'Splain this to me Lucy!

Redfrog

Moderator
Don't any of you guys have a theory on this??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

"Here's an incident that I would like your comments on.

While travelling in the mountains in B.C. about 10-12 years ago, with a buddy and my young son, we had to travel through a Provincial park.

We were eastbound and as we passed a pullout[rest area] on the westbound side of the highway,I noticed a coyote lying on the road in the parking area. I suspected there was something amiss, and we turned around to investigate. As we approached with the truck, the coyote stood up. He made no effort to move off as we slowly approached to within 50-60 feet.
We remained in the vehicle for a few minutes discussing what could be wrong with this coyote.
Stupid? independent thinker? Rabid?
I was on the passenger side and amidst pleas from my 4 year old to "shoot his ass off" I thought maybe this coyote had a "Dog and Pony" show going without the pony.
I took half a sandwich from our lunch, reached around the open truck door and tossed it to the coyote. Instead of running off from the movement or the sight of the flying missile, he caught it in mid air like a frisbee. :eek:

Gentlemen if you will, offer your theories on how this coyote developed this skill. How did he know it was food and not a grenade?

The area is remote in that the only permanent residents are 50 miles from this spot."

C'mon guys, take a shot at explaining this, or is it not unusual?
 
Originally posted by Redfrog:
[qb] How did he know it was food and not a grenade?
[/qb]
Redfrog,

You have to remember, not everyone is like you! For the most part, those critters don't have to worry about grenades!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
I imagine the coyote figured out people and cars meant free food. i have seen people leaving food out at campgrounds for the poor stray dog...which was a coyote. Also i have had coyotes get within a close distance while flyfishing during the salmon runs. I figure they learned/figured out most anglers won't hurt them and there might be a free meal of fish parts after the angler leaves.

Or that was one "smart" coyote knwoing you had an extra half of sandwich. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Well, here's my take on it.

You said it was in a very remote area. That tells me two things. It has no reason to fear cars, and it's never been shot at. Sure they can be a little skittish, but if it has never been confronted aggressivly by humans, it won't be as skittish. When you offered food, it may have been fed by a traveller in the past. It may be being fed fairly frequently by passers by who think he's cute. I've been in areas hunting and coyotes have seen my vehicle and havn't been spooked. Once I got out however; they leave the area. Coyotes get "conditioned" to vehicle's in an area. This coyote may or may not have an association between cars and people...yet. Once he does, he'll be outta there.

That's my take on it...for whatever it's worth.
 
All I know for sure is your kid has to be a riot to hang out with.
Shoot his ass off dad, shoot his ass off! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
There have been 2 times where I've seen coyotes accept food from cars. One was a truck stop on the I-95 near Clinton, CT. The truckers would save some of their dinner and take it back out to their truck. The coyote would come to about 10' from the truck and just sit there and wait for the handout. The other was a rest stop on the I-5 near Panoche, CA. There were 2 and they really worked the parking lot. One was bold and took food night next to the truck. My son and I got a long hard look at them and concluded they were YOY coydog pups. Irregular black and white markings, and one had a flopped ear were clues. Other than that they looked every bit coyote. Very skittish, but bold.
 
NASA,
One of em had a flopped ear? He wasn't wearing a black hat and sun glasses was he? Sounds like a friend of mine from Arizona who was actually RAISED by coyotes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
LOL Rich. Yep, his right ear flopped over about 1/3 of the way down. This was about 7-8 years ago so I'm hoping someone else on the bosrd may have seen them. I guess they were a regular attraction for a while at that rest stop. Even my cousin in the CA DFG had heard about them.
 
Originally posted by Weasel-UT:
[qb]All I know for sure is your kid has to be a riot to hang out with.
Shoot his ass off dad, shoot his ass off! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif [/qb]
LOL! That is exactly what I was thinking Weasel, very few times do I ACTUALLY laugh out loud at an internet message board... maybe it took me by surprise... maybe it was just that damn funny but whatever it was I almost choked on that one!

Oh the joys of hearing the pitter patter of little feet followed by "Shoot his ass off!"
 
My son has never really been stuck for words. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif He used to be funny, now he's just a wiseacre teen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

On a visit to a fish hatchery, we walked out onto a float that went out into a large pond. In the pond were different kinds of trout/steelhead and two sturgeon about 8-9 feet long. My wife and I were there with our 3 kids. My son was three at the time. The place was also full of tourists. As my son peered into the depths, one of the sturgeon slowly slid by from under the float. Musta startled the lad, cause he yelled "Sweet Jesus, look at the size of this sucker, DAD." :eek:
The place exploded in laughter, while my wife and two daughters tried to disappear. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Another time I took him to a chinese buffet.He was 3-4 yrs. old. As we walked past the steam tables piled high with food, he spotted a huge platter of cooked prawns/shrimp. They were intact with heads/legs/ and beady eyes. He shouted to all in the restaurant, "Oh Cool they got cockroaches." :eek:

We have had our moments. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

The coyote mooching food,didn't seem like much of a reach to me. But catching it in the air did.
 
Oh, I love those kids. LOL! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

This is old, but funny.
How embarrassing. A mothers story.
Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in . It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, and she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while, so I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No." I kept thinking, "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled. "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!" While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing! He calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feel better by thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!
 
I wonder if the yote had been conditioned to be a moocher like the stupid wolves east of Black River Falls in Hwy 54 near here in WI.

Had several radio announcments all around this area last spring telling people to quit feeding the dang wolves.

Funny kid stories too
 
I suspect the Yote was disease ridden. I once saw a Racoon that was just sitting in the yard. Looked like a very healthy racoon. I grabbed the 22 to get him and as I walked outside, I knocked over a metal chair that made alot of noise. I figured the coon was gone. As I looked up I noticed tha coon was still there. I figured something was wrong the closer i got to it. I actually walked right up to it and nudged it with my barrel. Coon just looked at me. It then got up and walked around me in a circle. I didn't like that so I put two in it's head. I then called the DNR and explained what had happended. Rabies, I guess animals can get pretty nonchalant about humans with rabies.
 
Swift One I know what you mean about some of these animals being sick. I had a coyote walk into my yard one time :eek: :eek: He looked very sick. By the time I got me rifle and came back outside, he was dead. I tried to get my Sister in law to put it in a garbage bag,in case it was rabies or something, but she wasn't gonna be part of that. I'll bet if it was food, she would have been on it like a duck on a June Bug. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

The coyote we saw on the highway was very healthy.

Jerry Thanks. Getting out in the"Bush" is always an adventure. Something always happens, good, bad or indifferent, but it always happens. Add youngsters to the mix and it sure makes life entertaining.

I run a backhoe here on the prairie, when I'm not guiding or hunting. I seldom see people all day long and I thank God everyday I can live here and do what I do.

I unloaded my hoe this morning and as I was climbing into the cab, I looked up and there was a redtail hawk going to work to. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I drove out of the rancher's stackyard and there was a coyote on the bales, and he was trying to flatten himself out paper thin to disappear so he wouldn't have to leave his comfy little bed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I guess people that don't hunt or fish just miss out on the good things in life. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

You and Curt should come up here and we'll do a hunt with Scott Teeny. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Originally posted by Weasel-UT:
[qb]Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled. "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!"[/qb]
Boy howdy! Am I glad this one was brought back to the top!! I needed that laugh! My co-workers are walking by wondering what my problem is. Thanks Weasel and Redfrog.
 
Similar incident in Yoho National Park in BC, 15 or 20 years ago. My wife and I saw a coyote standing just off the edge of the highway and we stopped to do the tourist gawk at the animal. The coyote started trotting our way, crossed the road to our side and came up within 3 feet of the passenger side door. He stopped there and looked up at the car window. At that point I realized that he was expecting food. He looked perfectly healthy and in the prime of life, not a young dog nor an ancient one. He acted faintly embarrassed, if an animal can be embarrassed.

Near timberline in the Paysayten Wilderness area of Washington State I returned to our deer camp at mid-morning to find a coyote sniffing between our sleeping bags under our tarp shelter. I stood still the instant I saw him when I stepped around a big tree about 30 feet from him, and I never was sure if he really saw me. Melting snow was making loud drips off of the trees onto the tarp and he was jumpy about the louder sounds. One extra loud plop made him jump and run about ten feet but he came back. He glanced at me a couple of times and left after a minute or two, without getting anything. He looked healthy.

I've also watched a coyote follow right behind the cutter bar on a tractor that was mowing hay, which put him within eight to ten feet or so of the driver on the open tractor. He'd learned to catch mice suddenly deprived of their hay canopy.

I think they are simply one of the brightest opportunists in the animal world and learn quickly to take advantage of short cuts to food. That's why they are so easy to call... once.
 
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