Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

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Owen
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Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Owen »

OK, just having some fun with a previous thread. No maliciousness intended... just for fun.

I was checking out a small squirrel filled rock outcropping about fifty yards off the trail when a coyote came up from below, saw me and my dog and then started barking at us. I spent three minutes snapping some pictures and then I turned to move on. Funny thing is, the coyote followed. I tried to check another outcropping, but looking for crotes would have been tough while watching my dog and the coyote as well, so searches abandoned.

I recognized her as the old female that I saw last year. I spent ten minutes photographing her at that time. I noticed something different about her this year- visible elongated nipples. There must be some pups nearby.

Anyway, I crisscrossed the field, the trail and she followed the entire way, for twenty minutes and maybe a quarter mile straight line distance (more with my serpentine path). When we were walking with backs toward her, she would speed up into a trot getting as close as about thirty feet away. I would turn and she would just stand and bark at us. I had to start yelling at her. My dog never got excited.

There were never any signs of aggression. Just barking and following to the end of her turf. Another coyote (her mate?) was barking from the hilltop a few hundred yards off. Once we were 'escorted' out of her territory, she stopped. Total encounter was 26 minutes from first picture to last. Here are three:

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Here's where she stopped and flopped.

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Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: To Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Beautiful pictures! Do you think she was tailing you because she was nervous about her pups, or is something else going on? Is this escorting behavior typical?
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Owen
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Owen »

I think she had her den nearby, so she was following us until she felt we were no threat. Seemed a quarter mile was a bit much to leave an unprotected den, but they gotta hunt too, so I guess the pups can sit for a bit.

Here's the girl last spring. No following, but she stopped just above the pond when she saw us and started the barking routine. They look like pretty big animals until they get close and then you realize that they're only around 40lbs (my dog is 64lbs, but the same height). You can see the worn down canines:

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Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: To Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

That's awesome. I always love your mammal shots.
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JAMAUGHN
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Re: To Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by JAMAUGHN »

I concur. Excellent shots, and an intriguing encounter.

JimM
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PNWHerper
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by PNWHerper »

Owen,

She was definitely escorting you away from the pups and clearly expressing her displeasure with proximity to the den. I think, however, that you were not the problem. It was the dog at your side. Coyotes will openly chase dogs away from their den areas. Barking is all she could do, as you were too scary to her for her to out right chase your dog away. I have heard/read many similar stories about this kind of interaction.

This makes sense, if you consider that historically wolves where the main predator/competitor of coyotes and coyote pups. In Yellowstone, wolves literally cut the coyote population in 1/2 when they established themselves in the park and continue to keep coyote numbers at a more balanced level. :shock:

So, not surprisingly the wolfs closest relative might be perceived as a threat to new pups. ;)

Thanks for sharing and great photos! :beer:
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El Garia
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by El Garia »

PNWHerper wrote:Owen,
Barking is all she could do, as you were too scary to her for her to out right chase your dog away.
Fil,

Let's be honest, and not dance around the obvious! Owen tall... look like Sasquatch! :lol:
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Owen
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Owen »

She definitely was different this year than last and when she flopped in the grass along the trail at the 'bend', I pretty much figured she was just making sure we left.

I think that I'm more Yeti than Squatch, but those Coys just see me as something 5x their size.
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Josh Holbrook
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Josh Holbrook »

Exquisite pictures. Thanks for posting em' - I've been tailed by coyotes before as well in Connecticut. Obviously not thinking of me as a meal, but they can be curious animals.
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Mr.Talltree
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Mr.Talltree »

Owen,

Those shots are fantastic :crazyeyes: ! Thanks for posting such a great encounter.

Luke-
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Owen
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by Owen »

Josh Holbrook wrote:Exquisite pictures. Thanks for posting em' - I've been tailed by coyotes before as well in Connecticut. Obviously not thinking of me as a meal, but they can be curious animals.
Yeah, you got big ones out there. I'm pretty sure there is a smll percentage of wolf blood in some of those Northeast ones. They always seemed bigger to me when viewed from a distance, but when this one came in to about 30 feet away, I could see it was only a 30-35lb animal... as tall as my dog, but 50-60% the weight.
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pete
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Re: Too Close for Comfort II - or - Stalked by Coyotes redux

Post by pete »

Here are a few crappy cropped shots of a really dark eastern here on the cape. they are quite a bit bigger here than the western states, males can push 65lbs or more. this guy has been shot at before so he kept a couple of hundred yards between us all the time. as you can see he was not impressed by my interest in him :lol:
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Owen, those are some great shots ! :thumb:
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