I'm writing this down so I don't forget when it happened. It was on this particular morning, at approximately 6:35 A.M., that a coyote (Canis latrans) was out walking across the street from me. I think it was a female and she was sort of trotting on the sidewalk directly across from me. I measured it, she was 43 feet away. That's 13.1 meters. She came up from behind. That's the closest I've ever been to a coyote. Docken and I were talking on the phone and it was quite the interruption. I've seen coyotes here many times, it's not hard to figure out where they've migrated from, there are canyons as little as two miles away and I'm sure this area was home to coyotes well before human suburb development and intrusion but it's still really freaky to see a wild canine in your neighborhood. Especially running along side when out on my morning constitutional. She slowed down once she was a couple of houses in front of me, crossed to my side of the street and had me thinking about following her direction--I mean, it was my route too. Anyway, she rounded the corner about 45 yards (41 meters) in front of me and once I got there (I had slowed down considerably) she was no where to be seen. Keep your pets inside folks, she wasn't out for exercise.
The coyote is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological niche as the golden jackal does in Eurasia. Wikipedia
Mass: 15 – 46 lbs (Adult)
Speed: 35 – 43 mph (Adult, In Pursuit)
Fastest man: 23.35 mph
Me: I don't run anymore. I can muster a modest jog for maybe 100 yards/meters if so inclined. Okay, maybe a short dash but I'm not testing that.
This is one of my closest previous encounters with a coyote and I was easily 50-60 yards away.
I walked 2.8 miles, smelled skunk for about 1/2 a block and got barked at by some annoying little mutts that bark at anything that moves and whose neighbors hate them.
Here, puppy! Aww... nice doggy! Maybe next time bring some treats?
ReplyDeleteWe're roughly in the middle of the coyote mating season, when coyotes are more aggressive but 6:35am isn't at all late to see them out and about here. I opened our back door one morning a couple of years ago after 9am, with Pipig at my heels, and encountered one within 2 feet of me. It would be hard to say which of us was more startled but the coyote took off. We also had a coyote steal our newspaper from the front driveway after 7am one morning - we know because we checked the security camera in a effort to see if someone walking the neighborhood had snatched it. We've also seen them as "early" as 3pm in the afternoon during pupping season when they have families to feed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I used to live on Calvin Ave in Tarzana, we lived right above a small canyon and would see them fairly frequently especially at night. Believe it or not, they are now making an appearance in suburban New Orleans. They seem to hang out close to the river. Nasty creatures.
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