Are those northeastern coyotes hungry?

[Bill Mc]

Coyotes kill hiker

What about it GW?

[swamp]

I've heard of coyote attacks but have been somewhat skeptical of it until now... My first impression is that being in a protected area these particular coyotes have lost their fear of man and have associated man with free food... being predators they figured she was an easy target... apparently she was hiking alone.... i'm guessing she showed fear probably ran and things went downhill... Very tragic event... guess many will reevaluate their attitudes toward coyotes after this... I certainly will...

[Greywolf]

Swamp has it in my opinion.
(I was about to write it the same way)
It's true, if you do not show fear, you have the upper hand.
They can snarl and growl, and pop thier chops all the while having that "Wiley Coyote O'o'o' shiiit look on thier face.

Funny, it never made the news here

I have seen an unusual amount of pups this year.

[vashper]

It's strange - coyots are small and weak? They are very smaller than wolves.

[Greywolf]

It's strange - coyots are small and weak? They are very smaller than wolves.

the Eastern coyotes get to 50 lbs and better. A little bit bigger than the South West variety that comes to mind when hearing the word coyote.

[Cindi]

The average weight of an adult pit bull is 35-55 pounds. They kill people all the time.

[Twanger]

Yes, I think Swamp called it right.

Humans are pretty weak and defenseless critters compared to animals even 1/3 our size. I wouldn't want to go Mano-a-Mano with a big house cat that had the desire to put a hurting on me. If cats weighed 40 pounds they could probably kill you. All we really have to protect us is our brains, and you've gotta ask the question - did she use her brain going hiking alone with no weapon in an area with predators?

Sad story.

[ST8ITSTR8]

I have gone bare handed with a large dog more than once who was out to do me harm.

The real key is finding your kill or be killed instinct and then allowing it to run wild. You can't show fear or quit. Only one can survive. Our hands can do a ton of damage when used correctly and our bodies can absorb alot more punishment than we probably realize. You can't allow pain to control you in that moment you have to sacrifice pain for leverage and hold.

The real key is protecting your privates and throat, the rest of your body can absorb alot of biting and clawing.

You have to get your hands on their throat and find a way to get your larger mass over theirs, once there you can usually take the fight out of them or dispatch them.

That said it is not a fun place to be and I for one go armed when i go to the woods. Also a woman is usually at a disadvantage for a number of reasons.

The beasts of the woods to be truly scared of in a violent confrontation are bears, big cats (mostly because of their speed and stealth) and wolves (because there won't be just one).

[ncboman]

About 5 years ago I went hand to hand with 4 large dogs and couldn't even get back in my truck. I'm fairly sure if they had got me off my feet, I'd be dead now.

Only when I produced my folding buck knife did they back off enough for me to grab a roofing spade from the back of my truck. Then the cowards ran. Bit on both legs and torn up pants but after a while I was ok.

I should have sued the guy because he later informed me they were strays he picked up to care for.

Anyway, since the guy was already paying me close to 20k for the job, I let it go. I still think about going over there with my shotgun and evening the score.

Interesting, yotes seldom take a deer down in one attack. They like to open the guts from the flank and let the deer run itself down.

[purple heart]

I had an attitude change about coyotes this bow season. Actually it was
preseason and I was watching a new alfalfa field that the deer had been
hitting hard for the three weeks I'd been scouting.
One evening, and I have a witness, we watched 2 bucks come into the field.
Both were 5 pointers, fresh out of velvet, and probably the dominant bucks
in the area. The field is about 250 yards long by 150 wide and because it dips and rolls you can't see all of it from any one spot.
The two bucks got down near a far edge and started to rub horns, very
gently as they were just out of velvet. Their noses were about touching the
ground and they were intent on what they were doing.
All of a sudden a big coyote, guess about 40 lbs., came flying across the field
right at those 2 bucks. The coyote definitely knew what it was doing. The
bucks were engrossed in sparring and were not paying attention to anything around them. The coyote got almost to them before the bucks became aware.
The bucks broke apart, snorted, and they all crashed into the brush.
I'm not sure if the coyote was able to grab one of the bucks or not as it all
happened so fast and I was dumb founded at what I had just seen.
In a few seconds a second coyote appeared and went to where the first coyote and the bucks had disappeared.
I decided to take my atv and go see what was happening at the bottom of the field. I noticed another coyote laying in the middle of the field. Obviously waiting to see if the other 2 would run a deer out into the field.
The coyotes were hunting as a pack in Sept. They were trying to kill a mature buck, actually 2 bucks, something you don't usually hear about
until winter and the deer are in the deer yards and the bucks don't have
antlers.
A few days later in the local paper an outdoor writer related how he left his
tree stand after dark and was followed close behind by some coyotes.
Hollering at them to let them know he was human had no impact on their
behavior. The coyotes followed him to his truck.
After contacting the information officer with the Vermont F&W he was told
There were other instances of hunters being attacked by coyotes.
The article stated one hunter saved himself by stabbing the coyote that was biting his leg and climbing a tree.
I have no doubt that a pack of coyotes could easily kill an unarmed human.
I never use to worry about being in the woods after dark without a weapon.
It's against the law to carry a gun while bow hunting in Vermont.
I was never one to go against the law but I will be thinking about carrying
a 22 pistol next year.