View Full Version : Rabid coyote!
Woman Slams Door on Aggressive Coyote
By Associated Press
document.write(getElapsed("20060930T022703Z"));Fri Sep 29, 10:27 PMUPDATED 9 HOURS 16 MINUTES AGO
SINKING SPRINGS, Pa. - When a man and his dog dashed into the house with a rabid coyote on their heels, his wife slammed the door on the coyote's neck.
Craig S. Luckenbill said Thursday that he ran to get his 12-gauge shotgun, and his wife managed to close the door, but the coyote continued biting at the door and the front of the house.
The coyote was in the front yard when Luckenbill went out and killed it with the shotgun, he said. "I'm a hunter but I've never seen anything like that."
The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed Wednesday that the 40-pound eastern coyote Luckenbill shot on Sept. 21 had rabies, the first coyote to test positive for rabies in the state.
Luckenbill said he had heard one of his dogs barking, found it fighting with the coyote near his patio and tried to pull the dog away, but the coyote followed until his wife trapped it in the door. "When it tried to come into the house, my other dog Annie got involved to protect my wife," he said.
Both dogs had been immunized for rabies and received booster shots after the attack, he said.
Sinking Springs is about 15 miles south of the AT near Reading, PA.
Lobo
Wow, that sounds pretty awful. Luckily that man was armed and able to take care of the coyote before anyone was hurt. Being only 15 miles from the trail, that coyote could have just as easily attacked someone on the trail. That probably wouldn't have ended quite as well, since most AT hikers feel it is foolish to carry anything they could defend themselves with.
Midway Sam
10-01-2006, 21:44
Wow, that sounds pretty awful. Luckily that man was armed and able to take care of the coyote before anyone was hurt. Being only 15 miles from the trail, that coyote could have just as easily attacked someone on the trail. That probably wouldn't have ended quite as well, since most AT hikers feel it is foolish to carry anything they could defend themselves with.
I have my CCDW permit and have been known to tote a piece. I am fairly confident that in the event that a rabid coyote attacked me on the trail in that manner that there is no possible way I could retrieve my weapon fast enough.
I'm no Doc Holliday when it comes to drawing my weapon.
It sure would be tough to draw in time versus a coyote. If he got the jump on you and surprised you, he'd probably do some damage before you could draw your weapon, but I think it's safe to say you'd be able to at least draw eventually and dispatch the animal.
However, at least if you were packing you'd have some way of stopping the attack. I doubt many people would be able to outrun a coyote, so unless you have a way of disabling the coyote I don't even want to think about how that attack would end...
For those of you who are convinced that knives are for murderers and guns are for terrorists, how would you deal with a rabid coyote that wants to hurt you?
Being only 15 miles from the trail, that coyote could have just as easily attacked someone on the trail.
Fifteen miles from the A.T.? Not much more than a mile as the crow flies from my front door.
BTW, the incident occurred in Lower Heidelberg township. Sinking Spring, not Sinking Springs is the post office from which mail is delivered to residents in that portion of the township. Common mistake made by many people even those who live here and have lived here for many years and ought to know better.
But the property owners' black labs were badder than that coyote. Must have had something to do with home team advantage, I guess.:-?
I wonder what Ridge and Minnesota Smith think about the idea of bringing a black lab as personal protection against coyotes? Maybe I should PM them and ask them to post their opinions here.:eek:;):D
Went on a fun hike with BMECC (http://www.bmecc.org) to Eagle's Nest today. Didn't need to cart along no arsenal either. Plenty of rocks to hurl at coydog varmints here in PA -- not to worry!;)
Rain Man
10-01-2006, 23:24
Woman Slams Door on Aggressive Coyote
Rain:sunMan
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Rain:sunMan.
Your point, sir? I can't confirm nor will I dispute the basic facts of the story, but I can confirm that the article appeared in the upper left hand corner of the first page of The Reading Eagle. If you'd like to call the Pennsylvania Game Commission, you can reach them at 610 926-3136.
It was stated in the article that it was the first documented case of a coyote carrying rabies in Pennsylvania, so I'm not so sure that the title is inappropriate. People should be mindful and wary of animals that act in a manner that is out of the ordinary, especially those that seem to have no fear of man.
refreeman
10-01-2006, 23:59
Coyotes are making a strong come back here in CT. Occasionally at night you can hear the pack bark and howl as they celebrate their kill.
Here a link to some picture I took today of a coyote road kill about 30 minutes from the AT in CT. A doe was killed too a little further up the road. So either the doe was dead and the coyote seeking an easy meal and wound up sharing the same death as the doe or the coyote was chasing the dear into the road and they both were killed by a vehicle. The road kill happened the morning of October 1st 2006.
Whole coyote:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13087&c=553
Close-up of head:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13086&c=553
To answer Dave568's question: How would you handle a rabid coyote? Read it in a very old survival book...put your weak arm out for the animal to bite(better than your face or neck), then with your strong arm make a sweeping motion from behind the animal and hit the animal in the lower neck while pushing with the weak arm. it snaps the neck and stops the attack.
of course if you have a sword on the AT you could just dispatch the animal with that. I readthat in another thread and gave it some considerable thought.:-?
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=169970&A=11
It just adds to the hiking experience of being there in the first place
Woman Slams Door on Aggressive Coyote
By Associated Press
document.write(getElapsed("20060930T022703Z"));Fri Sep 29, 10:27 PMUPDATED 9 HOURS 16 MINUTES AGO
SINKING SPRINGS, Pa. - When a man and his dog dashed into the house with a rabid coyote on their heels, his wife slammed the door on the coyote's neck.
Craig S. Luckenbill said Thursday that he ran to get his 12-gauge shotgun, and his wife managed to close the door, but the coyote continued biting at the door and the front of the house.
The coyote was in the front yard when Luckenbill went out and killed it with the shotgun, he said. "I'm a hunter but I've never seen anything like that."
The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed Wednesday that the 40-pound eastern coyote Luckenbill shot on Sept. 21 had rabies, the first coyote to test positive for rabies in the state.
Luckenbill said he had heard one of his dogs barking, found it fighting with the coyote near his patio and tried to pull the dog away, but the coyote followed until his wife trapped it in the door. "When it tried to come into the house, my other dog Annie got involved to protect my wife," he said.
Both dogs had been immunized for rabies and received booster shots after the attack, he said.
Sinking Springs is about 15 miles south of the AT near Reading, PA.
Lobo
I bet that was scary..................
Wow, that sounds pretty awful. Luckily that man was armed and able to take care of the coyote before anyone was hurt. Being only 15 miles from the trail, that coyote could have just as easily attacked someone on the trail. That probably wouldn't have ended quite as well, since most AT hikers feel it is foolish to carry anything they could defend themselves with.
Yep. Thank God we can still own firearms in our homes. That way we can still defend ourselves against Revenuers and rabid coyotes (and the guv'ment, too) dad gummit.
Luckily that man was armed and able to take care of the coyote before anyone was hurt. Being only 15 miles from the trail, that coyote could have just as easily attacked someone on the trail. That probably wouldn't have ended quite as well, since most AT hikers feel it is foolish to carry anything they could defend themselves with.Yeah, he had a shotgun in his house. How many hikers are foolish enough to carry one on the trail? Not many, in the 1/1,000,000 chance they'll ever need it.
Coyotes are either present or making a comeback here in Florida also. They woke a group of us up at 1 in the morning on a hike last winter. I've spent many nights in this park and that was the first time I heard them. Then, two weeks ago I went car camping there, and they were howling away really close to the regular public camping area also. Personally, I carry a standard locking blade knife since I need to carry a knife anyway, just get one with a three inch or so blade and keep it clipped to your pocket.
Tamarack
10-02-2006, 21:37
When I was in grade 6 about this time of year we were using the large soccer field because the highschool next door wasnt using it. PLaying soccer nothing special. well on the other side of the highschool a rabid fox had been spotted. It ran through town, ran infront of the public elementary school, bit all kinds of cats and dogs. It ran from police out of town and to the 'country kids' elementary school, the police showed up and shot it just as the bell rang for recess. Now that was scary. Knowing only when the news was on how close myself and my 25-er-so classmates were to having an encounter with a rabid fox. they did a massive fox-bait that year. dropping these 2" square things from airplanes and when the fox bit it, inside was a blister pack of rabies vaccine, so the fox would get a quick meal and a vaccine in one. the coons liked it too.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=169970&A=11
Good job locating that release and posting it.
Midway Sam - I am a police officer in NC and have been to lots of schools on self-defense, firearms, etc. Officers here are trained that a person weilding a knife can close a distance of 21 feet and fatally wound an officer before a trained officer can draw and fire his weapon. I imagine a coyote is faster than a human.
Also, we have had reports of coyotes here in central NC, two hours away from the nearest mountains. People have photographed them and the NC Wildlife Commission has confirmed there is at least one pack in the city I live in. One woman reported being attacked by a coyote on a local hiking trail. I was surprised to know that there are coyotes in such an urban enviroment.
However, we did have two bears here recently. Wildlife Officers said "Leave them alone and dont feed them and they will head back to where they came from". It didnt make people feel any better, they still called the police everytime they saw them.
Just my two grams.
BD
Midway Sam
10-03-2006, 06:27
Midway Sam - I am a police officer in NC and have been to lots of schools on self-defense, firearms, etc. Officers here are trained that a person weilding a knife can close a distance of 21 feet and fatally wound an officer before a trained officer can draw and fire his weapon. I imagine a coyote is faster than a human.
Thanks for the info. Now I've got a little "clout" to back up my hunch. :D
Old Grouse
10-03-2006, 10:26
Due to my wife's and my work schedule I've been doing my daily walks at about 5 a.m. My wife expressed some concern for my safety at that hour but I explained that it's just me and the news delivery guys, and that while I sometimes hear a deer snort and plunge away, usually I just hear screech owls and distant coyotes. That set her to worrying that I might be attached by a coyote. I told her I was a lot more worried about meeting a skunk (which is why I usually walk the yellow line unless a car's coming).
Wouldn't you know, a few days later there was a story about a coyote attacking a woman as she walked across a McDonald's parking lot on I-95 in Milford CT. Seems the staff was feeding it scraps out the back door. I'm still a lot more worried about cell-phone wielding drivers than coyotes.
icemanat95
10-03-2006, 11:09
Midway Sam - I am a police officer in NC and have been to lots of schools on self-defense, firearms, etc. Officers here are trained that a person weilding a knife can close a distance of 21 feet and fatally wound an officer before a trained officer can draw and fire his weapon. I imagine a coyote is faster than a human.Just my two grams.
BD
There are techniques that will allow a person to beat the 21 foot rule, but they require intensive practice and weapon at ready in an immediately accessible holster. Most hikers are NOT going to have a readily accessible holster on their hip, but would be using a Glaco type belly bag or something similar, which is much slower.
The main technique used is the Speed Rock, which is very much like the wild-west movie quick draw, but at realistic (almost contact) ranges. The idea is that the weapon is rocked backward out of the holster to present the muzzle to the target as quickly as possible. The body is leaned back fairly radically to gain space and a step or two may be taken as well. The shot is squeezed off as quickly as possible after the muzzle clears the holster and comes to level, pointed at the assailant. Hitting a human sized target beyond a few feet is dubious, but that's the range the technique is intended for.
Tom Cruise demonstrates a fairly credible speed rock in the movie Collateral, where he surprises the guys who are robbing the cab driver. But again, this technique is only really useful when the weapon is holstered reasonably accessibly on the strong-side hip. It's useless for crossdraw situations with shoulder holsters and belly bag concealment holsters. If the gun is buried in your pack, you might just as well have left it at home.
This is one reason why I have come to advocate a stoutish hiking staff rather than ultralight poles. A solid staff can be used to deliver a devastating punching attack that will shatter bone and severely damage soft tissue without spraying blood all over the place. It can also impose distance between an attacker and yourself. Staffs are also completely legal pretty much everywhere in the world.
I normally do not advocate video-tape training, but you may want to look into some jo stick training if you are worried about defending yourself on the trail.
Rain Man
10-03-2006, 14:51
... I was surprised to know that there are coyotes in such an urban enviroment....
Birddog, et al,
Heard a Tenn Wildlife Resources Agency Officer speak about a year or two ago on coyotes in Tennessee. He said they are in downtown Memphis. One snatched a small dog off the leash as the owner was walking the dog. Another went into a house and up the stairs (after learning dog food was readily available).
He said that coyotes will learn to go wherever humans will allow them to go. If humans shout and throw rocks, then coyotes will learn to stay away. If humans act kind and curious, then coyotes will learn getting close is okay.
Anyway, the TWRA Officer was a big fan of coyotes, their intelligence and ability to adapt to an environment. He did not preach killing them, except for the cases like bears that humans have habituated to come to humans for food.
I recommend to any hikers to arrange or attend presentations by wildlife rangers. They know their stuff and it's not scaredy-cat urban legend nor macho cowboy shoot-first stuff nor sensationalism either, like too many WhiteBlaze amateurs (not you, Birddog!).
Rain:sunMan
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I would think a good argument could be made for hiking in small groups as opposed to hiking alone. A group has more eyes and ears to know what's going on nearby and creates a more formidable presence that may serve to discourage or turn back a coyote or another animal that approaches too close. The additional commotion created by the passing of a group of hikers compared with that of an individual hiker may serve to alert wildlife of the group's approach and encourage it to take flight before an encounter might otherwise take place.
RockyTrail
10-03-2006, 18:13
To answer Dave568's question: How would you handle a rabid coyote? Read it in a very old survival book...put your weak arm out for the animal to bite(better than your face or neck), then with your strong arm make a sweeping motion from behind the animal and hit the animal in the lower neck while pushing with the weak arm. it snaps the neck and stops the attack.
I can see it now..."Forearm Gaiters"...a padded thick sleeve you wear on your left forearm to offer to rabid coyotes in event of attack :D
I'm sure Backpacker magazine will do a review on that soon! You know every hiker needs one!
(not making fun of your post Coop, you make a very good point, thanks)
I wonder what Ridge and Minnesota Smith think about the idea of bringing a black lab as personal protection against coyotes? Maybe I should PM them and ask them to post their opinions here.:eek: ;)
Great idea! NOT!
Great idea! NOT!
Don't get excited, Jeffrey.:rolleyes: That never was my intention.:D The statement was merely an attempt at humor, okay? Are we :cool:, now that I have clarified things?:)