Doggie

[cakewalk]

Was hiking in Glendale on Saturday - 3-13

About a hundred feet above me, I saw a large german shepard looking creature... I assume it was a coyote. ( no trail , no other people, I'm very sure it wasnt a dog )

Scary thing is, we were less than a few hundred yards from a major housing development. Hope he doesnt get hungry and go hunting in a human populated area.

Havent seen any wild cats yet tho!!

[evenstar]

Cakewalk, Coyotes are common in urban areas now and have little interest in attacking humans....but don't leave a cat out at night and keep small dogs on a close leash. Coyotes were here first and will probably be here long after we're gone. I love to watch them around the golf courses here; very apt to see one curled up under a tree catching a nap in the afternoon just off a fairway or a green....and yeah the ones around here are larger than their desert dwelling cousins because of the plentiful water, duck, quail and cottontail.
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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

[mike]

New Years Day, some of the group had one walk right across the trail in front of them, not far from the Pima Canyon trailhead. That trail was packed! I've frequently seen the same coyote standing in the median of Tom Darlington Blvd in Carefree, near my wife's office. I know it's the same one because he has a bum leg. His spot of choice is overlooking The Boulders. A few weeks ago, Ck1, Outside1 and I were pulling out of the parking lot at the DC Ranch shopping center, on our way to Kentuck Mountain. I spotted one crossing the road into a wash. Later in the day, we followed one along a wash for no telling how long. Saw fresh poop and tracks. Colin finally spotted it going over a hill above the wash.

They're pretty wary of us and since we aren't a food source for them, they have little interest in doing anything more than watching us from a safe distance. Remember the pair that we saw out in South Mountain Park?
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[ck1]

I've had two follow me on runs near my old neighborhood...perhaps they were checking out Buffett for dinner...she'd feed em both for a while...but they never did more than trot along...
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-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[Daryl]

They run through the streets at night in my hood. We hear them howling all the time. Not much to be worried about, but I wouldn't let my cat out of the house.
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[SUN_HIKER]

Seen them several times when I hike South Mountain, they just look and keep on going. Our backyard backs up to the preserve and we often get them in packs of 6 pacing by, I suspect some of my neighbors are feeding them judging by the way they hang out.

What's more scary though, we get lot's of Javalina's in our neighborhood. One very early morning when my Husband walked our Lab, he rounded the corner entering a dark cul-de-sac when the dog went crazy and out of the dark appeared about 12 Javelinas. He backout out of there reeeal slooow and made it home OK.
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-Eleanor Roosevelt-

[Shawn]

I live next to So Mtn Park, it's right over the fence. Coyotes are real comon, we hear them more nights than not. Yapping and howling and carrying on, I see them on the streets frequently also. The cutest one was a very young pup under a street light. He/She was eating the bugs that had fallen. It was all ears and tail, very small body.
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The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

[MikeInFHAZ]

what I would think is unusual are coyotes and javalinas here in Fountain Hills doesnt stop there! We (the citizens) have frequently spotted a peticular 80 pound bobcat. HUGE for a bobcat. But how would you like to awaken while taking your morning shower and have a cougar perched atop your backyard wall?!

And I have also seen Bald Eagles, these giant owls that are quite fond of my roof (presumably the Great Horned?) and my neighbor Oscar claims around 3 years ago he spotted a black bear cub walking down our street.
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what i do

[azhiker96]

Coyotes are very adaptable. I've seen one in Cave Creek and when I lived in Dallas I saw one at a Junior college about 10 miles from the nearest open land. People put out dog and cat food in their backyards. There's also lots of birds, squirrels, mice, rats, cats, and small dogs for predation. There's plenty of water, lots of places to hide and people are not allowed to shoot them. Cities actually are a nice habitat for the city savy trickster.
I also like seeing the jack rabbits munching on the manicures lawns during the summer. They must feel very privileged that we go to such trouble to provide them a yummy meal.