The coyote is an animal that is indigenous to the continent of North America. It is a close relative of the grey wolf as well as several other species of wolves. It’s all well and good, but a coyote attack is the stuff of nightmares, so let’s have a look at how to prevent one and survive one so you can tell your friends about your most recent hiking excursion.
The Danger of Coyote
An adult male coyote can weigh up to fifty pounds, making it the second largest canid behind the wolf. Coyotes favor living in regions with trees, grasslands, or mountains, although they are incredibly adaptable animals and have been seen in heavily populated urban areas. Coyotes prefer to dwell in locations with trees, grasslands, or mountains. There is a good chance that you will not come across a coyote while hiking or camping (or while going about your business in any of the metropolitan locations where they have been observed), so don’t get your hopes up. While it is more likely that you will come across a wolf or a wild boar on your travels and adventures, you should still be prepared to come across a third type of animal.
Although it has been shown that coyotes hunt during the day on occasion, the vast majority of the time they pursue their prey throughout the night. Coyotes prey on rodents and other small animals. Even when hunting in packs, they will avoid humans as much as possible despite the fact that they are cunning and opportunistic hunters. In spite of this, it is never a bad idea to be prepared in case you run into a coyote when you are out hiking or camping, even though it is highly unusual that you will. There are specific behaviors that, as is the case with the majority of wild animals, might raise the likelihood of an encounter, as well as the possibility of an attack.
Do Coyotes Attack People?
No, according to conventional wisdom. The most common piece of advice is to yell at them and they will flee. Over the previous 50 years, the majority of cases involving people and Coyotes included the animal going after a leashed pet or a small child. Things have recently changed. Coyotes are getting less fearful of us as they begin to infest cities and spend an increasing amount of time with us without much aggression from us.
Coyote assaults on humans are still uncommon, despite the fact that coyote attacks are on the rise. Coyotes typically attack youngsters aged five and under. Don’t freak out just yet. With almost three million children bitten by domesticated dogs each year, your child is significantly more likely to be bitten by a pet than by a wild Coyote.
On October 28th, 2009, the most well-known Coyote attack on a person occurred. Taylor Mitchell was seriously injured by a pair of Coyotes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. She died later at a Nova Scotia hospital as a result of injuries acquired during the attack. Taylor Mitchell is the only person known to have died as a result of a Coyote assault in modern history.
How To SAFELY Avoid A Coyote Attack
The best way to survive is to just simply avoid it, but how do you safely avoid coyote attack? Here’s how:
Make a Sound
Because coyotes generally avoid humans, the best strategy to avoid an encounter is to avoid startling one. Make a bit of noise as you go through dense vegetation to avoid catching a coyote or another potentially dangerous wild animal off guard. Hike during the day, not at night, as this is when coyotes are most active.
Use a leash when walking your dog.
The short answer to the question “will a coyote attack a dog?” is yes. If you intend to take your four-legged companion/s camping or trekking, keep him on a very short leash as you explore your surroundings. The majority of coyote assaults on humans have resulted from attacks on pets in which the owner attempted to interfere. The following is the best technique to deal with a coyote attack that involves your pet, according to Urban Coyote Research:
Even if you don’t realize it, coyotes are undoubtedly nearby, so don’t let your dogs run loose. Keep pets on leashes when hiking in parks. Even with fencing, pets left outside are vulnerable to predators and unwanted conflict. Do not leave your dogs outside unattended for even a second. Remember that while electric fences keep your pets enclosed, they do not keep other animals away.
Keep food away from your tent.
Make certain that no food or trash containing food is left outside your tent or around your campground. This may attract not only coyotes, but other more daring and potentially hazardous wild animals. And, no matter what you do or how much food you have left, never leave leftovers for coyotes or attempt to feed them.
How to Survive a Coyote Attack?
If you come across a coyote while hiking or camping, the most important thing to remember is to never turn your back on it. Also, don’t try to flee from a coyote. A coyote can run at 42 miles per hour on average, which is much faster than the typical human.
Instead, keep eye contact with the animal and stand your ground. Coyotes, unlike bears, wolves, and mountain lions, can be intimidated, and merely maintaining your ground will usually be enough to send the coyote on its way.
A coyote that has grown habituated to humans or is raising a family during mating season may be less easily scared off and hence possibly more hazardous. If simply standing your ground and maintaining eye contact isn’t enough to frighten the coyote, flap your arms and make a racket. Find something to throw at the animal in the exceedingly rare case that it continues to stand its ground.
If all of this fails and a coyote attacks you, your best option is to fight back. Playing dead will simply encourage the opportunistic hunter.
Do Coyotes Slaughter Quickly?
Coyotes in urban and rural areas are known to attack deer, small animals, sheep, and dogs. It is uncommon that hikers may encounter coyotes that are vicious enough to murder them, but it is better to be careful than sorry. Coyotes bite the throat of an animal under the ears but behind the jaw to quickly kill it. Keep your dog safe while traveling in the woods, as tiny dogs are often prey to predators. They usually regard bigger dogs as rivals, so you don’t want to incite a fight no matter how much trust you have in your devoted giant buddy.
Conclusion
Simply put, Coyotes attack people. While relatively infrequent, the number of attacks is increasing, as are their numbers in metropolitan areas. The real question is what the consequences of an unrestrained Coyote population increase in major cities across the country will be.
Coyotes may represent a regular hazard to people and pets in the future if their populations are not controlled. Coyotes in cities are currently merely something to be aware of. If you encounter one in your neighborhood, contact animal control immediately and avoid approaching them. Animal control may do nothing to deal with the Coyote right away, but it notifies them to its presence, and the more calls they receive, the more pressure they will feel to deal with the situation. Hope you liked this article and gain enough knowledge to know How to Survive a Coyote Attack.
