Interesting biology/breeding information on the wolves and coyotes. Back in the early 90's, I was very interested in the wolf re-introduction to Yellowstone and did quite a bit of research at that time, in fact wanted to hit Alaska and study wolf biology. You want a good debate, go talk about wolves(as pro re-introduction) to ranchers in Montana! I've since broadened my opinions on wolves and reintroduction.

Regarding the coyotes living in Golden Gate park. What is the man quoted at the end of the article thinking: "I hope the (park officials) dont run them out." The coyotes there, sounds like are already learning about prey in "their territory". Scary and real...with urban development and all, so many new variables.

Is there any truth to the myth that wolves will lure dogs out to kill them, as Natalya mentioned? I heard it in a movie (hehe) and have always wondered...especially the night that we were camping and saw a wolf. We were trying to get away from it but Jenga didn't want to, my boyfriend had to pick him up (and oh the joys of picking up a 60 lb puppy).

I haven't seen any coyotes around here, but I did see a deer running down the train tracks near my house...and just for some frame of reference, I live in downtown Toronto. The population of Toronto is 4,682,897...it's a HUGE buzzing busy city. How a deer got into Toronto is beyond me.

Not sure about wolves, but, yes, coyotes around here are crafty little buggers and will lure a lone dog out (if the dog is dumb enough) and kill it.

A female coyote will call a male dog out, mate with it and then usually kill it. Usually there are more coyotes than just her around as well.

We have all kinds of coyote cross dogs that run in packs around here.

update on the story...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/16/BAG0DR1BA66.DTL

I like coyotes. They get a bad rap and I have a huge respect for their tenacity and ability to adapt. Historically, people (and other dogs for that matter) have much more to fear from stray dogs than they do coyotes.

On Cape Cod, many people are trying to lobby to have the coyotes exterminated because they're eating their pet cats. Cats...who by the way, are WAY more destructive to an area's natural ecosystem and indigenous wildlife.

I've even had a cat eaten by a coyote, but I can't blame the coyote. I'd eat a cat, too, if I was a coyote. It sucked...that was actually a pretty damn cool cat, but hey...people import a food source and then get mad when the cats get eaten. If you don't want your cats eaten by coyotes, either keep them inside or move to Boston where it's much more likely that they'll be hit by a car.

It's difficult to talk to some people about coyotes where I live; it's like discussing politics or religion. I just don't understand people who move to a rural area and bitch because there's the occassional wild animal.

It's odd that the story didn't mention if the coyotes were tested for rabies. Or did it, and I just missed it?

The coyotes where I live, fairly close to the Pinnacles in California, definately hunt in packs. There was a female and her pups that lived in the hills across from my house, now it seems to be a couple of young males but can't be totally sure. We've had a cat disappear, can't say that the coyotes got him as we didn't see it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

As for them calling out dogs, they will stand on the hills and howl and call, and some of the dogs in the neighborhood will bark back I don't know if they'd actually go out to them.

Works in reverse too, if I spot them across the street and get Remi howling, they'll answer back and draw a little closer. Not sure what kind of howl remi has (defensive, territorial, submissive) but they seem to like to answer back.

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Not sure about wolves, but, yes, coyotes around here are crafty little buggers and will lure a lone dog out (if the dog is dumb enough) and kill it.

I have heard of this too, but have no personal evidence of it around here.

I live just north of Montana border in BC and we have a lot of coyote. Our coyotes are mostly singles or mating pairs, I have never seen a "pack" yet. The ones around here are quite small (25-45lbs), have abundant natural food sources, and I can't say there would much benefit to them to "lure" or kill dogs.


I see them poke their heads out of the bushes at us (stalking us or curious?), I have run into them coming around a brushy corner, have seen them hunting in the fields. Everyone I know has a dog they walk off leash in the wilderness here, many have given a coyote a chase, but no dogs lost to coyotes that I know of. Despite this, being able to call your dog off a chase (or preferabley not chase in the first place) would seem to be of importance.

Many people have unrestrained dogs on their wilderness proporties and have not lost their wandering lone dogs to coyotes either. (Cats I am afraid do go missing )

Missing dogs (in the woods) around here are almost always hounds, lost while hunting bear or cougar. Couldn't tell you what gets them in the end, but I did find one once I returned to an owner. The dog had travelled 60 km and up and over a mountain pass in a single day. (was on a bear hunt). He had some quills in his face.

I would be WAY more wary if we had packs of coyotes or coydogs (like Carol mentioned), or if I was meeting them in an urban area.

I do suffer occasionally from "bearanoia" when walking alone with my dog in the woods, but don't sweat the coyotes.

I personally saw a coyote that had been attacked by a loose pack of pet dogs, in the forest where I lived. We had to call the Sheriff, who had to put the coyote down with a bullet. He was too far gone and couldn't be helped. It was very sad.

So it unfortunately can go both ways.

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Cats...who by the way, are WAY more destructive to an area's natural ecosystem and indigenous wildlife.

Point often missed by cat owners. My MIL has cats on her farm in Ontario and has lost cats to coyotes(she thinks). The pile of death under her front spruce tree (where she throws the dead things her cats leave on the front doorstep) is quite astonishing.

I found many, many song birds, one quite rare to the area, frogs, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, bats....

The pile was starting to stink.

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If you don't want your cats eaten by coyotes, either keep them inside or move to Boston where it's much more likely that they'll be hit by a car.

Cars are also the biggest killers of off leash dogs in my area, not wildlife, coyotes or otherwise.

I live in the City (SF) and we DO have coyotes here -- I've seen at least one in broad daylight at Ft. Funston on two different occasions...

But this shooting by Fish & Game was a debacle, IMHO

They've known about that pair in Golden Gate Park for quite some time now -- What did the Game Wardens think would come of it ??? and why did they just wait for the inevitable to happen ??? and how come there was no attempt to re-locate them somewhere on the many 1000 square acres of remote wilderness we have here in California ???