Coyotes in Georgia

[Mortician]

Whoah and I encountered a full blown Coyote pack hunt about 8 miles NE of the Springer Mtn. AT terminus near Dahlonega GA. About 2am on Election Day 2008 we were awakened by the blood curdling howls of the hunting Coyotes; if I had not been zipped up tight in my tent I know I would have jumped up into the loft of the shelter and screamed like a little school girl!

We estimate they were within 100 yards of us; it seemed to last forever but probably 30 to 45 seconds and it was over.

[kanga]

pretty common nowadays. we had a few check us out on the chunky gal hike, but we were too tired to really care. they're just curious, but they do creep you out.

[Spock]

Lucky you! They're fun to listen to. Sometimes two groups will talk back and forth. Sometimes they just serenade. And sometimes they sound like the tortured souls of the damned. They usually do that to wake hikers up. Coyotes are the wiseass jokers of the woods, but otherwise harmless.

[various]

trixters not jokers big difference. seems to have worked on you.

[MoBill122]

We live between Woodstock and Roswell, GA.... not unusual to hear coyotes on a weekly serenade through the subdivision.
Bonus...they keep the population of stray dogs and cats down in the area !

[various]

yeah so why fix your animals now. weve got coyotes

[Two Speed]

Saw my first coyote four or five years ago just outside of Vogel State Park. Now we have them in the middle of Marietta. Heard them frequently on the Alabama Pinhoti two years ago. Nothing unusual about seeing them around here these days.

[gaga]

yep they congregate around good water sources , where other small prey stays also Hawk mountain shelter is a hot spot

[daddytwosticks]

Last time I stayed at Hawk Mtn shelter, the coyotes sounded like they literally ran through the tenting area...freaked out everyone that night.

[MoodyBluer]

Saw a pack of Coyotes and their pups (kits?) on the AT just north of Doll Flats on the descent down to Hwy 19E after spending the night at Overmountain shelter back in Aug.

I heard them yapping below me as I descended on switchbacks and turned the corner and there they were...they were surprised to see me and scattered fast. About 10-15 of them...I must've been downwind or something as I thought they would hear/smell me coming. Kind of unnerving to see that many at once.

[Mortician]

That was the shelter where we heard those beautiful, frightning, life changing sounds of the Coyote pack hunt; confirmed with Whoah we were at Hawk Mtn. Shelter. Only 4 of us there that night; 2 were locals from Dahlonega and the surreal sounds of the hunt was their first experience 'up close'.

[Incahiker]

On my 1st backpacking trip on the AT I hiked from walasi yi (the parking lot right down the road) to Cowrock mountain and set up camp there. I was with my dog and after I was through sitting by the camp fire I went to bed. I had my little dog with me and she slept in the tent with me. Well, I was woken up at about 1 in the morning by a blood curdling howl, was really creepy and my dog shot up from sleepin with her ears perked up. It sounded like it was about 100 yards away. Kinda freaked me out and I started to try to go back to sleep about 10 minutes later after I heard that howl. Then all of a sudden I heard animals run by my tent, and my dog again perked her ears up and I was hoping to god that she didn't try to bark or growl, luckily she didn't. Anyways a Whole chorus of those suckers broke out into a haunting symphony right beside my tent, scared the crap out of me because I thought that they weren't pack hunters. But there were at the least maybe 5 and at the most 10, I couldn't tell because their were other coyotes howling further away and it was all mixed together.

They would do this and then run off for about 30 minutes and then regroup close to my tent and start their song again. Finally I got so damned tired that I didn't care about it much any more and just laid my head down and got some good sleep. It was scary at 1st and for some time after, but I got so damned tired I didn't give a damn about it anymore and just went to sleep listening to them howl right outside my tent. When I say right outside I mean it, could not have been more then 10 feet away from it as I could hear their claws rasp the rock when they walked on the granite rock that overlooks the valley and Wildcat on Cowrock. I was camped right next to that rock. I must have been in the middle of their hunting grounds.

[Bulldawg]

On my 1st backpacking trip on the AT I hiked from walasi yi (the parking lot right down the road) to Cowrock mountain and set up camp there. I was with my dog and after I was through sitting by the camp fire I went to bed. I had my little dog with me and she slept in the tent with me. Well, I was woken up at about 1 in the morning by a blood curdling howl, was really creepy and my dog shot up from sleepin with her ears perked up. It sounded like it was about 100 yards away. Kinda freaked me out and I started to try to go back to sleep about 10 minutes later after I heard that howl. Then all of a sudden I heard animals run by my tent, and my dog again perked her ears up and I was hoping to god that she didn't try to bark or growl, luckily she didn't. Anyways a Whole chorus of those suckers broke out into a haunting symphony right beside my tent, scared the crap out of me because I thought that they weren't pack hunters. But there were at the least maybe 5 and at the most 10, I couldn't tell because their were other coyotes howling further away and it was all mixed together.

They would do this and then run off for about 30 minutes and then regroup close to my tent and start their song again. Finally I got so damned tired that I didn't care about it much any more and just laid my head down and got some good sleep. It was scary at 1st and for some time after, but I got so damned tired I didn't give a damn about it anymore and just went to sleep listening to them howl right outside my tent. When I say right outside I mean it, could not have been more then 10 feet away from it as I could hear their claws rasp the rock when they walked on the granite rock that overlooks the valley and Wildcat on Cowrock. I was camped right next to that rock. I must have been in the middle of their hunting grounds.

Yeah, they like to howl off that rock at night. Not the first story I've heard about them at CowRock!!

[take-a-knee]

Yeah, they like to howl off that rock at night. Not the first story I've heard about them at CowRock!!

I spent a nite on Cowrock this past June, the coyotes were there in force.

[skinewmexico]

Sounds like every night in my neighborhood. Went to work early the other morning, one was walking down the street. May be time to start calling them.

[Kanati]

I spent an entire afternoon tracking 2 of them in about a 6" snow. They were on a hunting trip. The back one was stepping in the exact tracks of the first one. When they came to a briar patch or blowdown, they would split up and go on both sides so they had it covered should something go out the back door. A couple of times the tracks would indicate they had found a mouse as you could see where they had pounced on it. The snow would be all torn up.

They are plentiful around home and I have a lot of respect for their ability to survive. I've seen them eating acorns as well as shelled corn.

[NatureTalk]

So, what's the consensus, are coyotes dangerous to hikers?

I'm totally ignorant on the subject of coyotes, but on a gut level must report, packs of dogs creep me out more than any single predator.

I recently learned we now have coyotes here in Florida as well.

What say you?

[MOWGLI]

No. Coyotes are not dangerous to hikers.

[bigcranky]

I think I can swing it to camp on Cowrock Mtn next week on our section hike. Looking forward to it.

Coyotes aren't dangerous to hikers. Just don't smear yourself with peanut butter....

[Hikes in Rain]

So, what's the consensus, are coyotes dangerous to hikers?

I'm totally ignorant on the subject of coyotes, but on a gut level must report, packs of dogs creep me out more than any single predator.

I recently learned we now have coyotes here in Florida as well.

What say you?

Not dangerous. I've encountered them, and was summarily ignored! But yes, they're here in Florida. I can sit on my porch and hear them on occasion.