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flagator
12-31-2007, 11:10
So my girlfriend and I did a neels gap to amicalola section hike this past weekend. On our last night be stayed at Stover Creek. After putting in some 14 miles in the pouring rain we cashed in at Stover creek shelter at about 4:30, we woke up at around 8 pm and it was already nightfall. We took over the top section of the shelter, in case anyone came later on they could take the bottom. Any how it was my girlfriends first hiking experience and she was paranoid about being out there alone and she kept saying she heard footsteps, and I assured her I heard them to and that it was just animals. Well she feel asleep but later on I heard coyotes howling way off in the distance. I thought it was kind of cool, until about 20 mins later I heard them howling real close, I knew they couldnt be but 100 feet away, just than I heard them walking allover the shelter downstairs on the wood, there had to be atleast a few, and they were breathing heavy and rummaging around the shelter. We were upstairs all curled up in our sleeping bag trying not to make a peep. I dont think they were after us, and they probably knew exactly where we were. It was just a really scary experience at the time, looking back on it, its funny and awesome. I just dont know how common they are, that was pretty intense. I was just wondering had we decided to sleep downstairs if they still would have came so close, and would they attack. Our food was on the bear cables, so im not sure what they were after. Makes me kind of worried to sleep downstairs at shelters anymore. The night before we stayed at gooch mountain shelter and didnt hear a peep.

Lone Wolf
12-31-2007, 11:15
carry a gun next time and whack the varmits.

SGT Rock
12-31-2007, 11:15
They were just trying to sing you to sleep. Coyotes were my friends in El Paso.

Captn
12-31-2007, 15:38
They were just trying to sing you to sleep. Coyotes were my friends in El Paso.


From Wikipedia:

Attacks on humans
Coyote attacks on humans have increased within the past 5 years in California. Data from USDA Wildlife Services, the California Department of Fish & Game, and other sources show that while 41 attacks occurred during the period of 1988-1997, 48 attacks were verified from 1998 through 2003. The majority of these incidents occurred in Southern California near the suburban-wildland interface. [18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyotes#_note-AOH)
Due to an absence of harassment by residents, urban coyotes lose their natural fear of humans, which is further worsened by people intentionally feeding coyotes. In such situations, some coyotes begin to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small children.[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyotes#_note-AOH)
There is currently only one recorded fatal attack on a human. In 1981 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981) in Glendale, California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendale%2C_California), a coyote attacked a toddler, who despite being rescued by her father, died in surgery due to blood loss and a broken neck.[19] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyotes#_note-8)[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyotes#_note-AOH)
When faced with agressive coyotes, people are encouraged to avoid direct eye contact, and to leave the area calmly without turning back onto the animal. If followed by a coyote, making loud noises and making oneself look bigger is said to work. Throwing rocks should be a last resort measure.[20] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyotes#_note-9)

SGT Rock
12-31-2007, 15:45
How about shooting at them with blank ammo - it seemed to deter them when they were acting ornery.

Dances with Mice
12-31-2007, 16:13
Hikers! Can't please'em. We install a new mouse-catching system and all we get are complaints.

Montego
01-01-2008, 01:35
Hikers! Can't please'em. We install a new mouse-catching system and all we get are complaints.

ROFLMAF :D

Tennessee Viking
01-01-2008, 02:18
Might sound gross to some, but peeing around the shelter does some good. Marking the shelter as yours.

Montego
01-01-2008, 02:37
Might sound gross to some, but peeing around the shelter does some good. Marking the shelter as yours.

Naw! LWolf already pissed off his porch, no use gettin' the shelters angry toooooo :D

Nightwalker
01-01-2008, 13:29
If you talk to, or laugh at, a coyote, they will run away. You don't even have to yell.

At some shelter in VA, I sat up in my hammock in the middle of the night and yawned and stretched prior to getting out to pee. The nearby coyotes yipped a bit and I laughed pretty loud for some reason. They took off like their feet was on fire and their @ss was a catchin'. :)

Don't be scared of the coyotes, unless you're a rabbit.

Newb
01-02-2008, 08:32
I bet they're after the mice for sure. Mice are like popcorn for coyotes.

oldfivetango
01-02-2008, 08:40
How about shooting at them with blank ammo - it seemed to deter them when they were acting ornery.

Or you could fire a few "warning" shots off their bow just to let
them know you mean business.Guess I will be packing AND bringing
an extra clip.:D
Oldfivetango

MOWGLI
01-02-2008, 08:57
No need to be frightened of coyotes. Unless you're a rodent, a berry, a White tailed deer, a cat, or a similar small mammal, they want nothing to do with two leggeds. I suppose it's natural to be frightened though. My daughter and her friend heard coyotes on our night hike on NYE, and they were scared until I explained that they wouldn't bother them. At that point they headed out into the lead again hiking without a headlamp or flashlight. If those two 17 year old girls could handle it, so can anyone here.

earlyriser26
01-02-2008, 09:18
We camped on the AT above Hawk Mt shelter in May. Around 1AM a group of coyotes came into our camp and started to howl. They had to be less than 50 feet away. Now that will wake you up!

Tipi Walter
01-02-2008, 09:25
I was backpacking up the Bald River Gorge one trip and stopped when I saw a deer standing in the middle of the river to my right. It saw me and started going upstream. I continued to walk and quickly saw a huge coyote come down to the river's edge and stop on a rock checking out the deer. It didn't see me until I shouted a grunt and zoom! it was up and out of there. Was it big? Yup, looked like a big gray wolf.

Another time I was camping on the B Mac at Little Conehead Camp. Sitting in the tent at night, a coyote approached and wailed a plaintive, chilling cry. Did I feel weird? A few goosebumps is all.

Critterman
01-02-2008, 12:40
When we lived north of Dallas I was out in the boonies in a cattle pasture one night looking at a comet with my 7x 50 binoculars and I heard a group of coyotes up wind of me. I was able to watch them with the binoculars for quite a while before they knew I was there. Got about 20 yards from me then they heard or smelled me. They looked at me for sometime then took off.