Could Kill Her
- The Coyote Whisperer, by Shelby Carpenter
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Need for Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The SF resident documenting coyote population
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives (PDF version)
- Wildlife In Focus: Coyotes
- YIPS & HOWLS EXAMPLES
Download & Print Flyers
- Como espantar a un coyote para que se vaya
- Conflictos con coyotes
- Coyote Advisory from our video
- Coyote Coexistence & Dogs
- Coyote Facts & Fiction
- Coyotes Playing With Dogs
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- Farms and Ranches: the Futility of Killing Coyotes as a Management Tool
- Guía Para Coexistir Con Coyotes Urbanos
- Guidelines For Coexistence
- How To Handle A Coyote Encounter: A Primer
- Killed By Rat Poison – Flyer
- Sign in CHINESE: 土狼警讯
- Sign in SPANISH: ALERTA COYOTE
- Sign: Coyote Advisory
- Simple Rules for Coexistence
- This is a denning site
- Trilingual Video Poster
- Truth About Coyote Conflicts
- 共存简要守则 – Guidelines in Chinese
Web Advocacy and More
- Anticoagulant Intoxication Fact Sheet
- Aversion Conditioning by Lesley Sampson
- Beware of the Alpha (PDF), by Molly Heatherwick, 3/15/2023
- Beware of the Alpha, by Molly Hetherwick
- Caught On Camera: Presidio Coyotes
- Citizen Coyote: Let's Get To Know Them: An Introduction
- Ciudadanos Coyotes: Vamos a conocerlos: Una introducción
- Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project
- Coyote Lives In Maine
- Coyote Photos by Charles Wood
- Coyote Settles the South by John Lane
- Coyote Tracker
- Coyote Watch Canada
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE FACEBOOK
- CoyoteCoexistence Facebook (alternative link)
- COYOTECOEXISTENCE.COM
- Coyotes As Neighbors: Video
- Coyotes, wolves, cougars. . forever
- Coyoteyipps INSTAGRAM
- Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research
- FACTS MATTER, #resist (STOP TRAPPING)
- History of San Francisco's Native Plant Program, NAP
- How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes — From SF's Own 'Coyote Whisperer'
- International Consensus Principles for Ethical Wildlife Control
- Mapping Expansion of Coyotes Across the American Continent
- Melanie Furr: America vs. the Coyote
- Micromanagement of Nature Benefits Few Animals
- NapRap
- Rat Poisons Are Harmful
- Save Mount Sutro Forest
- Saving Trees In The Bay Area
- SF Coyotes PODCAST 2/2020
- SFForest.Net
- The Need For Wildness, by Tara Lohan
- The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes
- This is a denning site
- Urban Coyotes Have Lives
- URBANWILDNESS.COM
- Wild Dog Foundation
- WildCare: Live Well With Wildlife
- Wildlife Services: License to Kill
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Coyote Yipps 
Jul 15, 2013 @ 03:36:15
OMG! They are adorable! And what a watchful, patient mom! This was great :)
Jul 15, 2013 @ 10:15:27
Inspired by the “New Kids on the Block” I browsed your blogs this morning. They are so wonderful! Beyond all the cute coyote pups, I love the photos of the beaver at work, the hummingbird attack and etc. You are such a great observer and photographer. Our beavers are only out during dark.
I don’t know why I haven’t signed up for an email alert before. Please keep me posted.
Meta
Jul 15, 2013 @ 15:03:35
Hi Meta —
Thank you for the great compliment!
You can take photos under poor lighting conditions: the beaver photos were taken at dusk with an ISO of 6400. You can increase the exposure and contrast once you’ve downloaded the images. Poor quality photos can look okay on the web.
One has to learn to observe, first, by disconnecting from our human world when out in nature. My youngest son taught me that if you sit in a field all morning with nothing to do, soon you start seeing things about the animal world that you never would have noticed. They have amazingly full lives. What is incredible to me is, in our modern world with so much knowledge and an ability to understand almost anything, people persist in not seeing animals for what they really are — beings with such similar needs and drives as our own. And when I/we point these similarities out, we are accused of “anthropomorphizing”. It’s not anthropomorphizing, it’s what is actually going on!
Janet