Be careful when you let your pets outside. Coyotes are in many states now. Shanti (black lab/Chow mix) and I were pursued by one on a trail run. It was most likely a female, defending her hunting territory (a few miles if food supplies are low) as we ran thru "her woods".
Please be safe and careful out there. Love your pets and respect nature.
I kept hearing a barking and saw what I thought was a stray dog until she popped up on the dirt trail behind us. She was small, maybe 55-65 pounds, as she was barely bigger than Shanti. She was barking and following Shanti (she was off leash and running behind me). Shanti was a bit fearful, then all of the sudden stopped and bowed up. Her Chow Chow side had been unleashed.
They had a stand off and got fairly close, so I grabbed a large limb and walked toward the coyote...and she ran. She followed us for 2-3 miles thru the woods at a distance (I did capture on film) to watch us. She was obviously very afraid of me. They rarely attack people and are timid around us (like wolves). I am just glad she was not rabid or hunting in a big pack.
It was odd because we use this trail a lot, plus it was around 10 or 11 am. Coyotes are nocturnal animals. After researching, they do bark and sound like dogs. They will chase other dogs off their terrain and we all know they will kill a small dog. Male coyotes will also try to mate with female dogs in heat. So keep your smaller dogs on a leash and even watch them in the backyard. Tiny or miniature dogs should also be watched closely as targets for predatory birds. Large birds can carry off 10 lbs. And they do.
Please be safe and careful out there. Love your pets and respect nature.
