From: STANLEY GEHRT [mailto:gehrt.1@osu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 5:33 AM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Re: FW: [New post] Spooked
Coyotes definitely bark when alarmed or when they need to warn others. They've done it to me, when I surprised a mother with pups. She barked repeatedly and stomped her feet, not advancing but not retreating, until all her pups were out of harms way. The pups scattered on the first bark, they knew right away what it meant.
Although that was not necessarily the case here, I'm sure they do it under different situations, including warning their family groups.
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 5:33 AM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Re: FW: [New post] Spooked
Coyotes definitely bark when alarmed or when they need to warn others. They've done it to me, when I surprised a mother with pups. She barked repeatedly and stomped her feet, not advancing but not retreating, until all her pups were out of harms way. The pups scattered on the first bark, they knew right away what it meant.
Although that was not necessarily the case here, I'm sure they do it under different situations, including warning their family groups.
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FROM; THE COYOTE YIPPS BLOGGER
All coyote barking that I have ever heard stems from incidents with dogs -- an intrusion of some kind. This distressed barking should not be confused with the joyful howls that coyotes are prone to. Here I'm referring to distressed barking caused by the intrusion. But the intrusion doesn't necessarily always involve an intentional intrusion.
Today, for instance, this coyote, who obviously was caught off his guard, became surprised or spooked when two dogs and their owner appeared within the coyote's safety range suddenly and without warning. The dogs had not chased the coyote at all, though there may have been canine communication of some sort -- by eye contact and body language. Dog owners are seldom aware of this communication. The spooked coyote ran off to a high perch where he began a long, distressed, and drawn out barking session. He was "bitching" and "screaming" to let everyone know he was upset, and this continued for a good long time -- until the "perpetrators" had walked on, far out of sight.
In this instance, when the coast had become clear, the coyote trotted off to another part of the path where he knew the dogs and walker would be returning, and waited vigilantly. I observed him watch them coming. He continued in this same spot until the dogs and owner were within about 150 feet, and then he stealthily slithered from view. There had been no barking the second time around -- that part of the incident was over.
This time the coyote just observed, to assure himself that the dogs and owner would be leaving in the same direction from which they had come, and maybe to let them know that he was still there!
Today, for instance, this coyote, who obviously was caught off his guard, became surprised or spooked when two dogs and their owner appeared within the coyote's safety range suddenly and without warning. The dogs had not chased the coyote at all, though there may have been canine communication of some sort -- by eye contact and body language. Dog owners are seldom aware of this communication. The spooked coyote ran off to a high perch where he began a long, distressed, and drawn out barking session. He was "bitching" and "screaming" to let everyone know he was upset, and this continued for a good long time -- until the "perpetrators" had walked on, far out of sight.
In this instance, when the coast had become clear, the coyote trotted off to another part of the path where he knew the dogs and walker would be returning, and waited vigilantly. I observed him watch them coming. He continued in this same spot until the dogs and owner were within about 150 feet, and then he stealthily slithered from view. There had been no barking the second time around -- that part of the incident was over.
This time the coyote just observed, to assure himself that the dogs and owner would be leaving in the same direction from which they had come, and maybe to let them know that he was still there!
Posts
19 comments:
Thanks for the information on barking by coyotes. We had one close by our house recently that barked for quite a while...and someone had just seen a young one that day, so maybe a barking mama.
glad you enjoyed!
I was walking in a midwest forest preserve with my dog and a friend with her dog. We surprised a juvenile coyote, stopped to observe him and he started barking. We took our cue and quickly walked away but he followed at quick trott and continued a high pitched bark. Our loud yells did not deter him nor did our two 80pound dogs who were leashed. He continued to bark loudly after we were out of sight . What do u make of this? What is the best way to deter a coyote if this happens again?
We have coyotes in the woods behind our house. At night, they do a lot of barking after reading your article maybe as dogs are let out in fenced acre plus grounds and they feel threatened. On the other hand we feel threatened as the coyotes can easily attacking our dogs. So two way street please. We have an influx of coyotes threAtening small animals, cats, dogs and small children.
Thanks for checking in.............As trapping and killing Coyotes only generates an even larger population of songdogs(two breeding females take over the territory of the killed off alpha female---as well as the Coyotes genetic response to their being more food available based on kill off other coyotes), best to "train" the exisiting coyotes that your neighborhood does not offer "easy food pickings"...........Birdfeeders, open garbage cans and any other human created foodstuffs must stop being an easy target for coyotes...........Keep dogs inside when not being walked..............carry a baseball bat or golf club and threaten any coyotes that you see.............You want them wary of you and neighborhood.......but killing them will only generate larger numbers of them
I live among the wild life in the country, of upstate NY. We hear and see coyotes all the time. Last night was the first time I have heard one bark, late at night, close to the house. The coyote was young by the sound of his yips and howl...then heard a couple barks. Went on your site to explore an answer. Now I know it isn't unusual and possible reasons why a bark. Possibly his Mom was around. We have an 80 lb. Dutch Shepherd in the house and the sounds were just outside the window. Mom would know the dog was here. We don't feed the birds or leave anything around as a food source...but fields and woods all around with a bay out front. Try to learn all I can to live among Mother Nature. Thanks for the info. I have subscribed to your site to keep myself educated. Love it up here!
This just happened this morning, I saw this coyote walking outside my pasture and then he went into the woods a bit stood there and barked at me. Here is a tape of it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSlhDExIG6w
Upstate NY one pretty place to soak in our natural world............thanks for sharing the "barking" story with us
Julie.............you were apparently getting too close to pups of the year and the mom or dad coyote telling you to stay clear!
I live on a small farm with sheep,birds and some cows. Recently the coyote population has changed,either expanded or decreased,but they have started killing my sheep and chickens only eating them sometimes. Do you have any advice?
Hi and thanks for contacting me.............Would need to know more about the circumstances surrounding this predation of your sheep and chickens........Are you grazing them differently as it relates to location on farm,,,,,,,,has any preventives such as guard dogs or fencing been removed from your property?............Has poison of any kind to eradicate rodents been used which would reduce Coyote natural prey?....You can use my name in contacting Eastern Coyote biologist Jon Way and perhaps he can provide more insight:
jw9802@yahoo.com
Good to know. Thank you!!
Was walking my two labs this afternoon and heard what sounded like a large dog barking in our rural Upstate NY neighborhood, maybe a 1/4 mile away. Our dogs are the only large dogs around. The same thing happened when we walked them this evening. Now I know we have coyotes in the area as they have been seen and heard yipping and howling but not barking often. When I came in the house after our evening walk, I went out on the porch by myself and listened, no barking. Could coyotes smell my dogs from such a distance?
Terry
Terry....................Coyotes and Wolves have olphactory capabilities a 100X more pronounced than us humans...........Easy
1/4 mile smell picked up by the Coyotes.............Thanks for checking in
To know some important information about dogs click here what does it mean when a dog howls
Live in Los Angeles just off a canyon. There’s been a coyote on the hillside barking/tipping for about the last 45mins (since about 8am) Can’t see it but boy can I hear it. It keeps setting our dog off. I was wondering if it was trapped or hurt. They don’t really have many predators aside from rattlesnakes and the occasional dog.
would guess it is calling to its family group members to seek out their location............or maybe, simply enjoying life on a pretty Summer morning
Usually not hurt when barking, yipping and the like...........alerting family group members of its location most likely.
We live in an extremely rural area in eastern North Carolina. Our county(Hyde) is the last place in the world with wild red wolves (as far as I know), and of course we also have black bears and coyotes. We feed and water a semi-feral cat colony, and we have a large pet hog. The hog has her own house in our backyard, with a heat lamp and some other creature comforts, and we feed the cats inside there.(the hog's side of the house is partitioned off) Last month, my husband and I were awakened by loud barking in the yard. It sounded like a big dog. We weren't overly concerned, the yard is fenced, the hog has her own house and the cats mostly sleep in there. But the next morning, my husband found several deceased kittens, and 4 or 5 more were missing. There were paw prints in the mud that my husband thought were dog paws. We store cat food and pig food in the hog shed, but it's kept in locking containers. Is there any chance it could have been a coyote or wolf who attacked, and apparently ate the cats? There was evidence of the animal trying to break through the wall of the hog house, and it's mostly made of old particle board, so it could have been successful if it had kept trying. My husband still thinks it was a dog, but there are only a few houses out where we live, and no big or aggressive dogs. I'm just asking for an opinion. I'd like to know how I can prevent this from happening again.
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