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The week after the time changed I took my German Shepherd for a very early walk...4:15 ish in the morning. As I was coming to the gate to a lighted, paved bike trail we often take that runs along the railroad tracks, I saw a very large coyote on the tracks. From where I was, the tracks were on the other side of two chain linked fences which surround the trail. I knew he could easily jump one fence because my mom and dad have watchted them do it into their yard in the Poway area. I felt somewhat protected behind 2 fences. At least I felt I had some time to escape if needed. The coyote stopped and stared at us. It was not the typical shy coyote duck and cover look, but the hard "is this prey worth it?" look. After a bit he moved on westward.
I actually thought of continuing to the trail, knowing that coyotes are often loners or couples in city areas. Then I saw two more coyotes following the first. They did not come fully into the light the way he had, and did not stop. I knew there could have been even more that did not come close enough to the light for me to see them. There is a creek with overgrown brush around it on the other side of the tracks and mostly back yards or construction type fields beyond that. Who knows how many might have been concealed in the brush?
I got really spooked and decided to walk a different way. I have not taken the full length of the trail in the early morning since, though I have taken a short leg of it. It used to be a challenge to walk my dog down the trail due to all the rabbits...but lately there are no rabbits. The water fowl that live near the creek have also gone. The trail is not completely fenced in, as it breaks where the creek runs under it, or when it crosses a street. I just don't feel safe anymore.
I keep thinking of some times when I would walk my dog down the trail and his head would be on swivel, like we were being followed. That creeps me out. I thought he was hearing rabbits or other little critters on the trail. But they would have been moving away from us. While I know "they were here first" I do feel that people should be able to feel safe in urban areas. I saw a lone coyote near the trail several months back...but it was light out and it was a typical shy coyote, vanishing quickly from view. If I had thought it was a pack, I would have stopped using the trail some time back.
You might think I would feel safe with a German Shepherd, and I feel very safe in most situations. But I know the way coyotes take down big dogs by getting them to chase one that teases the dog and the rest of the pack pounces when he brings it close enough. No dog would have a chance! The kill phase of the wolf's hunt sequence has been bred out of dogs since they were first domesticated. A single young coyote would know how to make a kill strike, while most domestic dogs would just bite.
You were smart to avoid that trail. On the way to work Monday I saw one standing in the road across from the zoo. I think he was after a rabbit but he wasn't shy at all. That Canyon is probably a good place for them to live.
Many dogs still have a pack hunt instinct. A good friend of ours hunted Coyotes with Greyhound and some Wolfhound. These dogs were downright nasty when they wanted to be. They usually killed the Coyote in seconds when they all got there. Sometimes with a real tough yote it was a full on battle. He's had to put dogs down that were torn up.
"Many dogs still have a pack hunt instinct. A good friend of ours hunted Coyotes with Greyhound and some Wolfhound. These dogs were downright nasty when they wanted to be. They usually killed the Coyote in seconds when they all got there. Sometimes with a real tough yote it was a full on battle. He's had to put dogs down that were torn up."
You are probably right about some dogs having more hunt and kill in them than others... Wolf hounds would be one and I suppose it randomly comes out in others.
I think it is really a problem to have these wild predators within urban areas. I think it is unrealistic to think we can all share and be happy. I suppose we have to wait until someone gets mauled or killed before anyone will do something.
I live in Bonita in the South Bay of San Diego and I always hear them at night and I have seen them before. Either crossing the street when I have gotten home, either hit by a car and they are on the side of the road. I almost hit 2 or 3 of them before because it was dark and I did have my head lights on and they didn't care. Towards the end of August there was a black one walking on the street going the other way in broad day light walking on the road when I was heading home. I fear for a cat that stays at my home so it hides and goes into a little opening in the garage until they are gone. My dog stays out of sight. My dad has seen a family of them hanging out in front of a house until the sun comes out they go away
"Many dogs still have a pack hunt instinct. A good friend of ours hunted Coyotes with Greyhound and some Wolfhound. These dogs were downright nasty when they wanted to be. They usually killed the Coyote in seconds when they all got there. Sometimes with a real tough yote it was a full on battle. He's had to put dogs down that were torn up."
You are probably right about some dogs having more hunt and kill in them than others... Wolf hounds would be one and I suppose it randomly comes out in others.
I think it is really a problem to have these wild predators within urban areas. I think it is unrealistic to think we can all share and be happy. I suppose we have to wait until someone gets mauled or killed before anyone will do something.
They don't call them cat vacuums for nothing. They can cover 10 miles a night no problem and are the most adaptable animal out there besides us humans.
Updated Coyote Sightings Near the North County Rail Trail
Since I last saw the small coyote pack in March, I have not been on the rail trail in the early morning. Maybe I am being too cautious...I wish I could know it was safe. I walked down it between 5 and 6 a.m. for months without incident...even though my dog's behavior spooked me sometimes. I am very frustrated that I cannot go where I want to go and feel safe.
I have walked parts of the trail after sunrise, however, looking for signs of coyotes. I was sad to not see waterfowl on the creek, but I found many of them in the marshy area. It is off the trail and a really surprising place to find such birds. I guess that is why the creek area is considred protected habitat. I even saw a bird I had never seen before, and from what I can tell by looking online, it was an ibis. There were some mud hens swimming around, but I did not see ducks. I heard ducks making a ruckus one early morning while I was on a street that is near the marsh. I wondered if it was a coyote finding a nest. I did not see the snowy egrets either, but they are so shy, it does not surprise me. I saw lots of rabbits, even a couple of really big fat ones.
Someone had mown down a lot of the overgrown weeds along the part of the trail I was on. I guess that would help keep the coyotes away from the trail. I sometimes think I am trying to talk myself back into using the trail for my morning walk. But I am still to nervous. I would need a little more evidence of no coyotes being around.
I walked through a big parking lot and was going onto a path that leads to a small food court. The creek that runs into the marsh continues on near this food area, but it becomes a large culvert sort of thing that runs under the freeway, I suppose. The culvert is usually hard to see due to overgrown bushes. Today, for some reason the culvert area was very easy to see from where I was, above it and behind a chain link fence. Grafitti artist have decorated the culvert walls in colorful words without meaning. I was looking down at the bottom of the culvert area trying to determine if it was paved, or some sort of sand, when I saw the young coyote. He looked up and saw me immediately, then went on drinking from the water. He then looked back up and saw my dog and seemed interested. Funny thing, my dog, who reacts strongly to other dogs, has never reacted to any of the coyotes. I don't even think he saw them. I took a step closer to the fence to see the coyote better and he slunk into the tules and vanished without hardly parting the reeds.
So I guess the coyotes are still there, enjoying the protected habitat in every way possible. Part of me likes it that this little habitat exists in a pretty busy area of north San Diego County. But most of me dislikes having to be too afraid to take the moring route I would like to take.
This is coming from an avid hunter and fisherman who spends most of his time in the outdoors
Being completely honest and straightforward, there are coyotes in all parts of San Diego. They are there whether you see or hear them or not. I go out into the canyons and fish the small creeks & golf courses from around Del Mar to Carlsbad. One place they are very active is the Carlsbad/San Marcos area from what I've seen. There's a golf course called La Costa Resort & Spa that has a creek and pond. The creek is supplied from the mountains supposedly, I've never been far enough up to look. There is a place called Box Canyon with 2 or 3 waterfalls, and between the golf course and there is where I hear and see the coyotes. I fish at night occasionally right off of the golf course property, taking a little break to walk on the golf course at around 10:30-11:00 PM, and this is generally when they start making themselves heard.
They come out of the canyon that leads up to "Box Canyon", and they can be heard every night. To sum it all up, wherever there is a canyon similar to this one, the 'yotes will be more frequent, but they will be around the residential areas.
A good is example is a place in Cardiff. There is a canyon near Sea Village Circle (I used to live there) that acts as a home to coyotes. They are not in as large of numbers as Box Canyon, but they are there and they should be taken just as seriously.
As long as you keep your pets in at night, they will be fine. Coyotes ALWAYS sound much closer than they are. Just enjoy the show they put on, take the proper precautions, and all will be fine. Good luck!
I have a question someone on this board may know the answer to. The coyotes I have seen along the Rail Trail creek have a reddish color to their grey sable coat. Could this mean they are not coyotes, but coydogs? From what I've read online coyotes have a grey or yellowish grey coat. The ones I see have a red similar to the color of a Malinois as their undercoat color. I also read that coydogs are more dangerous than coyotes because they are less fearful of humans, though still wild predators. Does anyone know about these things?
I have a question someone on this board may know the answer to. The coyotes I have seen along the Rail Trail creek have a reddish color to their grey sable coat. Could this mean they are not coyotes, but coydogs? From what I've read online coyotes have a grey or yellowish grey coat. The ones I see have a red similar to the color of a Malinois as their undercoat color. I also read that coydogs are more dangerous than coyotes because they are less fearful of humans, though still wild predators. Does anyone know about these things?
I've seen half yote-dogs but the ones you are seeing are Coyotes. They have a reddish tint to the fur. They can have thick or scraggly thin fur depending on the time of year.
I've seen half yote-dogs but the ones you are seeing are Coyotes. They have a reddish tint to the fur. They can have thick or scraggly thin fur depending on the time of year.
Thank you for the pictures...beautiful! The color is right on the first picture for the ones I am seeing. However, the large one is taller looking, as tall as my shepherd, or so it seems. Maybe 25 or 26 " at the withers? But maybe it is the way his fur is. He also has a more defined body that sinks in at the flank, like a waist, the way a dog should look if it is not overweight. The pictures you posted show a more compact body with little definition. But I do not know anything much about these creatures.
I will say that I have been coming to peace with not walking on the trail. It makes me nervous that these guys are even in the neighborhood when I go for my walk, but I love the little protected habitat area. And it does seem out of balance if there is not a natural predator.
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Updated Coyote Sightings Near the North County Rail Trail
