Sad story from NH

call me paranoid but my dogs don't go out without me, fence or no fence.
We did see coyotes near house and we are suburbia closest to Chicago with no close wildlife... We had a story of women attacked by 3 coyotes in the middle of busiest Chicago area while walking her dogs, thankfully her dogs were small so she was able to pick them up and run
poor little monkey, what a fate. He was size of Leo and certainly not a match for large animal.
 
On our local news last night, they ran the story of the little girl bitten on the hip/upper thigh by the coyote. In it they stated that if a coyote sees something it wants, it WILL scale a 5' fence. Scary to think we feel our dogs are safe in our yards but might not be after all. They also interviewed a woman out walking her small dog who had a coyote follow them.

They gave an interesting tip: Don't turn your back on a coyote, face it, make yourself as large as you can and yell as loud as you can.
 
Just talking to a Jack Russell friend that has had two encounters now while walking her dog. Once was beside the golf course in Cambridge and the other while she walked the rail trail. She now carries a golf club as a walking stick. We have packs of coyotes just behind the field that abuts my pastures. So far I've only seen one once in nearly 8 years but I hear them many nights. As long as they stay on their side of the old railway tracks and don't venture into my paddocks then we are good. There's lots of prey to keep them happy. If they start coming up towards the barns my neighbour, a dairy farmer, will shoot them.
 
Coyotes were spotted in a busy suburb of Detroit, Livonia. They claim they are after cats or other smaller pets but then said one did attack a 150 lb. Dog. I am shocked by how many children have been attacked by them. I think I shall start carrying something to keep me and Danny safe on our walks. Maybe a big stick or something. For some reason they don't fear people like they used to.
 
A couple years ago, a 19 year old woman from Ontario (a folk singer) was killed in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton I think, by a couple coyotes. I've heard that they really prefer cats and smaller prey, but will take down some pretty large prey as well, adults, deer, etc. Really scary.
 
Just heard tonight there was a coyote on the Welland canal just a couple of kilometers from my house. Scary stuff.
 
That is an awful story -- that poor little dog! And the people too, that would be devastating!

I used to live in a 500 unit apt complex that was frequented by coyotes, and they were fearless of people. My old dog Jake was terrified of them, somehow he knew when they were nearby. But he was 2" under the breed standard and had undergone surgery for hip dysplasia.

My new Jake, in contrast, is 4" over standard, and he ain't afraid of nuthin -- just ask him. :yes: I do wish he was a little more fearful, I don't think he'd stand a chance against an adult coyote. :no: Luckily we don't see many of them, even though I now live in a very rural setting.

A couple of notes... I've seen proof that coyotes can scale a 6' fence without difficulty, but there's a product that makes a 6' fence impenatrable by them, called Coyote Rollers, a little pricey last I checked, but very effective.

And about hawks, several sources say that a hawk won't hunt things it can't leave the ground with, which limits prey animals to those less than twice the weight of the hawk. Most hawks weigh well less than 3kg (6.6 lbs) and a nice fluffy Sheltie looks heavier than it is, so most adult Shelties are pretty safe.

We have a lot of hawks and condors around here, the hawks were interested while my dogs were puppies, but not at all now. From my observations only a desparate hawk would try to take prey that outweighs itself, they stick with smaller things like mice, squirrels, swallows, etc. (Condors are always interested in anything that might be dead someday, but I'm told they never hunt live prey.)

Oh, and about never turning your back to a coyote, I strongly agree. Coyotes are canines, anything that runs away signals game on, and you'll never out-run one in 1,000,000 years. On your feet you're potentially threatening. On your knees, you look weak and injured. On your back, you're a meal.
 
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