Meet the Coywolf

Strange, I was listening to CBC radio last week and they had a biologist on saying that all eastern coyotes are hybrids and have been cor a century, ie there is no "pure" coyote speecies out here.

It must be a matter of the ratio, I guess.
 
I don't know about the Coyote, Coywolf genetics, but I do know in the recent years I have seen "Coyotes" as I have called them, become incredibly bold.
I'm in Southwestern Ontario, last fall for example while deer hunting I had a coyote walk into a field I was watching right before dark. I shot at it, a fair ways out, and presumably missed it, is I seen a coyote on the dead run heading out of the field after the shot. I gathered things up, cased my rifle, as required here in Ontario, and headed to the area where the coyote was. Another stepped into the field, I still had a minute or two of legal light left, so I uncased my rifle, and quickly shot at it, same thing, it tore off. (This story does nothing to tell of my shooting skills, LOL) while watching this coyote run off, another ran past me from behind, less than 20 yards away. I cased up my rifle again, as legal light was ending. I walked down where the first coyote was, and looked briefly for any sign of a hit, by this time I had to turn on a flashlight. I looked for a minute or 2 and then noticed something moving about 30 yards away. I pointed the flashlight in to watch another coyote circle completely around me, staying about 30 yards away the whole time.
Never have I seen coyotes this bold. A year early a couple of friends of mine in this same area had coyotes circle them while dragging a deer out, the coyote even came close enough to bite the hind legs of the deer as it was dragged. They actually uncased one of their rifles and fired at it to scare it off.
This is odd behavior for coyotes, at least in my experiences with them.
 
I don't know about the Coyote, Coywolf genetics, but I do know in the recent years I have seen "Coyotes" as I have called them, become incredibly bold.
I'm in Southwestern Ontario, last fall for example while deer hunting I had a coyote walk into a field I was watching right before dark. I shot at it, a fair ways out, and presumably missed it, is I seen a coyote on the dead run heading out of the field after the shot. I gathered things up, cased my rifle, as required here in Ontario, and headed to the area where the coyote was. Another stepped into the field, I still had a minute or two of legal light left, so I uncased my rifle, and quickly shot at it, same thing, it tore off. (This story does nothing to tell of my shooting skills, LOL) while watching this coyote run off, another ran past me from behind, less than 20 yards away. I cased up my rifle again, as legal light was ending. I walked down where the first coyote was, and looked briefly for any sign of a hit, by this time I had to turn on a flashlight. I looked for a minute or 2 and then noticed something moving about 30 yards away. I pointed the flashlight in to watch another coyote circle completely around me, staying about 30 yards away the whole time.
Never have I seen coyotes this bold. A year early a couple of friends of mine in this same area had coyotes circle them while dragging a deer out, the coyote even came close enough to bite the hind legs of the deer as it was dragged. They actually uncased one of their rifles and fired at it to scare it off.
This is odd behavior for coyotes, at least in my experiences with them.


I have had coyotes yipping and barking at me and a buddy as we were gutting his buck in some willows after dark last fall. They sounded about 50 yards away at the most. We both didn't even have our bows and we would yell at them while they were barking and howling at us, They would shut up for a second, Walk about 20 more yards then start it again. Soon as we started dragging the deer out they would follow us never showing themselves but not far away. I know it scared my buddy as he has never really seen coyotes before. I was pretty nervous and I was doing a lot of looking over my shoulder dragging the deer. I wish i had a shotgun at that time I would of fired it a couple times after dark. I'd take the fine and everything that came with it for discharge after dark, It was frightning experience when you only have a little flashlight and a pocket knife. They followed us right to the road. Even loading the deer in the truck they were still about 200 yards away in the field barking and howling up a storm.
 
Call them what you will, in the east over the past couple decades they are seen to be increasingly wolflike as natural selection breeds them larger to more easily take down the very abundant deer population, but at the same time they are becoming bolder around humans exploring the possibility of killing and eating people. I assume we all know the story of the girl folksinger on Cape Breton.
 
My friends in the Ottawa area are telling me that coyotes attacked a horse in a field last week, happened in the suburbs but well within the city limits too. The city closed some nature trails in the area but now they are open again.
 
I have a couple that aren't afraid of my house. Just wish they would come in the daylight instead of after dark. Tracks went right up to my deck tonight (a rabbit spends its day under there) then went around the house and down the sidewalk out side the front door.

Just like urban coyotes, lack of fear from humans is readily cured with a few high velocity projectiles. Unfortunately not doable in some places. ;)

Grizz
 
Coyote Ontario is warning people to call 911 if they encounter a vicious coy-dog. Ohh, and they are to pick up their purse dog to keep it from being eaten. Seriously!!! 911 and pick up your dog!
 
Just like urban coyotes, lack of fear from humans is readily cured with a few high velocity projectiles. Unfortunately not doable in some places. ;)

Grizz

If there's a city in Canada that hasn't passed a bylaw making discharge of a firearm including air rifles illegal within city limits, I'm willing to give long odds it isn't Ottawa.
 
I had 2 strange encounters with coyotes last year. Both times they were not afraid of me or my dog at all. My dog is very protective but not stupid around coyotes and never chases them too far. She is easily 85 pounds.

I ran out of the house one evening as the coyote was just outside my fence yipping and making a fuss. It was on the verge of sundown so I never grabbed my rifle. I headed outside to remind it that people live there. It took off into the field and my dog who was barking and growling slowly followed. I caught up to my dog and the coyote stopped in the field. That's when I saw how big it was. If it was a pound lighter than my dog I'd be surprised. Quite a bit taller and not slim by any means. As it stopped and turned around it started yipping away like nobody's business. I was yelling at it and wishing I had grabbed my rifle! This thing was asking for it for sure! Then it lowered its head and came slowly towards my dog and I. I couldn't believe it! Hundreds upon hundreds of encounters with these critters and hear me, smell me, see me they are gone. Not this one. My dog lost it and hackles up headed for the coyote and then it ran. I called her back and the coyote just kept going.

This is in Northern BC, that's a long way from the East Coast!!
 
I'm gearing up for the coywolf. Can't wait to start hunting them

I did a lot of hunting in Ontario in the 1980s. I did see the occasional coyote but it was on days when it was raining heavily and they weren't expecting humans to be out and about (that works with a lot of species). The very first time I saw one in ON was earlier, I was driving down the 401 in 1980, it was hunting in a field just east of Toronto, and I didn't know what the heck it was because of the larger size. I was on my way to Point Pelee National Park, and when I got there I asked the naturalist staff but they didn't know either. How things have changed!

Anyway, the storyI hear now is that the eastern yotes are 'investigating' and 'challenging' smaller people like teenagers they encounter in the woods, so make yourself look small and tasty and you may have some success. Maybe cover yourself with steak sauce too... :)
 
I did a lot of hunting in Ontario in the 1980s. I did see the occasional coyote but it was on days when it was raining heavily and they weren't expecting humans to be out and about (that works with a lot of species). The very first time I saw one in ON was earlier, I was driving down the 401 in 1980, it was hunting in a field just east of Toronto, and I didn't know what the heck it was because of the larger size. I was on my way to Point Pelee National Park, and when I got there I asked the naturalist staff but they didn't know either. How things have changed!

Anyway, the storyI hear now is that the eastern yotes are 'investigating' and 'challenging' smaller people like teenagers they encounter in the woods, so make yourself look small and tasty and you may have some success. Maybe cover yourself with steak sauce too... :)

A friend of mine that lives off of hwy 27 north of king had one on his porch the other day. He said it was larger than a German Shepard .
 
If we were allowed to hunt at night for coyotes,it would surely help.In New York State they can hunt them at night,but no lights.These moonlit winter nights there is plenty of light to see and shoot safely.The coyotes I'm seeing on my trailcam are always around after or before legal shooting.
GJ
There's a lot more people getting in to hunting them these days,and in response to the pressure the coyotes aren't coming to the calls like before and becoming almost exclusively nocturnal.This is what I'm seeing around these parts.I don't really care for baiting,but it does work ok.
 
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I have had coyotes yipping and barking at me and a buddy as we were gutting his buck in some willows after dark last fall. They sounded about 50 yards away at the most. We both didn't even have our bows and we would yell at them while they were barking and howling at us, They would shut up for a second, Walk about 20 more yards then start it again. Soon as we started dragging the deer out they would follow us never showing themselves but not far away. I know it scared my buddy as he has never really seen coyotes before. I was pretty nervous and I was doing a lot of looking over my shoulder dragging the deer. I wish i had a shotgun at that time I would of fired it a couple times after dark. I'd take the fine and everything that came with it for discharge after dark, It was frightning experience when you only have a little flashlight and a pocket knife. They followed us right to the road. Even loading the deer in the truck they were still about 200 yards away in the field barking and howling up a storm.

You can imagine how my Grandfather must have felt one cold night in February in the late 40's when the car got stuck in deep snow 11 miles in on a 17 long mile road from the town of Connaught to the Fredrickhouse Dam and he had to leave his wife and son behind to head for the dam to retrieve the Dodge Powerwagon plow to open the road. He was the dam tender in those days with Ontario Hydro and they lived back at that dam, 17 miles from anyone or anything. He said he walked that road for two miles with a wolf pack split up on each side of the road calling back and forth to each other following him the entire way and he would catch glimpses of them just a few yards away every now and again in the moonlight. He said he holed up in a work shed along the road that a lumber company kept some equipment in until daylight broke then continued his walk to the dam to fetch the plow. He sure did not care for wolves after spending many years living with them in his back yard.
 
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