Rendezvous, Almost – by Charles Wood

02 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote barking, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, family interactions, reactions to a human, video

Friday I saw four of my Los Angeles area coyotes, all more or less together.  Before twilight, Mom and Bold headed north from the nesting grounds to the rendezvous area.  Then Mister showed up to bark as I followed them.  I hadn’t seen Mom since June 13 and at that time she appeared to be traveling alone, as did Bold on June 30.  I often see my coyotes either singly or paired.

Although two coyotes together aren’t unusual, three suggests my pack may be gathering for a rendezvous.  At dusk a fourth coyote showed up, Shy.  Eventually the three yearlings moved out of sight, like Mom who hadn’t showed herself since before twilight.  The only adult I didn’t see was Dad.  I reasoned he must have been with the new puppies and hoped they would head towards us.  They didn’t.  Perhaps Mom went to join Dad and the rendezvous was rescheduled.  Or perhaps there is another rendezvous area and I delayed them moving there to join Dad and the puppies.  In any case, I didn’t see Dad and the puppies.

My presence is definitely seen by my coyotes as involved and the behaviors I see are mostly of their interactions with an involved human who brings his dog.  It was my dog who introduced us, and my interest in coyotes sprang from my interest in their field as a playground for my dog:  not a good start, a start that won’t be overcome.

Once I attempted to break Dad’s misimpression by playing tag with my dog while Dad watched.  I was thinking he would possibly be persuaded that we were cool.  There was no sign of reappraisal, his unamused glare embarrassed me.  Mom expresses Dad’s view, as do Mister, Shy and Bold.  If they have a theory of my mind, it wrongly informs them that I share my dog’s desire for their food.  Yet admittedly, given certain hypotheticals, I would eat their food though they could hardly know I wouldn’t relish it.  Then again, with a flame, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and a dill pickle I can conceive of their food as enjoyable.  I concede they know me in my essentials as well as they need to.

Mister

From time to time I’ve seen coyote life seemly unaffected by my presence.  For example, some crows once buzzed Mom.  She moved her gaze off me and onto the crows, sauntered from the road into wild mustard and returned to gazing at me as the crows moved on.  I had expected a more energetic defense by Mom.  Later I realized that crows can’t fly through wild mustard and that her defense was elegantly parsimonious.  My imaginary defense against buzzing crows, flailing wildly as I thought she should have done, would have been untutored.  It didn’t occur to me that Mom knows crows better than I do.

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.

Mister Reprimanded?, by Charles Wood

20 Jun 2011 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, family interactions, hierarchy

Dad and Mister

Sunday at twilight Dad spotted me as he was coming down his Los Angeles area road.  I was on the bridge to his north about 225 feet away.  He paused and then kept coming.  He stopped again to sniff.  In a moment, he resumed his trot and Mister came from the brush to join him.  Mister is new to me though he has been with his parents and sisters all along.  Dad made Mister get down as shown in the “Dad and Mister” photograph.  Soon they were up and both trotted across my bow, Mister coming first.  I had seen Dad first, Mister came out on the road and got in trouble, then Mister led them away, apparently doing as he had been told by Dad.

Was Mister truly in trouble?  I can’t know.  Until yesterday I didn’t know that Mister was there, had confused him with his sister Bold, and had thought he therefore was female.  There is room for getting simple facts like gender incorrect, so my story of Mister and Dad’s complex behavior has plenty of room for other interpretations.  For example, Mister may not have seen Holtz and me on the bridge and Dad may have been communicating my presence and a danger assessment to Mister.  Both continued on, Mister in front. As they went camera left, both glared at me, Dad with his neck and shoulder fur flared to make him look big.

The one thing I consider clear is that Dad is in charge of his son Mister, whether reprimanding Mister’s misstep or warning Mister of what they both have come to regard as a concern:  Holtz and me on the bridge.

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.

“I’m Outa Here, but ever so slowly. . .”

14 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in communication, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, reactions to a human, video

When to move if dogs are coming down the path? Well, it is important that they see you. After all, this is your territory and they need to know that. So you lay there watching them and they don’t see you, so you stand up. You continue to watch them, twitching your ears — they are coming slowly, so you have time for this.

Someone tries to scare you off, still at a substantial a distance, with a yell — heard on the video at about 20 seconds. This might be a good time to think about going, but not lickity-split. The time finally comes to leave as the dogs move in closer. But, first, it’s important to have a very visible stretch, and a yawn, so that all those who might be watching will know that you are not afraid and have not been pushed into leaving. You take one more back-glance, and then you trot off at a good clip, but definitely not at a run.

A Deliberate Smoke Screen?

05 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, group activity

Howling, screaming, fretting and fuming after having been approached by a couple of dogs: this is what a coyote’s distressed barking sounds like. It went on for a long time — 20 minutes — and it was loud.

The interesting thing this time is that, although my eyes were fixed on this coyote which was drawing attention to itself, when the noise stopped, someone else noticed another coyote slowly and surreptitiously making its way  away from the area. Had this screaming coyote been drawing attention to itself in order to allow the other one to safely withdraw from the area without being seen? The other one was not a puppy, but it was definitely a juvenile that might have needed protection.

“Not Welcome” Behavior?

01 Jun 2011 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs

Here is coyote behavior which I’ve been seeing more of lately. A coyote appears to be going about its own business when it becomes aware of a walker and dog some distance away, maybe 200 feet or so. The coyote stops what it is doing, trots closer to the walking pair, and follows, getting closer and closer to them. Neither owner nor dog is at all aware of the coyote following and getting closer. Usually, at some point, the owner senses the coyote, turns around and shoos it off — noise, making yourself big, flailing arms and charging back at the coyote. The coyote takes the hint and moves on and, importantly, the dog and walker continue on rather than linger at the scene of the encounter.

Once I saw a coyote actually go all the way up to the dog. The dog and owner were totally oblivious to what was coming up behind them, until the coyote actually poked or touched the dog — maybe even nipped the dog — the dog squealed from the surprise encounter. This is when the owner turned around and shooed the coyote off.

In this behavior, the coyote very carefully avoids the gaze of the human — he gets as close as he can to the dog. When detected and faced by the owner, he heads off.  I’m not sure what the coyote’s purpose is: however, coyotes are territorial and may be messaging a “not welcome” message. I have seen this happen only with medium to medium-small size dogs — let’s say about the size of a coyote or a tiny bit smaller. In one case, I was told, there were two coyotes who actually approached and knocked a dog off its feet. The owner told me that her dog now stays right next to her when she runs in the park. In another instance, there was such an incident involving two coyotes. After being shooed away, both pooped and urinated on the path right where the dog had walked. Pooping and urinating are how coyotes tell you that this is their area.

It seems that at this time of year, whether there are pups or not, coyotes are out defining and redefining their territories, making sure that all four-legged comers know that the area already has been claimed and is owned.

The important point to remember if you have a dog is that having your dog follow you is not the best way to keep your eye on your dog’s safety. One walker told me that he always has his dog in front of him, where he can keep an eye on him. This is a probably a good bit of advice. Better yet, keep your dog leashed on a short leash and right next to you in a coyote area.

Fleeing

27 May 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler 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.

Purposeful With Pups Around, by Charles Wood

25 May 2011 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in care for the young, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote reactions to dogs, coyotes defending themselves, pupping

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.

Keeping A Safe Distance And Watching

03 Apr 2011 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coexisting with coyotes, coyote reactions to dogs

Here is a relaxed coyote watching dogs and walkers from a safe distance in one of our parks. Coyotes are curious and can be especially so about dog activity. Interest for this coyote perked up whenever there were dogs in the distance. The more active the dog, the more intense the interest. Very active dogs running off leash put the coyote on alert for fleeing, but as I watched, this time, the coyote never had the need to run off. Some people and dogs saw the coyote as it sat there, and some were totally oblivious to it. If this had been a mom with pups, and had she been chased, she might have felt the need to chase back and “herd” a dog away from herself or a pup with warning displays or even a nip to the butt.

Most hikers I’ve spoken to have told me that they actually look forward to seeing wildlife during their walks, including coyotes. The most responsible dog owners will glimpse a coyote and then head back, rather than get any closer to one who is out: this is to prevent the possibility of any antagonism developing in the first place, especially if they know young coyotes are around.

In some parks coyote activity dwindles to almost nothing at this time of year. I’m supposing that this has to do with it being pupping season. Extended coyote family members are all busy contributing to a new family by bringing food to any new moms. But even where there are no new pups, the coyotes are keeping more hidden at this time. However, last year at this time, we noticed that for the previous year’s litter, which were a year old — “teenagers” — coyote activity continued as usual! Teenagers of all species like to be out exploring and testing their environment! It’s part of the learning experience and part of growing up!

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

31 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler 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.

Rushed By A Dog

04 Mar 2011 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, coyotes and dogs, dog reactions to coyotes

dog rushes a coyote who begins bouncing up & down in a display warning; it worked because the dog turns back here

Coyotes want to be left alone. They do not want to be approached and they do not want to be rushed or chased. Everyone knows how their particular dog will react to a coyote right after their very first encounter with one.

In this instance, a coyote was up on a hill relaxing and minding its own business — watching everything from the distance. It was off the beaten path and therefore out of the way. But as this unleashed dog came over the crest of a hill, he immediately spotted the coyote and rushed it. This is not a new activity for this dog, he has done it before. What is a game for a dog, is not so for a wild coyote. Without coming after the dog, the coyote made a few short feint rushes, bounced up and down, scratched the ground and had its hackles up. The coyote was doing all it could to communicate its needs: “don’t come after me, leave me alone.”

The dog understood, because it didn’t get any closer than what you see in the photo — the dog is actually turning to run to the safety of its master as I clicked this shot. The owner grabbed the dog and leashed it, and they walked on. This incident could have been easily prevented. If your dog has ever gone after a coyote, you need to keep your dog leashed — this is the only way to be responsible and fair to all involved: your dog, the coyote, yourself, other dogs and other walkers.

Observation About Dogs & Coyotes by Daren Sefcik

27 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, dog reactions to coyotes

It is very useful for people to know that each coyote and each dog react individualistically towards the other — Daren’s dogs show two reactions. When coyotes approach a dog, they are probably being curious — assessing what is going on. It is best to scare them off as Daren does. That they approach from behind means they are being careful — this is their preferred method of approaching a dog, since the tail end of a dog doesn’t bite!!

I have seen the coyotes in “my” canyon for the last fifteen years or so while walking my dogs. Only the last couple of years with my new dog have I had any issues and really the issue is that he is nuts, crazy for chasing them. My older dogs never cared much, we would see them lounging in the sun and all was good between us. My new dog however is quite different. I have begun to be more curious about them and have started taking pictures the last year of the canyon and all of the wildlife in it. It is not a park but instead a protected watershed area and very few people frequent it, only a few dog owners and mountain bikers. It has year round water and a lot of bird/rodent activity. The coyotes are present everyday and while I am unsure how many actually live there, I have seen up to 5 at one time but usually it is only 1 or 2 and they will usually pop up behind us or on a hill just above us. I have never seen one approach us from the front. They have come as close as fifty feet or so, I usually have to yell to get them to go off, they seem attracted to my dog, not me. My dog is a big 100lb sheppard-husky mix.
On the nights or mornings when they start yipping and howling my dog will chime in with them. To me this is strange because he will not do it at any other time, not even when all of the other dogs in the neighborhood are howling, it is actually kinda cool to hear him. . . he thinks he is wolf. When I played the sound bites from your website he got up and got all antsy, looking up in the backyard for coyotes (sometimes they walk the small hill in our backyard). I have noticed in the last few months that one lone coyote will bark, bark, bark for awhile, and then many others start to join in and then they all start howling.

Interest Shifts Away From Dogs

24 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs

Starting in January, I noticed a marked change in coyote behavior regarding dogs: the coyotes seem to have lost interest in them. Coyotes no longer came out to sit on a hill to watch dogs as they used to so frequently. They don’t do it at all now. Hmmm. In the past, I frequently witnessed one or two coyotes walking purposefully towards lookouts where they went to keep tabs on what was going on, to simply enjoy the “dog show”. But today, the exact opposite occurred: a coyote was walking away from one of its lookout areas as dogs began coming into the park — seemingly to avoid the dog issue entirely.

Watching the dogs had been only part of what was going on for the coyotes. It seems that coyotes had been placing themselves where they could easily be seen. In a way, they appeared to be affirming that this was their territory — they were out there almost inviting or daring any dog to challenge them — a sort of “test” — in order to find out about the dogs. I think the coyotes were assessing the attitudes and energy of the dogs, and evaluating their own positions in the territory. This is all speculation, but, after seeing it happen this same way so often, this is, to me, what appeared to be happening

This is mating season, and it is dispersal time. Possibly these new activities have become all-absorbing ones.

As A Rule, Dogs and Coyotes Don’t Like Each Other

30 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, dog reactions to coyotes

Please see article on “Canines, Wild and Tame” written by JoLynn Taylor of WildCare. She states that  “dogs and coyotes don’t like each other.” This information is fundamental and needs to be known and understood by all dog owners so that they may act in their own and their dog’s best interest by keeping these two canines well apart. Please read about how easy it is to coexist with wildlife by simply following logical guidelines posted at the top of this blog.

Coyotes Reacting Differently To Different Dogs & People

12 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in communication, coyote barking, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs

Today, from a distance in the park, I heard joyful coyote greetings and howling in response to fire engine sirens, a not unusual occurrence in urban areas. However, by the time I got to the scene, the howling and high-pitched squeals of delight had turned into a low-key distressed barking session due to the appearance of one of the few hostile dogs & walkers who could be seen about 500 feet away. The coyotes kept looking in that direction. The hostility of this particular pair comes from the unleashed dog continually chasing coyotes, and the owner who, even at large distances, throws stones at them.

The barking stopped when the walker and dog, still in the distance, disappeared behind some trees onto another path. The coyotes relaxed and waited: they knew the normal route of this walker and dog would be in their direction. When the walker could be heard imminently approaching, both coyotes silently slithered further away and up a cliff  to behind a brushy area where they were partially hidden and less likely to be seen. After the walkers had passed on by, and after a few more walkers passed by, the coyotes, which had not been detected by any of them, slowly moved off and disappeared from view — they had waited there, watching and on alert, until all danger had passed.

While the coyotes had been relaxing before this dog and walker got close, another walker without a dog came by — she was thrilled to see the two resting coyotes. She told me that if I had not been there to point them out, she would have missed them because of their camouflage. The coyotes allowed us to admire them. Coyotes are very aware of individuals and dogs who frequent the park — they know what to expect from each individual dog and person and they act accordingly. Today these coyotes protectively increased the distance and hid themselves from a hostile dog and walker. If an antagonistic dog is not on a leash close to its owner, an alpha coyote could take the opportunity to repay previous antagonistic behavior towards itself, rushing close to the dog with a warning display. It is best to grab your dog and move on. Alpha coyotes have been known to nip the rears of dogs to make their message more forceful. Please beware that these are messages — it is the only method a coyote has of telling your dog not to get close or come after it.

Maintaining A Safe Distance From Walkers

01 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler 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.

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