Another reason to carry

[JIMinPHX]

Here in AZ, we don't get killed by coyotes. We carry handguns. I guess that it's different in Canada.

http://www.spinner.com/2009/10/29/folk-singer-taylor-mitchell-killed-by-coyotes/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl2|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spinner.com%2F2009%2F 10%2F29%2Ffolk-singer-taylor-mitchell-killed-by-coyotes%2F

Folk Singer Taylor Mitchell Killed by Coyotes

A teenage folk singer was attacked and killed by two coyotes in a national park in eastern Canada.

Taylor Mitchell, 19, was attacked while she was hiking alone in Cape Breton Highlands Park, Nova Scotia, when she was attacked by two of the animals on Tuesday. She died of her wounds on Wednesday.

Nearby walkers heard her screams and alerted park rangers, who arrived on the scene and shot one of the animals. The other has yet to be found.

[KCSO]

I would guess coy dogs as they are much more agressive than coyotes. They must have really been something as I find it hard to picture one of our 50 pound coyotes killing a full growed person.

[1Shirt]

KSRO may well be right as here in Ne, I doubt I have ever seen a yote that would go much over 50 lb. However, I do recall seeing a picture of a coyote that was shot on the east coast back in (I think) the 30's, that went close to 100. It is also possible that the animals were rabid. Have not known of rabid yotes, but it is sure a possibility. Years ago in western N.Y. I shot 3 or 4 fox that were rabid. Just a thought!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[JIMinPHX]

Here in the desert, I usually see the yotes running around 35 pounds or so. Back east, I've seen them more in the 65 pound range. When those 65 pounders get to hunting in packs, they can be a bit dangerous. Those little dogs are smart. They know how to work together.

I've noticed that the deer tend to get bigger as you go further north. I wonder if that's true of the yotes too. I know that Alberta has some monster bucks. I wonder how big the dogs are up there.

[Bret4207]

The coyotes here are much, much larger than those I saw out west. They gang up just like wolves. I can;t help but wonder if this poor girl was squatting over or something to make her look smaller. Coyotes have pulled down half grown heifers and calves get taken each year. We lost at least 20 lambs and goat last year to coyotes.

FWIW- biologists say dogs and coyotes won't interbreed. Of course they though lynx would live in the High Peaks too when they tried reintroducing then 20 or so years ago-, so I take it with a grain of salt.

[BD]

While I had the tannery in Maine I spent a few years knee deep in coyotes. Even shot a few myself. 100 pounders were not uncommon. And many of them had gray/white wolf coloration, although not the facial hair characteristics of the canadian gray wolves. Maine IF&W biologists always maintained that there were no wolves in Maine. One year a "sport" shot a large gray coyote over his bear bait a little north of Greenville. He and his guide both thought it looked a lot like a wolf so they took it to a warden. The warden also thought it looked like a wolf so he sent it for DNA testing. Turned out it did have wolf DNA, and the sport paid a $4,000 fine for shooting it. After that all of the coyote hides I received for tanning were redidsh brown, no more gray/white ones :)

Ten years later, DNA testing is more common, and the biologists decide to study Maine's coyote population. They DNA tested several hundred 'yotes. Every single one of them tested positive for wolf DNA.

I've seen coyote hides with coloration a lot like german shepards as well.

BD

[MT Gianni]

The quote I love is :"It's very unusual and is not likely to be repeated," Bancroft said. "We shouldn't assume that coyotes are suddenly going to become the big bad wolf."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114261110
You would assume that NPR would have edited this statement.

[adkpete]

I've trapped many coyotes in the Adirondack Mts of NY that went over 65 lbs
My dad once trapped one that went 85 lbs and had a track about 4" across
I have been told by our state biologists that our eastern coyotes have wolf DNA mixed in with theirs, That would probably explain a lot of their pack behavior and agressivness.

[Ricochet]

My wife saw one come up to the gate of our deck late one night when she was out smoking. Described it as like a good sized dog. She thought it was a wolf. Scared her. The ones I've seen have been smaller.

[Ed Barrett]

My son who lives outside of Schnevus N.Y. put out a game camera two years ago. He went back 5 days later to check it. It had 16 pictures, 2 of deer, and 14 of coyotes carrying turkeys. He thougt there were some coyotes around but had no idea how many until then.

[HNSB]

Reading the comments on that article, I saw what I expected to see... Some animal rights yahoo saying that it's our fault that animals attack people.

If we would only go back to the stone-age none of this would ever happen again... :rolleyes:

[HNSB]

I've noticed that the deer tend to get bigger as you go further north. I wonder if that's true of the yotes too. I know that Alberta has some monster bucks. I wonder how big the dogs are up there.

That is true for most mammals. It's called Bergmann's Rule. Basically an animal with a larger mass to surface area ratio is better able to survive cold temperatures.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bergmann%27s_rule

[blackthorn]

Unfortunately we have had primarily a Liberal government in this country like forever!! Liberals love coyotes (both two legged and four!). Right now we have a minority Conservative government that is making some headway in fixing the two legged problem but given our history the next Liberal government will botch that up! Rant over! Back to original topic---the coyotes around here look like they would be in the 40 to 50lb range, and there are lots of them. We had them in the city on the coast and we moved to Kamloops 5 years ago along with two cats that live outdoors. So far both cats have survived but our neighbors have lost several cats since we moved here.

[montana_charlie]

"Nearby walkers heard her screams and alerted park rangers, who arrived on the scene and shot one of the animals."

If 'nearby walkers' had rushed to the scene, and spent their time throwing rocks at the coyotes, while awaiting the arrival of park authorities, the victim may not have suffered enough damage to be fatal.

Sheep will bunch up and bleat when predators approach. Human sheep will bunch up and call 9-1-1. But, only human sheep go for long walks in the wilderness, hoping to see the predators.

CM

[dualsport]

..."heard her screams and alerted park rangers". UNBELIEVABLE! It would have probably been easy to save her, if they'd just tried. NEVER go unarmed, anywhere. There's always something you can legally carry, even if it's just a cane. Bare hands is last choice.

[Crash_Corrigan]

Here in Vegas Coyotes are common and numerous. For a time I lived in a retirement community where the local coyotes had a great diet of healthy rabbits and house pets.

I have seen them in packs 6 or more walking through the golf course in Sun City as bold as brass early in morning.

My wife and I used to take our two dogs on walks through a local park like canyon inside the Summerlin area called Cottonwood Canyon. It was new and had paved sidewalks and native desert plants but was artificially watered.

Rabbits and small rodents were plentiful. The coyotes loved it. They had water, food and cover. The time period was '96 through '02. I habitfually carried a Smith 586 on a hip holster with extra rounds in belt loops. There were signs prohibiting firearms in this municipal park but during all the years of walking there I never found a cop nor a telephone to call one.

We would drive to the park and unload the dogs and take a walk up and down the canyon in the late evening around 2130 or later and spent 90 minutes or more just enjoying the cool evening temps and letting the dogs run free. They would usually stay within sight and would come when called.

One evening a lady walking a small Yorkshire Terrier expressed her dislike of my obvious weapon and told me off. I told her "so go ahead and call the Police....there are none down here nor are there any phones. However there are coyotes that would love to make your dog a snack.". She huffed off in a different direction and we continued on.

An hour later we met again. She apparently did call the police as there were two officers and a four wheeled police vehicle in the park. They were in the picnic area talking to her and she was upset and crying and complaining.

One of the Officers walked over to us and advised us that a couple of coyotes had attacked her dog on the leash and had taken it along with the leash and scared the lady half to death. They wanted to know if I had seen any coyotes there.

I advised him that I had seen coyotes there almost every night for the past four years and that was why I was carrying a gun. He advised me that there were signs posted prohibiting firearms there and I laughed. He admitted that he also would ignore the signs if he was walking there with his pets as well.

During this time period the normal amonts of rainfall had been forthcoming from the skies and the local rabbit population was soaring, along with the coyotes.

We are in our 6th year of drouth in this area and you can hardly find a rabbit in the local deserts and also the coyotes are missing as well. Only in the man made parks and local neighborhoods were watering is done and where people leave pet food out can the rabbits and coyotes exist.

We used to hear the coyotes howling at night all around us back then but recently you doubt there are any here at all.

Photos: One very healthy coyote we found in the canyon on a Sunday afternoon, three dog couch depicting Snickers a small Chocolate Lab, Tarzan a full sized Golden Ret. and Mello a Whippet Black Lab mix. Sadly only Snickers remains. Rabbit in back yard. Current attack trained Chichuahua "Sgt. Rambo". He is my current trailer mate and companion. He thinks he is 200 pounds and dislikes everyone except me.

[August]

We see 'em here in Tucson almost daily. They rarely appear in packs during the day.

I'm more concerned about feral dogs and desperate people, but I usually carry the aluminum Smith or some tear gas when out for my morning walk.