Coyotes

by Jane S, Rob, Susan, Gary, June M, Cinzia, Lucky, PLT, Blane
(Barrie, Brantford, London, Bradford, Toronto, Woodbridge, Etobicoke, Fontill, Lindsay, Hartington)

Jane S from Barrie reported ... our house backs onto the ravine between Crimson Ridge Road and Taylor Drive (aka Wilkins walk). Today at noon I saw a Coyote prancing by. At first I thought he was a dog, as there are many that go by on the trail back there. Then I realized, he was no dog and there was no owner. I just thought I would share since I was surprised to see him in broad daylight. I had just been walking up there not 30 minutes earlier with my dog. Keep your dogs on leashes neighbors!

Rob from Brantford says ... for accurate information on fur bearing animals including Coyotes, please contact the Fur Bearers ... The Fur Bearers. They lost their homes because we built over them so stop treating them like pests and learn to live side by side with wildlife.

Susan from south London wrote ... I was sitting out around 7:30 this morning in the Jalna area of London. What I'm sure was a Coyote jumped my neighbours six foot wood fence ran a straight line to the back and jumped the four foot chain link fence effortlessly. It was reddish with some black tinges.

Also from London, Gary said ... Well, our small dog disappeared last night. Very unusual since he has had the same routine for 12 years. He went outside and within 3 minutes, we heard a painful yelp, and then he was gone, vanished without a trace. We can think of no other explanation, other than coyote. We live on Baseline Road between Richmond Street and Wharncliffe Road in London Ontario. Highland Golf Club is close to us. Has anyone else in our area experienced a disappearance of a pet recently?

Gary, I am so sorry to hear about your little dog, that must be terrible for you.

From Bradford a reader wrote ... Last Friday, my large dogs and I were followed out of the gravel pits behind Joe Magani Park on the 11th Line Bradford by a coyote. While I don’t believe it intended to attack us, it was scary at the time, and I strongly recommend that anyone with small dogs or children avoid the area for the foreseeable future. They are in the area behind the soccer field. Animal Control has been contacted so I hope notices will be posted, but it is also possible the animals will be shot. What I believe happened is that a bonded pair has a den in the area. One of the two (larger, so probably the male) followed us for nearly a quarter mile and twice ran at my male Belgian Shepherd (who looks like a coyote) when he stopped behind to face off with the coyote. It rammed him but did not bite him. The smaller one (female?) stayed in hiding after I saw her briefly.

Wow, that must have been a scary encounter!

June M from Toronto wrote ... I was visiting a gravesite in Mt. PLeasant Cemetery, west of Mt. PLeasant, south of Merton Ave, last Thursday at 10 am. I was approaching my car parked on a narrow road when I caught the glimpse of a "dog" roaming along the narrow road and went by me. I noticed he did not have a leash or collar on, he was a beautiful red colour, very stately and elegant as he roamed ahead. I suddenly realized I was looking at a Wild Dog. I was astounded! I quickly got into my car and drove to the Cemetery office, I spoke to a women about what I just saw, she was unperturbed and said "It's a Coyote, they roam the Cemetery, they won't hurt you". I was not so sure about that! I had never encountered a Coyote ever before. I am 82 years old. And, NO it was not a Fox like my family keep telling me, it was a slim Red furred large wild dog! Sorry I do not have mobile phone to take photos.

Thank you, June, for writing to tell us about your Coyote sighting at the cemetery.

Cinzia R from Woodbridge wrote ... I was walking my dog in the neighbourhood early on Thursday morning. Normally my dog walks a few feet away from me but when he lags back I think he's found something to eat. I spent some time trying to basically drag him and when I turned around to see why he wasn't moving, I noticed that about 10 feet away from him was a golden coyote - they were just eyeing each other. I made some noise and the coyote darted away but truthfully, it was a little unnerving when it shadowed/followed us for a bit. And then again on Friday morning, at a different spot in the neighborhood - I think it was the same golden coyote, once again it was eyeing my dog. I'm actually beginning to wonder if it's just a dog that someone let loose as it's not aggressive-it seems more inquisitive.

Cinzia, I'd be wary, if it is a Coyote they will pretend to play with your dog, with the intention of encouraging it to follow it back to the bush or forest where it's family are waiting.

A reader from Etobicoke wrote ... I spotted a Coyote walking down a sidewalk at 6:30 am on a busy street in Etobicoke. This is not the first encounter of this animal around these streets, so I guess he has made a home of the neighbourhood. As I stopped to get a picture he looked and then ran away. I could see he was more afraid of me than me of him. Nice to see wildlife amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Chances are that he and his family have been in the area for generations, but we have built our cities and subdivisions where they live, so hopefully, we can learn to share the same space, with some care on our part.

Lucky from Fonthill wrote ... the reason I start with coy-wolf is the size, it looked bigger than my 60 lb American Pit Bull Terrier, more like a German Shepherd. I was walking my dog off leash in the woods in Fonthill, Ontario, following motor bike trails to find my way. My dog was ahead of me about 500ft and that's when I saw a coy-wolf? about 1000 ft away. The coywolf was walking alone on the same trail as me and my dog coming toward us. Again not a coincidence on being on the same rare motor bike trails, lots of forest to go around. The coy trickster came purposely toward my dog made a loud yelping sound (playing possum) and then turned and ran in the opposite direction all purposely done to bait my dog to run after him. As we know his fellow mates would be waiting (they don't travel alone) for my lone dog. I'll say again this was all part of a hunting plan not a random accident. My excited dog wanting to see what I'm sure he thought was another dog, so he took the bait and went to run after the coy-whatever. Luckily my dog listened to me and came back when I called him, sensing the serious tone in my call. Are coyotes usually this brave to face a dog being of a weight of 60 lbs and coyotes are between 30 and 45 lbs max to risk injury. Like I said it was German Shepherd size, braver, bigger and certainly more aggressive to bait my dog with me coming in closer from a distance. Me and my dog now on leash continued the same way we were going on the trail to leave the woods on alert and saw nothing. The coy-wolf? trickster and mates I did not see again, but I'm sure they were still watching me and my dog, but they bothered us no more. The odds of me with my dog not worth the gamble I guess. Thankfully for me and my buddy.

PLT from Lindsay wrote ... I was walking my dog one morning in a soccer field with a small wooded area to the south. He came out of the woods onto the walking path - I stepped behind an evergreen tree with my dog to watch him - he looked around, walked up the path 30 feet or so, then disappeared back into the bush. He looked to be in good health.

Blane from near Hartington, Ontario, wrote to tell us about his backyard visitor ... we have seen a coyote behind our house on two separate occasions! About a year ago a large one was near our woodshed, standing still, as if waiting for something?? Maybe our cat?? Or our small dog? We also saw one pass through our yard about 3 days ago. We live about 20 miles north of Kingston, Ontario. They really seem to be losing their fear of humans.

Thank you all for sending us these reports of your Coyote sightings.