Sounds like the coyote wanted to join in the fun...

JohnE

I wonder if it was using Acme rocket-powered skis?

We have lots of coyotes even around here, in the outskirts of the Chicago suburbs. They've never bothered us and I'm glad they're eating those rodents (and roadrunners). I do worry that they'll get a little too used to humans since they are so protected (I suspect shooting one would be illegal here, but don't know that).

I think I read somewhere that coyotes used to be, by nature, pack animals, and as Europian-based civilization spread across North America, the impact of human hunting/trapping forced them to live more solitary lives. Supposedly now that they are more protected they may be moving back to living in packs. I know around here we hear them howling in small packs (families?).

Ken

"Lions and tigers and bears oh my"
Once again, higher carnivores; bears, wolves,men share a adaptive feature beyond tooth and claw. it is highly individual personalities.
Coyote, Canis Latrans, aka God's dog was once a regtional canid restricted to roughly Arizona-Utah-New Mexico.Coyote was kept in check largely by another carnivore we eradicated known as Canis Lupus, the wolf.Coyotes have taken over the void by the wolve's eradication and have evolved a number of adaptive strategies, including pack behavior.And coyotes will respond like any other predator to the flight reaction, which a smaller child on skies certainly invokes.
My ranch had a resident coyote named Suzy, readilly identified by
the rare genetic defect of a fifth foreleg growing out of one elbow. Suzie loved to eat avacodos, rats and sit in the arena watching us lope horses. A big male coyote came in one night during foaling and Suzie knocked the snot out of him when he charged a colt.This is the wolf individual that gave us canus domesticus, or snoopy.
You want coyotes back in their old range? bring back the wolf- and grizzlies in Los Angeles for that matter. They might give some of our gangs pause.

Been a long time since I heard a reference to old Wile E. Coyote... made me smile.

Yeah odd bunch of animals. remember Quizno's?

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5184045

That kid will remember this experience lol

*laughs* Years ago, NPR had a piece about a massive number of tiger cubs going to the humane societies and the like in Texas. The only thing I could think of is "pity they are too stubborn to train for police work." THAT would get someone's attention, particularly after the first time the tactical team gives someone the option of surrendering or they'll send in the cat.

And I agree, trying to predict what one coyote will do is pretty hard. This one probably wasn't looking to play fetch, but rather find out how humans were moving so fast. But I've been wrong trying to outthink them before.

Ironraven,

Here is where they went. It is an incredible place for these animals. If ever in the Tyler, Texas area and enjoy big cats, do stop in.
Tiger Creek

"...join in the fun..."

I think you might be right. I have seen coyotes playing with all kinds of stuff. On the other hand, he may have been foaming at the mouth...

Funny thing is, there ARE wolves in the LA area! I went to school in Orange county, and one of the teachers had a wolf from the yellowstone area, part of a breeding project.

It was quite the treat to see/pet one while in 7th grade. The thing is massive. Talk about a good guard dog. Hmmm... wolf... or some wussy domestic dog?

Excellent!! I'm glad they found a good place to be.

Even if I still think that a tiger in kevlar and sheild would have a strong deterrent effect.

Or maybe a S.W.A.T. Monkey????

Monkey, maybe, for placing cameras and the like.

I'm thinking that if a tac team sent in the TacCat, there would be a few screams, some growling, and a request for toothpicks. The second time, they'd come out...

When I lived in AZ, I actually saw a Coyote chase a Roadrunner- it was dawn on Old Spanish Trail in Tucson. I nearly wet myself laughing.

We used to note- there are few stray cats in Tucson. But plenty of hair filled scat.

That idiot mom, I sure hope someone reported the coyote chase to authorities. Coyotes chasing humans, even small ones, and especially where big humans are around, seems to me to be rather unusual. Could be the coyote was just curious, could be something was wrong, very wrong.

As a rule, wild animals that don't act wary of humans, especially ones that are much smaller than a full grown human, would have me suspicious about maybe having rabies or some such. In any case, she should've made it a point to tell someone in authority, rather than leave to some other poor sod to deal with. Irresponsible and self-centered actions.

Yes, we have coyotes in our neighborhood, big ones. They might come after my puppy or the neighbor's cat, but not if I or anyone else in the hood is nearby. They watch us close, and if we even act like we are going for a gun they bolt. Maybe this one knew better, but coyotes going after humans in a place where other humans are just don't seem right regardless of the setting.

It doesn't sound good. Every coyote I have encountered has run away long before I got close.

Two local coyotes "play" with our German Shepherds along the fence. They all run back and forth yipping at each other. Having been around dogs my whole life, it looks like play to me. I don't worry about it much. They all seem to get board after a half hour or so and then sit around looking at each other for another half hour. Then the coyotes walk away. The coyotes usually come around if I leave the dogs out for more than an hour.

The coyotes always run away if they see me. I guess it is a "Dogs Only" game.

Tahoe is a very crowded place. I'm sure many people who live there feed the coyotes, either deliberately or by leaving garbage, cats or small dogs available for them. Coyotes who have been raised near people like this see people as a source of food (indirectly, anyway) and sometimes don't really seem to fear them an awful lot. I knew a woman who finally stopped feeding them when she started finding one repeatedly sleeping on the chaise lounge on her patio every night, waiting for breakfast to be served.

If it was rabid, it isn't too likely that it would have been scared off.

Coyotes tend to travel in family packs until the kids go out on their own.

“There needs to be a warning out there. Some people from the Bay Area thought they could approach them and pet them. They look like little fluffy foxes.”

YIKES!

Who skis wearing a cowboy hat???

Sue

"Who skis wearing a cowboy hat???"

Come to Colorado and you'll see plenty. Some even do the Papa Munz routine (vis a vis the guy who got his picture taken hanging upside down on the ski lift).

I was just home from the military. My decidely Yuppie community began finding the gruesome remains of cats 'ritually placed' along the greenway bordering the Golf course.A lady claimed to see 13 black robed satanists with candles walking along the ridge at night. A police pathologist examioned the remains and declared a 'person skilled in anatomical dissection with acccess to hospital tools did the gruesome deed.'
Men with handguns began pulling over teenagers and raiding the local lover's viewpoint, demanding to know who the satanists were at Westlake High School and forever traumatising many a teenager's future love life.
A newly graduated Ventura County deputy, of proud chicano stock attended a local Junior college class on 'the occult' and was declared that agency's 'expert' on the local covens.
Finally, F&G looked at the remains and the local officer ( pulled from a long investigation in the nearby forest tracking down a marijuana farm killing every pot chewing deer he could see) examined the foresnsic evidence, looked once and said 'yup, coyote' set some live traps and soon took out what is still a record sized,very fat male with several cat remains inside him.
Shortly thereafter, THE AKASHIC RECORD New Age bookstore and channeling parlour with coffeeshoppe opened and scientologists began knocking on my door late at night.
As my late horse friend, Mr Richard Widmark remarked " this used to be a nice quiet place to escape Los Angeles, and damned if Los Angeles hasn't shown up on my front porch.'

Coyote is a brush wolf?
I was always more worried by stray dogs.

I didn't know coyotes were satanists. I always figured they'd be animists...

I think that they are naturists, they never wear clothes...

As I explained to my girlfriends two little boys: To any self respecting predator a kid in clothes is a packed lunch....

A group of coyotes kept me company in the Hamilton Range one morning a few years ago. They wanted to know if they could have my breakfast, I suppose. I told them no, but they hung around anyway, sitting quietly, watching me eat, as I watched them. They actually had me surrounded before I even noticed them; about 4 in a group to my south, and individuals in a semi-circle around to the east and north. There was a creek and a steep hillside to my west. They never closed closer than about fifty feet, though, and gave way when I got up and started walking down the trail. I thought it was pretty cool at the time. I don't recall feeling at all worried, although, in hindsight, I suppose I should have been.

Jeff

That could be a scene from the movie Dances With Coyotes!!!

The ranch dogs around here ignore the coyotes, pretend not to see
them, because they previously had been taught a lesson.

My dog will chase a coyote out of the yard, but no further for
the same reason.