[Southpaw]

I grew up on a gentleman's farm in rural north Alabama so we had a lot of coyote sightings even 30 years ago, so have seen them in action but they were always very wary animals and mostly nocturnal. Have never heard of anyone getting attacked back then, but nowadays its probably different. Its like National Park bears, they are probably some of the most dangerous because not afraid of man, same thing with mountain lions. I think grizzlies and lions in the wild that have had a few shots fired over their heads are less dangerous to man, but that is a different thought.

I think if you keep popping off at them a few coyote's will have some near misses you will start seeing less of them. Its probably not the ones that you kill but the ones that learn to stay away from that makes a difference You will never get rid of them though unless you have an all out war on them. They tried that before but a public out cry today would be faster and more furious than a shotgun at 10 feet. Besides these animals are very adaptive, creative and cunning, and will be hard to control. Right now in parts of the South I would bet they would welcome a little more coyote's to take on the feral pig population.

Since I left the old farm years ago parents have lost a few yard dogs and barn cats to what we think might have been coyotes. Years ago we had seen them try and lead our dogs off by trying to get them to chase them by feigning a limp, then we suspect the pack would jump the dog. A couple of years ago parents lost power to a cat that got electrocuted on top of a power pole, we think a coyote chased it up there.

Have lived in a subdivision in suburbia Atlanta for last 15 or so years, its actually against the law to discharge a firearm where I live. So no hunting with guns. We have a healthy deer population that is getting bigger. Have seen a few foxes and racoons over the years but not many. I have never seen a coyote or even heard of anyone in our neighborhood that has seen one until just a week ago, though I knew they were probably around since live close to Chattahoochee River. I walk my springer spaniel early every morning without a leash since I live next to the recreation area of my neighborhood. Its about a 50 yard walk from the gate of my backyard to an area where he can run around off heel. I am walking along watching him and turn around and about 75 yards behind me a coyote is trailing me.

He was big for a coyote and indeed did look like a medium sized German shepherd like in the picture. Coyote saw me and just stopped but I could tell its focus was on my dog. It ran off about 40 yards and then came running back. By this time my dog was at my side and was making him stand at heel. Coyote was just staring us down and then started doing that same fake limp that I had seen years ago and was looking over his shoulder every few steps to see if my dog was chasing him. Luckily my dog is pretty well trained family dog and has had a few run ins with German Shepherds so he wanted no part of that Coyote. But now I know why I am seeing more lost cat signs posted in the neighborhood.

Coyotes are one thing but wolves are another. Years ago we used to go up grouse hunting in Minnesota. I was not on this trip but my dad had a wolf come across a clear cut to him and his setter. Wolf was so focused on his dog that he never saw my dad just standing there. Not certain if wolves can see blaze orange. At first he thought it was a big goat with that long face and he was thinking why is someones goat out here running around until it got within about five yards of him. His setter finally saw the wolf and dog ran behind him and that wolf still did not see my dad standing there. For a second he thought he was going to have to shoot it but he shouldered gun and yelled. That wolf just stopped and looked up at him in a stare down for a few moments and then just ambled off. It was not afraid but more pissed it could not have Setter for lunch. A few years later my dad lost a different Setter up there, first dog he has ever lost. Dog had always hunted close and he always used bells but its like the dog just disappeared. He was not thinking wolf initially but dog had a chip and he let every vet in a 100 mile radius know to be on lookout if someone brought him in. No luck. It is still a wild guess but we wonder if a wolf had gotten him. That was his last trip up there.