Coyote Country: myth vs fact

Jeffco Open Space Visitor Services Manager and myth buster, Mary Ann Bonnell, deconstructs the behavior, habits and biology of coyotes as they impact Jeffco residents. Understand this urban predator and how we can better co-exist with them in part 1 of 3 of the series: Coyote Country.

[RealFudd]

She never explained where coyotes get the money to buy Acme products.

[stevegrooms]

As someone who has dealt with a lot of myths about wildlife, I expected to cringe through this video. Instead, it was superb. Thank you, Ms Bonnell. I had a friend who raised sheep in a brushy part of our state (Minnesota) where coyotes are common. She used to watch them closely. When coyotes on her land went for the sheep, she went after them. When coyotes set up on her land but showed no interest in sheep, she left them alone.

[chipsutcliffe]

We actively follow coyotes in our community instead of just trying to look large and chasing for a few feet. Otherwise, they will learn they don't have to go far when they are chased. But if you continue to follow them as long as you can, they feel like prey instead of a predator. They stop and see if you are still following them. I have obviously hidden behind a bush so the coyote could see me laying in wait, and it absolutely freaked the coyote out. I watched it run away at full speed... This works!!!

[swagger]

Yes coyotes are hard to identify because they almost never carry I.D. A clear violation of the law.

[neh]

Thank you. I personally love Coyotes, my neighbours not so much. Every month I see another post in our suburban newsletter stating "the Coyotes are back". I want to scream. I'm a nocturnal animal lover and I know for a fact that the same mated pair have lived in harmony in our area for years. I'm going to send this post to all of our board members.

[BushmasterRaZ]

I once saw a pack of raccoons beat the shit out of a coyote. It was a sight to see.

[bsjcook]

We live in the mountains of Colorado, and raise a few chickens. We have to completely cage the chicken run due to the many predators that would eat them. Our philosophy is that we live in a zoo, and we are in cages so that the natural wildlife can live in their way. It's worked for us for over 19 years.

[chapiit]

Some hate them, some love them. One thing's for sure, that they will still be here after we all are long gone.

[abstractplace]

I seen three coyotes standing on top of each other in a trench coat trying to get into a theater

[mwbrada]

I used to work the overnight shift at a small midwestern hospital. Some nights, as I walked into work I could hear coyotes singing, getting ready for the hunt. It was glorious.

[valkimber]

Everyone knows coyotes are super-geniuses that have a fetish for killing roadrunners and sometimes, rabbits.

[little_lion_heart]

i lived right outside of Death Valley as a kid and the coyotes were pretty scrawny since it was a desert area. In the neighborhood they would show up near any events, neighborhood cookouts and such. They waited a few hundred feet away hoping when the people left there would be food left over but they weren't aggressive and remained fearful of people. They didn't come after pets and children in backyards. now i live in florida and they are a bit bigger here and will take a cat or small dog if they get the chance but still are very people shy and will run if they see you.

[tommywilliams]

I came home one night after watching a movie at a friends house and on my front step was a dog that really looked like a Coyote but ended up spending 12 years with me. I miss him he was unbreakable I respected that dog so much.

[GrnXnham]

I live in a rural area. One night after dark while I was jogging on a road near my house, I heard something behind me. I looked back and there was a coyote about 50 feet back that was chasing me. I imagine that it saw me running and that predator/prey instinct kicked in and it gave chase.

When I saw the coyote, I turned around and charged at it while performing the meanest sounding growl that I could produce. The coyote tucked it's tail between it's legs and took off.

[Atzy]

That's a very urban coyote at 10:03, he even looked both ways while crossing the street XD

[KFrost-fxdt]

I like watching them. I used to do security at night and would shoo them off the sites often. It was pretty pointless though. The workers left food and trash everywhere and this attracted mice, which attracted the coyotes. They would just come inside after I left the immediate area. I took it as a good sign. If the coyotes were acting normally that probably meant there were no theives or vandals around.

[jeffbingaman]

So a coyote diet consists of anything in abundance.

[travisg]

You can't misidentify a coyote yelp, it's so distinct, almost like a hyenas laugh, and in the middle of the night right outside Superior, Arizona, you'll get woken up to hundreds of thousands of them screaming into the night. It's a very scary experience especially if you camp alone.

[taekwondotime]

There's some bad advice in this video. #1: Coyotes vary depending on where you live. They're larger in Canada (for example). #2: Coyotes often CROSS-BREED with wolves to create Coywolves. #3: Coyotes can attack and kill adult humans, and they have. That's a fact. Don't ever underestimate what a coyote can do. It's like a medium to large sized dog (again, bigger in Canada). They also have packs, so they might not be alone. #4: Coyotes most certainly DO hunt at night. They are most active at dawn, dusk, and at night. #5: Coyotes are out in the day as well in areas with minimal human contact. #6: Coyotes use train tracks, trails, and other "quiet" areas to move around urban areas. #7: Coyotes will attack and kill small dogs, cats, and potentially human children. For sure. Again, don't ever underestimate a coyote. A hungry coyote will eat ANYTHING.

[pychohobo]

This is funny.
First I'm really rural.
I've had coyotes 20 feet from me, at the same time 20 feet from dogs. They, the coyotes just keep digging.
I though it was odd. My dogs didn't attack them, and they didn't attack me or the dogs.
The coyote around me travel in 2s and 3s, but there are far more then that. My guess is around 50 of them. At times I hear them 360 degrees around. But now seem to stay at least a half mile away. A few months back I seen some feral dogs, I think they are pushing the coyote back. Which I'm not happy about since they coyotes seem to have a live let live attitudes with me.
Ones around me appear to live on rodents and rabbits.
Someone may ask why I don't mind the coyote. Here is why. Coyote eat rodents. Less rodents means less snakes. I have a lot of rodents and snakes.
I use to have a couple eagles around but haven't seen them in about 3 years. When the eagles disappeared the snake population boomed. Last eagle I seen was a little one that flew into my house.