I read that 'The Coyotes may have mistaken her for a deer'
More stupid than my dog then.
Must have been an awful way to go.
More stupid than my dog then.
Must have been an awful way to go.
coyote attack
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Dogs are sensitive to this "time", so an animal, that is essentialy wild, looking for a food source, is certainly going to pick up on it.
Rob
Rob
I live in Kansas, which is a part of the Great Plains, and coyotes are about as common here as rabbits. I have never heard of a coyote attack on anyone in this state. I have read of attacks by coyotes on domestic dogs, cats and small children is some states. I have also read that they are encroaching into populated areas, but that does not seem to be happening here.
I can not speak for how the coyote is viewed by the conservation authorities in Canada, or for that matter, in such states as California. But I can tell you, that here in Kansas they are regarded as a "Fur Bearer." Essentially, this means that they are somewhat protected. There is a "fur bearer" hunting season. They may be shot, trapped, or hunted with dogs during the season. Consequently, they have a healthy fear of humans, and flee at the sight of a person.
Absolutely no one here has any fear of coyotes or even gives them any thought at all. When out camping, as soon as it begins to get dark they will begin to howl. First one then one, by one, others chime in. It can be quite loud. It has a scary, creepy sound to it, if you have never heard it before and are unfamiliar with coyotes.
This attack is, quite frankly, so odd to me that I really don't know what to make of it. However, I think it is probably rooted in these animals losing there fear of humans, due to not being hunted. Nevertheless, I have personally never witnessed aggressive behavior on the part of a coyote.
What Dogwood says about them getting larger is borne out by my personal experience. When I was a boy (many moons ago) all the coyotes that I ever encountered were in the size range of small dogs, and always looked scruffy and malnourished. The ones that I see now are generally somewhat larger and appear better fed. I encountered one some years ago that was about twice the size of any coyote that I have ever seen prior to that.
Still, a very odd and disturbing account.
I can not speak for how the coyote is viewed by the conservation authorities in Canada, or for that matter, in such states as California. But I can tell you, that here in Kansas they are regarded as a "Fur Bearer." Essentially, this means that they are somewhat protected. There is a "fur bearer" hunting season. They may be shot, trapped, or hunted with dogs during the season. Consequently, they have a healthy fear of humans, and flee at the sight of a person.
Absolutely no one here has any fear of coyotes or even gives them any thought at all. When out camping, as soon as it begins to get dark they will begin to howl. First one then one, by one, others chime in. It can be quite loud. It has a scary, creepy sound to it, if you have never heard it before and are unfamiliar with coyotes.
This attack is, quite frankly, so odd to me that I really don't know what to make of it. However, I think it is probably rooted in these animals losing there fear of humans, due to not being hunted. Nevertheless, I have personally never witnessed aggressive behavior on the part of a coyote.
What Dogwood says about them getting larger is borne out by my personal experience. When I was a boy (many moons ago) all the coyotes that I ever encountered were in the size range of small dogs, and always looked scruffy and malnourished. The ones that I see now are generally somewhat larger and appear better fed. I encountered one some years ago that was about twice the size of any coyote that I have ever seen prior to that.
Still, a very odd and disturbing account.
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I used to live near there in Nova Scotia and i be the locals would have been as shocked as anyone else. It's a lovely part of the world
Coyotes filling some kind of wolf vacuum is BS. Its not in their nature to hunt in packs. On the rare occasion, they have been known to stalk humans. Again, RARE. Although being canines, they are a social animal, they are also generally lone hunters.
Mountain lion attacks on humans are very common. Usually when the food supply suffers from a rough winter. When they come into town, local house cats and little Muffy tend to disappear. Small children must be watched closely also. That's why I pack a firearm when out in the hills.
Mountain lion attacks on humans are very common. Usually when the food supply suffers from a rough winter. When they come into town, local house cats and little Muffy tend to disappear. Small children must be watched closely also. That's why I pack a firearm when out in the hills.
Coyotes filling a wolf vacuum is BS? I don't think so. There were numerous studies done in several areas (Yellowstone included) on Coyotes hunting practices in the absence of wolves (and in the case of Yellowstone, after the wolves returned). The old natives who live near me tell me that the coyotes operate in a loose pack structure, where several of the beasts live in one area and know each other; they largely hunt alone for small game but will band together for a larger meal if poss.
Like wolves, they're way bigger in the flesh than you imagine them in your mind. Coyotes where I live are slightly larger than a medium sized dog. I'd say they're capable of doing some damage if they wanted to.
Poor girl. Maybe they attacked her becasue she they saw her as a threat to they're young. Its only a guess though.
I would disagree with that.
The native wolf population in the Eastern Canada was hunted into extinction during the 1930-40s, as the western coyote moved east to take advantage of the available food sources they have grown larger than their western cousins.
Here in Nova Scotia these predators have been a nuisance to farmers and made a severe impact on the white-tailed deer population since the 1970s although there have been no attacks on humans until now.
The location of this trail where the young lady was attacked is in a National Park where hunting is not permitted. Moose are the large prey for the coyote in the area and the searchers looking for the "guilty" coyotes were forced to shoot several other very aggressive coyotes. This aggressive behavior may be the result of the coyotes hunting moose, or be due to the fact that these animals have lost their fear of humans through contact on this popular hiking trail. The young lady who was attacked was less than a few hundred meters from the car park when she was discovered.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/27/ns-coyote-attack.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/28/ns-coyote-attack-died.html
It's not just "some study" these are observations by wildlife biologists that are happening all over the relevant regions.
And those of us who are around coyotes all the time can attest to changes in morphology and hunting behavior as well.
Take a smallish "traditional" coyote from the Southwest US and compare it to those in the regions where they used to be held in check by wolves (and where they are changing) and you'll see it for yourself. And the behavior of the Southwestern US coyotes is different than those who are in the areas of change in the North and East.
If you simply call something BS because it doesn't confirm to your existing world view, you end up missing out on all kinds of fascinating things
By the way, I'm not saying people should start being scared of coyotes -- they don't worry me in the slightest, despite this sad event.
I'm just saying that paying attention to what's happening is a good thing.
Moose? Wow. I've never heard of coyotes going after something bigger than a deer. The idea that coyotes -- even in a pack -- could take a moose (other than a juvenile) shocks me.
If you can recall any source material that talks about this, can you post it? I'd love to read about that
I cannot find much source material other than local word of mouth - juvenile and calf attacks only...
http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/large-mammals/mmoosefaq.asp Item 21 refers to potential coyote predation (you have to undestand that the Deparmant of Natural Resources here went from completely denying a coyote presence to placing a bounty on them the same year in the early eighties).
The newer strain of coyotes that are now part of the Eastern American continent are very different from the western species.
Their genetic makeup is a mix of coyote, hybrid dog and wolf (through the hybrid dog) and affects their behaviour.
Unfornatly this young lady was attacked, and even though she tried to fight them (2) off succumbed to her injuries but this was not the first time such a close confrontation has taken place.
Locals have suffered numerous encounters with these animals.
Their genetic makeup is a mix of coyote, hybrid dog and wolf (through the hybrid dog) and affects their behaviour.
Unfornatly this young lady was attacked, and even though she tried to fight them (2) off succumbed to her injuries but this was not the first time such a close confrontation has taken place.
Locals have suffered numerous encounters with these animals.
C
chrispychris
Guest
very sad just shows another use though for a good stout stick and/or a knife to keep at your side but maybe she tried to run away and it triggered a prey reaction or she upset them in some kind of way e.g. they had pups or she tried to save a prey animal from them still it is sad that she was enjoying nature and it was nature which killed her
