Encounter with Coyotes

[IronBucks]

I was out scouting some farm land near the southern ADK's and setting up a trail cam last night and I had an interesting encounter.  I was walking back home at dusk and I saw some movement off in the distance.  I thought it was two fawn at first and then I realized they were coyote...about 75 yards out.  I tucked back behind a tree just to watch them for a bit.  They were walking straight at me and I wasn't sure what to do if they got close as I am fairly new to coyote country and I was only armed with a bottle of Gatorade.  As I was deciding what to do about 5-6 more of their friends rounded the bend right behind them.

 

So...my question is what do you do when you encounter a pack of Coyote?  Are they generally scared off by humans?  

 

This made me a little nervous about jumping them pre-dawn when I am only armed with a bow.  I live hear this farm and we can hear the coyotes howling on some nights but I've never actually encountered them.  

[blackradio]

I think if you kept walking towards them they would have backed off, but who knows. I had a coyote stalk  me when I was a kid as I was in my driveway playing with rocks. It was about 10 yards from me, walking slowly up the driveway and I turned around and saw it and at that same time my Dad saw it from the porch and screamed at it, and when I turned back around it was gone. I guess I was an easy meal.

[ncountry]

There are a few spots that we hunt in the northern adks that have more coyotes than deer. Seems that way anyway.. I personally wouldn't be worried.. even in packs they leave pretty quickly when they realize what you are.

[growalot]

I had  pack surround me going into a stand in the dark one morning..scared the ba gee gees out me...when two circled me...I shook the action on my browning and they moved off...and I ran for the stand till light...DEC said they circle before attacking...I use to keep my hunting clothes in the goat barn....DEC said I was on the breakfast menu...Needless to say...I stopped doing that!!

Yotes are like any animal that gets use to humans...they become bolder...I wouldn't worry as much in low populated areas verses high ones...and any animal in a pack is bolder than a single as far as pack animals go...unless it's sick

[t_barb]

you take your 9mm of your hip and make some noise...

[bluecoupe]

Any yote I see is a dead yote if possible.  I take them to a friend of mine who's rather down on his luck these days and he sells the skins.

[RangerClay]

 

 

So...my question is what do you do when you encounter a pack of Coyote?  Are they generally scared off by humans?  

 

 

 

I NEVER enter the woods unarmed for just that reason.  Had a small pack of wild domesticated dogs turn on me once.

Edited October 4, 2013 by RangerClay

[IronBucks]

So are you better off making noise...standing still...running...taking time to empty your shorts?  

[IronBucks]

No pistol permit unfortunately...

[Pygmy]

Any coyotes I ever came in contact with were gone as soon as they knew I was there.

[ncountry]

Lol...How many of you guys grew up or live in the cit/town ? Sorry if it offends, hard to convey attitude over the internet.Growing up in the boonies/woods, I always get a chuckle out of threads like this. There is always the off chance of an animal becoming aclimated to humans or sick.. I'm betting your odds of being attacked by a coyote in NY is only a fraction of a percantage point higher than being bit by a shark.....in the Adks

[growalot]

Well I live in the woods...had them come into the goats and chickens just yards from two shepherds and during the day to kill them  they killed neighbors sheep and another turkeys just steps from their house and dogs...during the day...had them running down the drive across street to the house as I left for work....down at camp we had them come in as we were setting off a fireworks display....when they pack they are much bolder..and poohoo all you want but the chances of running into ANY sick wild animal is good if your in the woods often...I have had the dogs save me more than once from other packed up domestic dogs...skunk...raccoon(several times)

Knowing what to do or not to do is the only smart thing to do when going into someones elses home...

 

Yes first...make noise..then if unarmed make sure you grab the nearest available long branch...and never take your eyes off them as you are backing away....

[bluecoupe]

I understand your point ncountry. I was born and raised in the woods of NW PA.  Encounters with black bears were very common.  Everyone swears that there are no mountain lion in the area but I saw one once staring down at me from the top of a cliff.... 

 

Attack wasn't the reason for my statement about killing any yote I see. It was because they proliferate like bunnies but are far more harmful than the little cottontails. Hopefully we won't have to start dealing with feral hogs as well.

 

 

[ncountry]

I understand your point ncountry. I was born and raised in the woods of NW PA. Encounters with black bears were very common. Everyone swears that there are no mountain lion in the area but I saw one once staring down at me from the top of a cliff....

Attack wasn't the reason for my statement about killing any yote I see. It was because they proliferate like bunnies but are far more harmful than the little cottontails. Hopefully we won't have to start dealing with feral hogs as well.

I'm with you there. I try to kill everyone I see also..

There is one spot we hunt that you can walk 4 miles in and cross 2 deer track and at least 1/2 dozen coyotes.

[verminater71]

that feeling you got, is exactly why I hunt coyotes, I love it, let's you know your alive

 

imagine they cut loose in the brush 50 yards behind you at 2:00 in the morning, in ptch dark, yup now I'm ready to go

 

with that being said, they won't bother you, if you just stepped out into the feild, you would of seen just how fast they can run

 

 

[Pygmy]

 

Well I live in the woods...had them come into the goats and chickens just yards from two shepherds and during the day to kill them  they killed neighbors sheep and another turkeys just steps from their house and dogs...during the day...had them running down the drive across street to the house as I left for work....down at camp we had them come in as we were setting off a fireworks display....when they pack they are much bolder..and poohoo all you want but the chances of running into ANY sick wild animal is good if your in the woods often...I have had the dogs save me more than once from other packed up domestic dogs...skunk...raccoon(several times)

Knowing what to do or not to do is the only smart thing to do when going into someones elses home...

 

Yes first...make noise..then if unarmed make sure you grab the nearest available long branch...and never take your eyes off them as you are backing away....

 

Geeze, Growie... I do hope you have a pistol permit..

Anybody that gets attacked/threatened by as many critters as you do should be packing 24/7...

Perhaps you should change your cologne or something..

Have you been wearing " I'm vulnerable, ATTACK ME" or something similar..??..

[growalot]

Just because I'm out there every single day...we...as my pics show...have a lot of wild life here...and a lot of idiot dog owners as well...I've learned not to smell like any thing in the woods now......It's just life Pygmy....been like that since I was just a little kid..I attract strange sheet...including looney ppl....Lord those stories would really get ya..... lol

[thphm]

A neighbor of mine a farmer always packs a pistol when letting the ilvestock out in the morning and putting them away at night.Both her and her husband have hade coyotes following them.

[Pygmy]

I hear ya, Growie...

I'm serious about the pistol permit, though...It's a lot easier strapping a handgun on your hip than carrying a long gun or having to resort to a stick to defend yourself.

I carry a firearm nearly all the time when I'm outdoors, and I've never had much of anything attack me, except when I was asking for it...Like wading in to help the coonhounds in hand to hand combat with a big coon, or crawling on my belly under a wrecked car with a bayonet to kill a porcupine, or picking up a live horned owl... hehehehe..It's a wonder I survived my missspent youth.

I got lots of tetanus shots when I was young, dumb and bulletproof...

I'm no longer young or bulletproof..Just dumb...<<grin>>...

[beachpeaz]

Saying they aren't dangerous is irrisponsible.  Do dogs attack people?  you betch ya.  A coyote is a wild, large dog.  They kill deer which are larger and more dangerous than a human (unarmed that is).  I would never just assume that a pack of them wouldn't decide to test you out.  I am always armed in the woods. I have some trail camera pics of some stinkin large coyotes right by my tree stand.  I think about it every time I walk to it in the dark...lol.

[ncountry]

Saying they aren't dangerous is irrisponsible. Do dogs attack people? you betch ya. A coyote is a wild, large dog. I think about it every time I walk to it in the dark...lol.

100% correct, not sure on the irrisponsible part.. your odds of being attacked by a dog is far greater even if encountered as seldom as a coyote..Everytime someone leaves the safety of ones bed, you put your own life on the line.. It seems to me that there are things worth stressing over and some not.. I guess it all comes down to perspective.. In my experiences they are harmless towards people for the most part......on the other hand I would be the 1st to jump,scream like a little girl, and possibly shoot a man eating snake if it got to close..lol

[cynthiafu]

i had one charge me when i was sitting in the woods for deer season . it never seen me till it was real close when it saw me it snarled and came straight at me . i shot the thing and it die still snarling

[Jeremy K]

Lol...How many of you guys grew up or live in the cit/town ? Sorry if it offends, hard to convey attitude over the internet.Growing up in the boonies/woods, I always get a chuckle out of threads like this. There is always the off chance of an animal becoming aclimated to humans or sick.. I'm betting your odds of being attacked by a coyote in NY is only a fraction of a percantage point higher than being bit by a shark.....in the Adks

 

Its cool , we laugh at country people that come to the city for a outdoor show and watch how scared they are when they park by the projects on niagara street and someone asks them for money.

[asav2013]

IV shot coyotes that were cornered before , if they were gonna attack you ,,they would have and we wouldn't of been having this conversation, first coyote I ever killed was 6" from the end of my barrel in a culvert, even been,surrounded out coon hunting , only time id be worried is if I stepped in a den,full of pups and mamma was around then it could get Hairy real quick,

[ELMER J. FUDD]

You gotta be the WOLF! Oooooooooohhhh!