[Still Waters]

www.dailymail.co.uk said:

A teenage folk singer has died after being mauled by two coyotes as she hiked alone in a national park in eastern Canada.

Taylor Mitchell, 19, a singer-songwriter from Toronto, was on a popular trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia on Tuesday when the attack occurred.

She was airlifted to a Halifax hospital in a critical condition but died on Wednesday morning.

Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft said coyote attacks are extremely rare because the animals are usually shy.

Bancroft, a retired biologist with Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, said it's possible the coyotes thought Mitchell was a deer or other prey.

Read more...

[Wickian]

It's generally never a good idea to go hiking alone. I'm a grown man and I know better than to take the chance of hiking up in the mountains I live on alone. You can see the coyote's tracks in the field behind my house so I know they come pretty close at times.

[The Silver Thong]

This still amazes me. It's hard to believe this happened. It's the first ever death by coyotes in all of Canada. Shocking and disturbing. I live in a city of over a million people and we have a coyote population of over 450 in the city limits alone. I see them almost on a daily basis I have even chased a few of them. Each year a pet dog or 4 are mauled or killed and last year two little kids were bit but this is wow. I really like having them in the city feels kinda cool. People just have to be careful and Wickian gave some great advise don't wonder the hills/mountains alone not a good idea. Damn I can't believe she couldn't fight them off or at least scare them off.

[Neognosis]

I backpack alone sometimes.

last march my dog and I spent the night awake as a pack of coyotes circled us for hours, coming closer and closer. I also sleep outside without a tent. This the first time I've ever read about a coyote attacking an adult with anything other than a minor bite.

My research indicates this is the first coyote fatality on an adult, at least my research reveals that there are no recordings of fatalities on an adult in the US within the past 50 years.

[The Silver Thong]

Neognosis, on 29 October 2009 - 01:20 PM, said:

I backpack alone sometimes.

last march my dog and I spent the night awake as a pack of coyotes circled us for hours, coming closer and closer. I also sleep outside without a tent. This the first time I've ever read about a coyote attacking an adult with anything other than a minor bite.

My research indicates this is the first coyote fatality on an adult, at least my research reveals that there are no recordings of fatalities on an adult in the US within the past 50 years.

They were trying to lure your dog away. They are very crafty when it comes to that. A pack will send a lone female to get a dogs attention and will be all nice and cuddly with it then will lead your dog away from you and bam the pack attacks the dog. I have camped with no tent many times and have had a fair number of close calls but it only takes once.

[Neognosis]

yea, fortunately my dog was not having any of that. she was too busy trying to hide in my sleeping bag with me.

I still am not going to stop tarping. But man, it's erie when you hear a pack hunt and kill something 1/4 mile away... and they I think "we ate dinner here, the joint stinks of beef jerkey and backpacking food" because no matter how careful you are, you still end up leaving a food scent nearby. Then I can't stop the thought "if I was a coyote, I would surely come into camp to investigate" and then I end up waking up at every noise I hear.... ah, good times!

[Darkwind]

Coyotes here will come and snatch a little dog right off his leash. Most of the time it happens in golf course communities where the Coyotes are used to people.
That was really sad what happen to that young women. I agree you should never hike alone.

[Neognosis]

ugh... yea, I suppose... but solo hiking is, for some of us, one of the great joys in life and a profound experience. I won't stop.

[The Silver Thong]

Neognosis, on 29 October 2009 - 01:35 PM, said:

yea, fortunately my dog was not having any of that. she was too busy trying to hide in my sleeping bag with me.

I still am not going to stop tarping. But man, it's erie when you hear a pack hunt and kill something 1/4 mile away... and they I think "we ate dinner here, the joint stinks of beef jerkey and backpacking food" because no matter how careful you are, you still end up leaving a food scent nearby. Then I can't stop the thought "if I was a coyote, I would surely come into camp to investigate" and then I end up waking up at every noise I hear.... ah, good times!

I hear ya I use to take my dog on over nights as well and if it wasn't for my lab I would have been pretty scared. I hate it when the dog hears something but you can't. Feels like your being stalked. I always make sure I have a ton of firewood as well with out fire I would panic large LOL

[eclectic 1]

Such is life. Those who live die. Some can take a full magazine of machine pistol bullets to the gut, and live, while others die from an infected hangnail. Blame God, Karma, Fate, or whatever you like. The fact is I do not go into the wild unless prepared to deal with it. I have weapons, survival gear, etc, and know how to use them. I never panic, and I never let wild animals get near me, let alone behind me. Of course, I have no childish inhibitions about killing animals. When my survival is at stake, I will gladly kill a billion animals. That attitude alone keeps most beasties away from me. Those who ignore my vibes, and come too close, become dinner for me. Wild animals are not pets, and you should not be around them unless armed, and trained. If you go where the wild things are, and expect it to be happy, happy, joy, joy, playtime all around, you deserve what you are going to get. Coyotes gotta eat...same as Cookie Monsters, and Big Birds.

[MissMelsWell]

We have a TON of coyotes here, and I live inside the Redmond, WA city limits. I have to be VERY careful about letting my little 6lb dog outside during dark hours--I usually try to make a bunch of noise before she goes out in hopes of scaring them off. We've never had them attack a person that I'm aware of... they do tend to be awfully shy. Just last night I saw two coyotes in my yard, it's totally common. (a few weeks ago, there was a cougar--the furry kind cat kind, not the convertible driving, 40+ some female kitten LOL-- running around the Microsoft campus close to my house... we're not talking about an area that's rural, in fact, it's very urban--worrisome)

I wonder what would prompt them to attack a hiker, that's terribly unusual. When I'm out hiking (which is rare) I'm more worried about cougar or moose (those crazy things CHARGE) and frankly, the weirdos that live in them-thar-hills around here--God forbid you stumble across their meth lab or pot crops. LOL.

[Wickian]

Coyotes aren't really the danger where I live. It's the bob cats and larger mountain lions. Every so often I read or hear about some hiker or bicycler on their own getting mauled by a mountain lion when on a trial alone.

[Gatofeo]

Wild animals live in a constant survival mode, searcing for food or a mate, or fleeing a ral or imagined danger.
You cannot think of them as being domesticated, cute and cuddly. Coyotes, wolves, cougars, bobcats, lynx and even the lowly field mouse is, at heart, a shark with fur.
I live in the remote Utah desert. I see coyotes occasonally, not because they're uncommon but because they generally stop and hide when they see a human.
In a nearby town, they recently shot and killed two young coyotes who had threatened joggers and becoming more and more aggressive. Coyotes can travel long distances. These two, if sedated and taken far away, would have undoubtedly returned to another city; they were eating well on local pets.
Those who think wolves, coyotes and other predators are simply misunderstood are deluded. Predators prey upon the weak; it's their nature.
I don't roam the desert without a loaded handgun in my pocket.
But in truth, I'm more concerned about two-legged predators in the desert than I am the four-legged variety.

[Neognosis]

gat, would you indulge me and tell me your political leanings? just an experiment, no judgement whatsoever.

same for you please, eclectic.

[cluey]

eclectic 1, on 31 October 2009 - 04:51 AM, said:

Such is life. Those who live die. Some can take a full magazine of machine pistol bullets to the gut, and live, while others die from an infected hangnail. Blame God, Karma, Fate, or whatever you like. The fact is I do not go into the wild unless prepared to deal with it. I have weapons, survival gear, etc, and know how to use them. I never panic, and I never let wild animals get near me, let alone behind me. Of course, I have no childish inhibitions about killing animals. When my survival is at stake, I will gladly kill a billion animals. That attitude alone keeps most beasties away from me. Those who ignore my vibes, and come too close, become dinner for me. Wild animals are not pets, and you should not be around them unless armed, and trained. If you go where the wild things are, and expect it to be happy, happy, joy, joy, playtime all around, you deserve what you are going to get. Coyotes gotta eat...same as Cookie Monsters, and Big Birds.

well said.......the mind is a very powerful tool.........learning how to use it properly is no easy feat!