Have any coyote encounters on runs?

No, but back when I was in grad school in 2010 I came home for spring break. I was out in a park doing a 10 miler. I was clipping off 6 minute miles without a problem and then at about mile 6 I see this cat poke its head out of the woods. I make that little noise to a cat motioning it to come over. Well then the dang thing stands up and its a freaking bobcat. I had to haul a$$ for about 200m before the it finally stopped chasing me. I ended up having to take a different route because I didn't want to go back that way and turned my 10 miler into a 12 miler.

So whenever I see an animal out running I just ignore it.

Yes. Running at 5AM on a river trail it was laying down about 10 meters from me and then it sprang up. I sprinted away from it towards the river (and into a wire fence) and it sprinted the other direction and crawled under a fence.

I believe you. In fact, I guessing for this to happen you must weight about 20lbs and be about 18 inches tall.

Never again wrote:

No, but back when I was in grad school in 2010 I came home for spring break. I was out in a park doing a 10 miler. I was clipping off 6 minute miles without a problem and then at about mile 6 I see this cat poke its head out of the woods. I make that little noise to a cat motioning it to come over. Well then the dang thing stands up and its a freaking bobcat. I had to haul a$$ for about 200m before the it finally stopped chasing me. I ended up having to take a different route because I didn't want to go back that way and turned my 10 miler into a 12 miler.

So whenever I see an animal out running I just ignore it.

Yeah, bobcats pursue prey weighing between 1.5 to 12.5 pounds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat

But sure go ahead & believe it was actually chasing after you. Or that you were able to out sprint a bobcat over 200 meters.

Bobcats have no problem intimidating other animals. What if it was a female with kittens? Definitely not something you want chasing you.

Could turn out something like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmMrl-rH_-I

No never seen any

No never seen any

No never seen any

"No, but back when I was in grad school in 2010 I came home for spring break. I was out in a park doing a 10 miler. I was clipping off 6 minute miles without a problem and then at about mile 6 I see this cat poke its head out of the woods. I make that little noise to a cat motioning it to come over. Well then the dang thing stands up and its a freaking bobcat. I had to haul a$$ for about 200m before the it finally stopped chasing me. ...."

Yea right:

1) what runner would stop while clipping off 6 minute miles to pet a cat?

2) bobcats rarely attack humans unless rabid

3) you probably can't outrun an adult bobcat anyway

As for coyotes, I'm far more afraid of dogs. I've seen dozen's of coyotes and never once felt any danger. I would never be so stupid as to get close to one, but they've always kept their distance. If one followed me, I'd try to scare it off (you can't outrun one).

Dogs on other hand: I had to run out in traffic once to get away from a St. Bernard (had no idea they could be so aggressive), and I've had to kick two different dogs in the snout that were not backing down when I stood my ground with them.

Give me a coyote any day.

You people have no respect for the murdered dog of Jessica Simpson (Tinker) who was slaughtered.

A hiker once called 911 in Ma saying she wanted help from the cops because she was being followed by a pack of coyotes and she was afraid to move.

Stuff like this is why I'm glad I pack. Often times humans make the grave mistake of believing animals think rationally as they themselves do and won't attack unless there is a CLEAR reason to do so. Unfortunately they aren't very predictable (especially wild animals) and could attack for no apparent reason.

Yes, I have had many. I live in a remote part of Costa Rica. I run on dirt roads that are no longer in use, that once were used for a quarry. Two memorable occasions...

I was running in the afternoon and came across a pack of coyotes. I thought at first that they were German Shepherds. They looked really healthy and started to move towards me. I threw up my hands and they didn't budge, they were just curious.

Another time I was running where there are a lot of coffee farms. It was harvest time and there are many indios who come from Panama to pick the coffee. I ran past a couple of them and about 2 minutes later I saw a lone coyote in the road ahead of me. It just stood there. I had the feeling that it was actually a brujo ala Carlos Casteneda.

Once I had just started my usual 20 mile run when a coyote started chasing me from behind. Kept chasing me for the first mile of the run, probably around 4:08. After that he dropped off the pace and I was able to settle into an easy 4:45 pace the rest of the way.

Paavo's Stopwatch wrote:

Has anyone had any encounters with cayotes while on runs? Or, does anyone know anything about how agressive cayotes are? Was rerouting my run an unnecessary precaution?

I have. I was very stubborn about a year ago and insisted on going out on random jogs on my busted hip (was literally busted I had torn ligaments and it wasn't diagnosed as well as a torn labrum). One morning before class I decided I was going to take a 5 mile jaunt on one of my favorite back roads. I always ran on the grassy parts off the side of the road (usually farm fields) because of my hip. I had headphones in (you can start your criticizing now about how I'm not a "real runner") and about 20 mins into the run I felt something hit the back of my calf. I looked down just in time to see what I thought was a dog run along my right side and in front of me. When it looked back directly at me I realized it was a coyote, just in time to see a second one coming up on my left side. I should have realized something was up because the cows across the street were stomping and mooing like crazy. I was scared to death because my hip was really weak so there was no running away. I just kept jogging at the same pace and refused to look at them. They literally followed me for almost a mile until a car drove by and they took off. I wouldn't say they were aggressive but they definitely were curious.

100s of NYers see this puma every day.

http://www.centralpark.com/updata/Image/attractions/still-hunt-2-f.jpg

I run on a bike path that is next to and above a large stream. I have run on this trail for nearly 30 years. I have encountered coyote's 3 times now but only the last time worried me. It was as big a coyote as I have ever seen, probably 50 lbs and VERY healthy looking. I am in Washington State. I stopped as I was going by it more from shock than fear. I got it together and kept going and it scampered away into nearby weeds but sure took a long look first and really just moved around thirty feet.

I was very concerned coming back to that spot on the trail but it had moved away. It's interesting that I have also seen a huge beaver in nearly the same spot, down near the water and some deer.

A similar creature, a fox, has become the new phenomenon in Washington D.C. One night I was running on the sidewalk next to the Capital Building and it ran trotted right next to me (5ft). I work for a Senator and the fox enjoys pretty reasonably press coverage, four articles in the past 8 business days. It seems to be very happy just running around and seems to have no interest in interacting with people. I have seen it several times and it is an amazing animal.

torin wrote:

I don't like them. You don't see much during the day they are mostly nocturnal.

They are crazy. I was approaching one which was in the middle of the street trying to get roadkill and as the car kept getting closer the Coyote didn't move.

It was will to get hit with a ton of metal and plastic rather than give up this dead scrap.

It was probably surprised to find a human on an intellectual level with itself

They don't see cars as a threat

Being a runner of some 40 years AND a coyote hunter, I can say I have only ever actually seen a handful of coyotes while running. They are wary creatures, scared of humans, nocturnal for the most part, and very creatively camouflaged for their environment. On my Kentucky farm, I have usually two or three different packs that we hear every evening and morning, but for all intents a purposes never see. This time of year the alpha female of a pack is having pups so they run the juvenile males out of the pack which is why you may have seen a lone coyote out trying to find another pack to join, or perhaps even out scrounging for himself until he does.

Unless they are rabid, or unless you encounter a crossbred coyote-dog (coydog from where I come from) they will not take on anything bigger than a rabbit or turkey. Humans are off the menu.