Yes, that has been my experience as well.

Though in the extensive urban parks in my general area, it's worth noting that coyotes have not only made themselves at home but have lost essentially all fear of humans. Unlike rural areas, where they are still cautious/respectful for obvious reasons (blam!). I would not trust urban coyotes where a small child was involved; they are gifted opportunists, and have enormous talent for showing up the second your head is turned.



Yes, these are much larger and apparently bolder than the coyotes I see. There was an extremely rare fatality a few years ago in Cape Breton IIRC, where two coyotes attacked and severely injured a lone hiker, who later died of her injuries. Memory is fuzzy, but as I recall the coyotes later shot by wildlife officers were around 100 lbs. each.

Not even a little.

We have a pack that beds down on some of our undeveloped property, outside our compound fence. Every evening between 10 and 11 PM they sing a little song. I look forward to it. Sometimes its just happy yipping, other times they are trying to mimic a local sound like a passing train. They are quite the vocalists.

Usually before dark, they make a pass by an area of fence where my GSD's can see them. Our dogs like to wait for them and bark as they pass. It has become somewhat of a ritual around here.

So far, they have been good neighbors. I intend to keep their bedding area free and clear for them as long as I own the property.

My one confrontation with a coyote came when I was about thirteen. I was walking on a rural private road about a mile away from any structure when I noticed a coyote following me along the edge of the alfalfa field next to the road.

As I walked, I occasionally turned to look at the coyote. Each time I looked, it was a bit closer. Each time I looked, the coyote looked away, seemingly intensely interested in something it saw in the alfalfa. Clearly, this coyote was stalking me and trying to keep me from noticing this fact.

Unfortunately for it, I was on my way to the rifle range. When the coyote got within about twenty yards, I unslung my rifle, not intending to shoot unless the threat made it necessary. As soon as the rifle came into my hands the coyote found that it had urgent business elsewhere, and I didn't see it again.

Coyotes are pretty smart. They learn real quick what a rifle is. The slow ones don't get the chance!

They are not hunted in the parks and forest preserves around here so they get pretty brazen. The park superintendent at a local state park referred to them as "pretty friendly" in an email to me one time. I don't think they are friendly at all.

I was raised in the Texas panhandle. Never ever saw a slow coyote, in either meaning.

CA coyotes have learned to not sweat peeps. I've seen them at the local park come out of the brush and go out onto the grass to wait for the rabbits. I put a light on him and he didn't budge. OTOH, he didn't try to get closer either.

The light I carry lights up their eyes pretty well. Without those reflectors it would be difficult to spot them at night.

Coyotes can play havoc with the small pet population in a neighborhood. They can jump pretty good sized fences and get at your pets if they are not inside. My friend lost a couple small dogs this way--and this is in a dense suburban area.

Joggers in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco had their heels nipped by a coyote within the last several years. Probably been fed by someone and/or was defending nearby pups. Still, I believe the authorities went out and put down the coyote(s). There is talk of closing sections of Golden Gate Park during certain times of year to minimize problems. Off-leash dogs are a common trigger for coyote confrontations, apparently, when the dogs go running off into the brush where coyotes may have their dens.