Coyotes Avoid People If Possible

08 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

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

[NOTE: In a coyote family, the designation of “dominant” “alpha” or “parent” are interchangeable. Coyote “packs” are actually not packs, but families — there really are no “packs” as there are  packs of dogs, which where the members are mostly unrelated to one another, and which operate more as marauding gangsters or thugs. Coyote “families” are more like yours and mine, with parents and offspring. So, within the family, there will be parents who are in charge, and often one parent is more aware than the other.]

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:janetkessler 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 11 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler 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.

A Resting Coyote Responds Differently to Humans and Dogs

11 May 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyotes and dogs, reactions to a human Tags:

A coyote might feel very comfortable watching activity in a park from a high ledge which is 100-200 feet away from a path. I had occasion to watch a coyote who did this two days in a row, and I was able to see two distinct reactions to passers by, based on if there was a dog involved.

First, a lone runner came by. The runner could not have seen the coyote because of the configuration of the path. The coyote heard the runner, got up and looked, and then disappeared in a flash. The runner jogged on by without ever seeing the coyote. That was the end of that. Coyotes do not want humans to get close to them and will make an effort to keep their distance and also hide. Another reaction I have seen to a human coming down a path is for the coyote to run off a distance and remain absolutely still and thus difficult to see.

On the second day I saw this same coyote relaxing on the same ledge. Before I knew what was going on, I saw the coyote bolt up and disappear in a flash. Not until then did I see that a man and his dog were walking in the coyote’s direction. Neither had seen the coyote at this initial meeting and therefore they not react. Because of the dog, there was more going on this time. I could not see where the coyote had gone, however, within a few minutes I heard the coyote barking in its distressed manner about 500 feet further on.  I headed in that direction. I have only heard coyotes bark when they have been intruded upon. Yes, the coyote had been intruded upon, but the barking had not begun until the dog probably faced the coyote, even if there was a substantial distance between them.

Although I never did spot the coyote visually after it had moved, I did see the same man and his dog right at the spot where I had heard the coyote — he was walking away from the direction the coyote’s barking came from. I don’t think that the coyote had “delayed” its barking. The coyote must have actually followed them, unnoticed, to check them out and see where they were headed. It is when the coyote finally was noticed that the coyote’s barking reaction occurred. I don’t know if there had been a chase involved in this case or if the dog just turned towards the coyote. Anyway, the coyote ended up barking its discontent loudly, but not for as long as I have heard in the past. This was for only 4 minutes rather than 20.

Coyotes have a much keener interest in dogs and a total disinterest humans, even though there is a need to keep their distance from both. The coyote needs to find out more about the dogs, and may approach them not only to find out if there is a possibility of them becoming a potential threat, but to let them know through intimidating displays to keep away.

Hunting In Tall Grass

22 Apr 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, hunting Tags: ,

I saw this lone coyote four times in the same morning. First, it was hunting way in the distance — it did not catch anything.

Then I encountered it again, headed towards me on a path around a bend, so we didn’t see each other until we were fairly close. Instead of taking off, lickety-split, this coyote casually looked at me before it wandered away from in a fairly leisurely, not too hurried manner: there was no intensity to its behavior.

Right after that I spotted it a third time, hugging along the edge of some bushes where it was harder to see it — it was obviously trying to avoid running into anyone. I should say that few people are in the parks when I see coyotes: I think when people are around, the coyotes just don’t come out so much. The exception to this observation is when a coyote comes out specifically to “monitor” dogs: to keep an eye on dogs, especially those which have previously chased it and to make sure these dogs head out of the park.

Then I spotted this same coyote a fourth time as it hunted in the tall grass. It saw me in the distance, but continued its hunting endeavor — it was obviously onto something, and it may have been hungry. What was fun here, which I didn’t capture particularly well in the photos, was that the coyote was almost totally hidden from view, but would “bounce up” above the tall grass every few seconds to get a view of its surroundings, then it would descend again! These photos show the highest level of the bounce. I was not able to capture the curved back nor the total disappearance of this hunter. Obviously it was a delicious catch. Please notice the exceptionally beautiful white markings of this coyote!

Experts at Eluding Detection: Coyote behavior

18 Mar 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, disappearing, evading, fleeing, hiding Tags:

I keep my eyes open for wildlife — this is where my focus is, so I have become pretty good at catching what someone else might miss. Today I spotted a coyote on a path — pretty visible right in the open — but it was gone in the blink of an eye. The minute it knew it had been seen, it immediately was absolutely and totally GONE. It had bounced, like a rabbit, into some underbrush, and although I thought I might be able to see it again, I did not. The day before I was able to make out two ears way up ahead on the horizon with the sun coming from that direction — visibility was bad. When I got there, no critter was to be seen anywhere until with much effort I was able to detect a slight movement off to the side. It was the coyote, well camouflaged behind some thorny underbrush. I had only an instant to look, before it was off and gone.

Coyotes are often not seen by walkers: they easily elude detection, even if you are looking for one. I have seen many walkers not see one that crossed very close in front of them! Of course, at other times you might see one wandering boldly on an open path, totally unconcerned, and it might turn around and examine you out of curiosity. Or you might see one surveying the area from a lookout. There are no generalities with coyotes.

“Monitoring”: Coyote Behavior

17 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

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

There is a coyote in one of the area parks that enjoys “monitoring” the dogs as they are walked — morning time is prime time for watching dogs for this coyote. After most of the dog walking activity calms down, the coyote usually heads into some underbrush or up onto a hill where it snoozes. One of the places from which the coyote keeps an eye on the dogs is way up on a rock ledge. The coyote is definitely not interested in people as shown by where its gaze is, and by where its attention is, and by how its movements are directed — except to keep a safe distance from them.

On a particularly foggy morning, I was out walking with a friend when we spotted this coyote on this high ledge. My friend has a very old and large, calm dog. We went to a place where our view would not be obstructed by branches. The coyote looked at us all, but particularly at the dog, from way up high, with not only height but also distance as a barrier. It is always exciting to see a coyote.

After some observing and some photos, my friend and her dog departed to continue their walk, but I continued to watch. The coyote’s attention turned towards a group of dogs and their walkers coming down a path. It was much too foggy to see very far, but the coyote’s attention and gaze was riveted on the group — I became part of the woodwork, apparently. The coyote stayed in its safe location, keenly watching the dog group until they had passed below and further on. When they were far enough past, the coyote scurried down to another rock ledge, a much lower one, from which it could continue to watch these same dogs until they exited the area. The coyote then remained resting on this rock for some time, until another dog spotted it and went after it. I had moved on at this point, but I was able to see the coyote whiz by as it evaded the dog. The coyote escaped the dog by dashing away and nimbly jumping up a rock cliff  to its original high ledge way above reach until the dog and its owner had walked out of sight.

I am writing this here again to emphasize that coyotes monitor dogs for their own safety — they have to know what dogs are around and which dogs might threaten them and pursue them. Coyotes have shown no interest in humans whatsoever except to keep their distance. Coyotes have never approached people in our parks, they have always fled when people get near them. The coyotes in our parks have not altered their behavior at all towards humans since they first appeared several years ago.

However, coyotes do keenly watch dogs whom they have visually gotten to know, and they defend themselves when necessary from unleashed dogs which have chased them. I’m wondering if our coyotes are becoming more bold with dogs because owners have allowed their dogs to interact with them on some level, including chasing them? This would be a kind of “habituation” to dogs? It is something to further look at.

Fleeing from a Mountain Biker

13 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, fleeing Tags: , ,

I came across a young coyote sitting in a field, facing a small path. I sat down to watch for a few moments. Suddenly, and quietly, a biker on his large, very bright yellow mountain bike came up the winding dirt path. The bright colors of the biker and bike were in complete contrast to all the other outdoor colors that one would find in a natural setting: the bike clashed with the environment. The coyote immediately took off at a high speed run — really flying with both feet off the ground — into the distance, about 120 feet away. Here it stayed and watched until the biker had passed through. Interestingly, once the coyote was far enough away, it did not slither into the underbrush, but turned around to watch the biker. This may be because the coyote was aware that the biker was not pursuing it and probably had not even seen it. People very often do not notice a coyote, even one that is only a short distance in front of them — I think we humans have our minds on other things. When I spoke to the biker, he told me that he had not seen the coyote.

Another interesting thing about this particular incident is that shortly after the biker passed, who should appear on the scene but mom coyote. Had she been watching the entire time? When the young coyote saw her, it bounded up to her, and they both proceeded slowly across the field, looking for gophers until they disappeared from my view into a thicket area.

Coyote Hours & Avoiding Humans

02 Feb 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, evading, hours Tags: , ,

I’ve noticed that most coyotes tend to have their preferential times of day for their activity — this tends to be predominantly at dawn, dusk and night time. However, I have discovered that at least one coyote has been active at any hour of the day and at all hours of the night over time.  I’ve run into people who told me that they had heard this coyote at 7:30 pm, 9:00 pm and at midnight and 2 am and then at 5:00 am. I myself have heard it at 7:00 am and later in the morning. People have seen this coyote at dusk, in the late afternoon and in the early morning. I saw it recently right before noon — not just a glimpse of it, but I was able to keep track of it for close to an hour because it was out in the open. We all tend to believe that coyotes are nocturnal or dawn/dusk creatures — but this is not so.

So, before noon, I came around a bend to find a coyote standing on a slightly elevated area. The coyote looked around and then stretched as it walked down and over to a greener patch of ground. I successfully moved off to the side where my presence wouldn’t be an intrusion. The coyote climbed up onto a rock where it ate grass for about seven minutes, after first having wandered through this very grassy area to select where the grass was best. It seemed to carefully pick each blade, and seemingly savored each leaf.

When a couple of bikers became visible in the distance, the coyote stood very still and watched until the bikers could no longer be seen. The coyote also stood perfectly still as a runner ran by — probably within 100 feet of the coyote — the runner said hello to me but did not see the coyote. I seldom point out coyotes to others anymore, except if there are children or dogs involved. Right after this, a mom and her young child appeared on the scene. I knew this mother and child and pointed out the coyote to them. The coyote was right there in plain view and not far off. These new observers must have tipped the scale for the coyote after the bikers and the runner: the coyote now walked up and away. But I found the coyote again, resting in a secluded spot.

After about 20 minutes, the coyote stretched and scanned the area quickly before it began trekking back to where I had originally seen it. On its way, it stopped short and stood frozen and still. About 200 feet ahead, right on the coyote’s path, was someone practicing their Tai Chi Chuan. The coyote just stood frozen for a few seconds trying to figure this out, and then quickly descended a steep, pathless incline into an overgrown and secluded meadow area where it was all alone. The important point about all of this is that this coyote avoids people whenever it can. It might stand perfectly still if it thinks it will not be seen by a person who has suddenly appeared, but otherwise it moves away from people, and it does not move forward on a path if a person is up ahead.

I watched as the coyote hunted in this secluded area: it noticed stuff in the ground — I know not what, and it noticed birds in bushes, cocking its head with interest now and again. It ended up on a main path where a father and son were enjoying some time together perched high on a rock. I thought I should point the coyote out because of the child. These people, it turns out, live right on the park and know this coyote well. They and I watched and I took photos. The coyote checked out the trail ahead by climbing again to a lookout, and then wandered on, watching the ground for a possible meal and noticing bird movements in trees. The coyote continued walking on until it saw someone approaching on the path ahead with two large dogs. At this point the coyote slithered into a dense brush area and was gone from my view. The approaching walker and dogs never saw the coyote.

So, this coyote wants to stay away from people: it froze to avoid being detected by bicyclists and it did the same when a runner went by; it walked off when people approached, it checked out trails before taking them, descending into secluded or brushy areas when people were on the paths ahead. Only the two parents with kids noticed the coyote for a few brief moments. Although the coyote did pass towards the father and son, they were high on a rock and on a totally different “level” than the coyote. I have noticed that “levels” create an added degree of removal in the coyote’s and in human eyes.

This was the third day in a row that I had found this coyote in the same area at close to the same time, and it made me feel uneasy — a kind of fear for its safety. Although the coyote had been on a bluff overlooking what was below, at the same time it was right next to a path on the bluff which put it on the same level as walkers — not “one level removed”. The path is not heavily used, but on this last day there eventually were two bikers, a runner, a mom and son, myself, and someone practicing Tai Chi Chuan — all within less than an hour. On other paths, main paths, there was a dog walker with two dogs and a father-son. Again, this was right before noon.

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