2015-05-31 (1)
Hi Janet —
I had a very scary interaction with two coyotes in the heart of a park where the trail runs parallel to a dense brushy area. My dog Ginger and I were by ourselves, surrounded by two coyotes that would not go away. I jumped up and down, waving my arms allover the place and yelling and they didn't budge. Finally one went into the bush but just stayed there and then the other on the trail started towards us.
I did the jumping yelling thing and the one backed away but turned around, started walking towards us again. Like 15 feet away.  Finally I just pulled Ginger's leash tight to me and ran. I know you're not supposed to  do that, but nothing else was working. We ran up to a knoll and were not followed there. It was getting dark, past 8pm, a bit scary indeed!
I wish that man was not doing that thing with his dog, challenging the coyote, corralling his dog to go after the coyotes. I have a feeling that sort of human behavior is a bad influence and perhaps contributed to this situation I had.
Scott
Hi Scott —
I'm sorry about your negative experience with the coyotes — and especially that it happened to you, a coyote sympathizer, even though it is best that it happened to you and not someone else with no feeling for the coyotes. In fact, you were being messaged to keep away from a den area.
Coyote messaging can be very, very scary — it's got to be to be effective, otherwise dogs and people would just ignore the message. The coyotes  you encountered were not pursuing you and they were not out to hurt you or Ginger — they were keeping you from getting closer to something important. You were simply being told not to get any closer — to move away: "Go Away!"  But next time don't run! Sometimes running will incite them to chase after you!
If and when a coyote doesn't back up, it's almost always because of a den, and it's always best to shorten your leash and leave right away. If coyotes don't move after one or two attempts to get them to move, this should be the protocol: leave the area. You don't want to engage with a den-defending coyote because they will nip at a dog who cannot read their "standing guard" message — we already know that this is what they do, and by not listening to their simple message, you would actually be provoking an incident.
It's an instinct, and really has nothing to do with the idiot who was attempting to force his dog on the coyotes. That is a totally unrelated issue which needs to be addressed.
Encountering a den-defending coyote always creates a lot of fear in people, and I understand why — it's meant to.  People need to know about it, why it happens, and how to deal with it. It's a situation which should always be walked away from, no different from what you would do if you saw a skunk with its tail raised, a dog warning you off, or a swarm of bees. We know how to read the messages from these animals, and we usually abide by the messages to keep the peace and not get stung or sprayed or bitten. We can do the same with coyotes. A defensive or protective coyote is only doing his job -- such an encounter in no way means the animal is aggressive.
Janet