Just saw a coyote

[DerekW]

So it's a little too late (past 2am) in the evening. Had a couple of cocktails and went outside for a cigar before bed.
I live in a small town, yet suburban area, in southern Ontario. Right on the Michigan border.
I'm sitting in my lawn chair on the deck, my little shihtzu in my lap.
Now, I'm in a typical neighborhood, not out in the country. But behind my house is a large empty lot, maybe half an acre, and surrounded by houses. About a 1/4 mile from me is a golf course, which borders a somewhat large sized park with lots of wooded areas.
I've seen coyotes a couple time late at night driving around.

So anyway, I'm having a cigar, and hear what's obviously an animal running through the dead leaves and trees in the lot behind me. Surprisingly loud, as in, not a cat or raccoon.
I'm tb'ing at the time, so I put my iPhone against my chest to darken it so I can see the back of the yard better in the darkness, my lil pup sound asleep in my lap. I've got a solid 6'high wooden fence around my yard, and I hear the clatter of claws against it. Somethings coming... I'm still thinking coon as I've seen a few huge ones around, but they are much more stealthy.
I can hear it it take another try at the fence, then once more, and boom... there it is, a full grown coyote in the yard, maybe 20 yards a at from me. I tense and slowly reach down and pin my pup to my legs, don't want her to suddenly see it and jump towards it. Fortunately, she's a shihtzu, so she just sleeps through it.
I slowly straighten up to get a better look, and even in the near darkness, it sees me immediately, takes two steps over about 15', hits the top of my compost bin, and over the 6' fence in a flash.
it was like a friggen parkour pro making that leap.

Moral of the story... My dog doesn't go out in the yard at night unless I'm with her.

 

[Jim Nazium]

Was he chasing a road runner?

 

[RED J]

Moral of the story... My dog doesn't go out in the yard at night unless I'm with her.

Words of wisdom. Somebody lost a dog to a coyote ( s? ) about 1/2 mile from me.

I know a guy who grows huge gardens that had them eating his watermelons and cantaloupes. This being rural Tennessee, they got Winchestered.

 

[blastoff99]

^^^ Dine in or take out? I'd kind of like to see a coyote make off with a melon.

 

[bolophonic]

I found a pile of coyote poop on my trail this winter. I was not stoked about that, but what are you going to do?

 

[Sgt. Rock]

Coyotes can clear a 6 foot fence like it's nothing, and they aren't solitary animals. There are more out there, and probably were, you just didn't see or hear them.

They are also wicked smart. They will call your dog far away from you, run him and play with him until he's too tired to defend himself, and then the entire pack will descend out of the bushes for the kill.

Keep a close eye on your critters. Consider some predator control measures if it's feasible. Best of luck.

 

[kobass]

I live about an hour south of Boston near the coast. We have plenty of them around here. My indoor/outdoor cat has been indoor only for the last year after a couple of close calls. Here's a few of them in the yard across the street-during the day...

 

[Skeezix]

They are everywhere and getting bolder.
I read a story a few years ago about a guy who runs a pizza
place in Brooklyn, NYC. He was talking about this scraggly
dog that wandered in and curled up under a table to get a nap.
He called animal control and they came out and removed the
coyote from his restaurant.
Netflix has a good documentary about the coywolf that is a good watch.

 

[two fingers]

Yeah we live outside of town in a neighborhood that was originally inhabited by families who all owned horses. The yards are big. We have Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom in our yards. Bear, coyote, snakes, etc. I haven't had to use it in a while but when we ride around the trails on the golf cart and get out to explore I always have something that goes boom tucked in the dash with a towel wrapped around it. And if I am working my property the small one is in my belt.

 

[10cc]

I've seen a wolf once in person. After seeing and hunting coyotes they were nothing compared to the wolf. This wolf was mesmerizing. He or she was very big and majestic. Me and my wife stopped and watched the wolf for a few minutes.

 

[DerekW]

Yeah, I've seen 4 together once crossing the road late at night, and there's been a few dogs and cats disappear over the years.

It's interesting, I think she actually went into the neighbors yard first, then mine. We both have dogs.
I'm think she was checking to see if either was out.

In related news, I came home for lunch a couple weeks ago, and there was a turkey in the back yard.

I'm thinking my dog would give a pack of coyotes a run for he money. Vivacious hunter that she is.

 

[Robroy]

We hear them pretty regularly when they've caught something. We did have one meander by our bedroom window a few months ago, but I actually rarely see them. Same with foxes. The possum are everywhere, though.

 

[DerekW]

If you can see the video, you'll see the back fence and at the end, the corner where the compost bin is.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

They're pretty skittish on their own. But look out when they're in a pack. They'll send one lone female into our yard to lure our dogs back to their pack. They're smart and sneaky AF.

 

[DerekW]

yeah there was a lot of footsteps back there in the dry leaves, there might have been more back there and this one was a scout

 

[Sgt. Rock]

They're pretty skittish on their own. Buck look out when they're in a pack. They'll send one lone female into our yard to lure our dogs back to their pack. They're smart and sneaky AF.

yeah there was a lot of footsteps back there in the dry leaves, there might have been more back there and this one was a scout

That's the standard M.O. Your dog thinks "Hey, I found a new friend to play with!" He runs and runs and plays hard. Then when he's panting like a diesel engine and ready to collapse from exhaustion, his new friend signals the pack and they swoop in like lightning and it's game over.

Crazy smart animals.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

I think we've put a healthy fear into our dogs. But our cat is stubborn and likes to corrouse at night. I worry about him.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

I think we've put a healthy fear into our dogs. But our cat is stubborn and likes to corrouse at night. I worry about him.

 

[DerekW]

Fortunately Sophie is an indoor dog, and only goes outside to do her business, and usually I'm not up that late. She only stays outside when I'm out there. So I'm not too worried about it, but pretty disconcerting.

 

[kobass]

The last time my cat had a close call he was on our deck. He spotted something in the woods and was getting ready to jump off the deck to go after it. Luckily for him I was out there and saw that it was a coyote. I grabbed him just before he could take off. This was about 8:30 in the morning.