Followed by a coyote

[Leva]

I'm a native, and I've been hiking and backpacking since I was old enough to walk. I've never had a coyote approach me before, much less show this much curiosity. I seldom see them while hiking -- if I do, it's usually the butt end disappearing into the underbrush. (Truthfully, most of the coyotes I see are in Scottsdale!)

So I was hiking up in the Dude Burn on Thanksgiving day, on a ridgeline near Lewis Creek. And I sorta got that sense that something was watching me. It was windy, but I kept hearing twigs snap that didn't sound like wind -- and just got that creepy crawly feeling you get when something's just not right. There's a sow bear up there who's got young cubs, so I started looking around, trusting those instincts. (I've never seen a bear in the wild, but I HAD seen recent tracks for her that day.)

Saw movement about 200 feet away on the opposite side of a drainage. *blinks*

Biggest damned coyote I've ever seen in my life. Like I said, I am a native, and I'm used to seeing puny coyotes. This sucker was half again the size of my australian shepherd, who's about 40 pounds -- I'd say 60 pounds easy, and with all the winter hair, he looked about 100 pounds. Huge, healthy looking animal.

He clearly saw me and was watching me. I moved on, and he shadowed me for about a mile, watching me, stopping when I stopped, moving when I moved. Weird ...!! Gave me the heebies; I'm still not sure if he was just curious or if he was sick. That was NOT typical behavior for a coyote!

Leva
(Who's never wished for a gun before while hiking, but sure wanted one that day!)

[Trishness]

Leva....

Holy crow! That would have been enough to give me the heebie-jeebies. I see coyotes all the time out here in AJ but they usually run away if you make any sudden movement or noise. But to have one shadow you? <shiver>

Sounds like you kept your cool although I agree that I would have wanted a gun that day too.

Trish
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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[Tom Treks]

Geez. 60 lbs? I'm wondering "how did that thing get so big?".

Any missing hikers out that way?

Yikes.

[Daryl]

I've saw a huge coyote in the mcdowell mt area once. Almost thought it was a stray german shepard. They can get pretty big.

It's not that odd that he followed you. Was he down wind and did you have food, or recently cook something? I had a coyote hang out around me a couple of times. I'd chase it away and it would came back awhile later.
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[ck1]

That's a creepy story. I've got a coyote I "encoutner" on a regular basis on my runs...he kinda trots along with me for about 10 minutes or so, of course at a distance of about 50 yards.

I would have been much more spooked in your situation, the one I see isn't more than 30 lbs...
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-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[evenstar]

There's a sizable fish farm near the hot mineral spring RV park I visit in Jan. and Feb. Coyotes have a nightly feast and are huge with thick, gorgeous coats. I used to bicycle on Mt. Diablo near my home in Walnut Creek CA and frequently meet a coyote trotting down the middle of the trail; we'd pass within a couple of yards of each other and go on are individual ways.
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John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902

[plummer150]

I've only seen a couple coyotes out here before near Penn Roosevelt SP but none of them have ever approached me, that would be scary.
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"IRONMAN" cometh, hiketh, destroyeth

[Leva]

The behavior of city coyotes and coyotes from "civilized" areas are a whole 'nother story; there's a few in Scottsdale that are so fearless of people that they've been known to grab small dogs that are on LEASHES -- coming within two or three feet of the owners to do this. But the "city" coyotes are not only never hunted, they're FED by people.

But in the "wild" I've never had one approach me. Ever.

The Dude isn't particularly remote, but very, very, very few people go back in there. It doesn't look inviting from the road, ya know? Looks burned and blasted, a moonscape still, all overgrown with manzanita. People want to hike in the trees. And it's hot in the summer when most folks are up in the Rim Country.

It's rapidly becoming some of my favorite terrain to explore. EASY hiking and amazing vistas -- and great wildlife watching. I've seen an amazing amount of wildlife up there, more than anywhere else in the state. Lion, elk, bobcat, coon, muley, javalina ... now this coyote.

Only thing I can figure is that the coyote had NEVER been shot at and was therefore just curious and didn't see me as a threat. (I don't remember if I was upwind or not, but I wasn't carrying anything other than the candy in my survival kit for food.)
*shrugs* Next time I go up there, I'm taking a handgun and a camera. *grin*

Leva

[JW]