[pct-l] Animal attacks

[Steel-Eye]

Good afternoon, Austin,

I can't imagine how you could get a coyote to come up really close, even if
you hiked dragging a pork-chop on a string.  In the south, it takes a pretty
good-sized coyote to be over 20 lbs. which is about the size of Aunt
Tilley's little ankle-bitter dog. They often hunt in pairs, but when the
pups are young they might hunt singly.  What may look - and sound - like a
pack is probably just Mom and Pop out trying to teach a bunch of unruly
teenagers how to hunt.

If they appear to hang around a hiker it may be because they
suspect the noisy, klutzy two-legger might flush out a rabbit or squirrel
for them to catch.  Then again, they may just be curious.

They can be playful.  I have lots of them around my place and once I watched
one of them approach my neighbor's 120 lb. Odie-type dog.  The coyote would
sneak in close them sit up and yip to get the dog to chase him 200 yds.
across my lower field and into the woods.  As soon as the dog turned around
and went back the coyote would sneak in and do it all over again.  One
afternoon I watched that routine over a dozen times in an hour, or so, till
the dog got tired of the game and took a nap.

One of the best things about the desert country is going to sleep at night,
under the stars, listening to the coyotes yipping and yodeling off in the
distance.  Great...

Steel-Eye

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Austin Williams" <longwalk2653 at gmail.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pct-l Digest, Vol 6, Issue 13


>I am starting my southbound solo thru of the PCT around July 5th... I have
>a
> question about animal attacks...
>
> Am I significantly more likely to be stalked/attacked when hiking solo?
> Am
> I really going to be actively hunted by coyotes in the dessert night (I
> plan
> on walking mostly at night)?  Do animals out there really see me as a
> meal?
> Or are my survivalist family members just being overly paranoid?
>
> Is bear mace a good idea for solo hiker?  A rist-rocket?  or should I
> leave
> it at home and save a pound?
>
> I'm not worried about rattle snakes... I've read that no PCT hiker has
> ever
> been bit by one (Wilderness Press).  I'm just a *tiny* bit worried about
> being a skinny thru-hiker-meal to a mountain lion.. or (more likely?) a
> pack
> of coyotes.
>
> I'll be hiking alone from mid July to late October.  Any wisdom on this
> matter is kindly appreciated.
>
> -Austin
>
> P.s.  Ray Jardine speaks of coyotes "playing tag" and being friendly with
> hikers... my dad interprets this as Ray being stalked and hunted and him
> being to naive to realize it....  I don't know who to believe here.
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