[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by tommy steam

I just googled , have humans ever been attacked by coyotes , and info came up that there have been attacks. It doesn't happen that often but it can. As humans invade their territory they become less fearful of them. I don't know how to post the links to the articles but it's easy enough to find the info on the internet. If I see one I will retreat the other way.

The greater danger is being attacked by a rabid wild animal. It could be a coyote, skunk, 'possum, raccoon or other animal that normally would not attack a human.

You may see an occasional armadillo roadkill. Armadillos are also to be avoided because they sometimes carry the germs for the human disease leprosy.

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[murray607]

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

Your right, that coyotes can attack adults, but they don't.

Sorry golfingnut, but they do attack adults. In particular was the attack on 19 year Taylor Mitchell in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 2009 which resulted in her death. A post mortom examination on one of the two coyotes revealed from DNA analysis, tissue from the victim and the body had bite marks which were matched to a coyote.

The coyotes in the east are interbreeding with the Eastern Red Wolf and this results in a larger more powerful animal which in many cases has less fear of humans. Human/Wolf encounters have increased over recent years both single animal encounters and pack encounters.

However, as far as I can gather, the hybrid strain so far is concentrated in the NE USA and in Eastern Canada although some central coyotes are showing similar traits. Coyotes are not native to the eastern states or Canada, but have spread there particularly over the past 50-60 years.

Coyote attacks on humans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There was another more recent attack in Cape Breton

Coyote attacks teenager in Cape Breton - Nova Scotia - CBC News

CBC has an excellent video on this wolf-coyote hybrid

Meet the Coywolf - The Nature of Things - CBC Player

As I write this I am looking out of my office window into a farmers field full of hay bales and there is a coyote perched on top of a bale. This guy is likely hunting rodents, mice, voles or rabbits. He has been there a good half hour just waiting for something to appear.