Predator knowledge

[Outdoorsfool]

Woodsmanship and knowledge of predator's habits helped lead rescuers to a lost 2 year old. Here's the story that was in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Coyote Howls lead to lost boy



To Lynn Stephenson and Mike Runge... and

[Two Tall the Neanderthal]

Great job by those guys, though I call horsechit.

[Outdoorsfool]

TTTN-What part you calling horsehit on? The part about the coyotes calling each other after hearing a "scream"? I was surprised to see the city paper printing they were avid hunters.

[Two Tall the Neanderthal]

That those coyotes were banding up at all. Those darn dogs get a wiff of human and they are long gone. Kid or adult. The whole deal is a little off canter. I'm glad those guys found the kid, but I just can't beleive they were led there by coyotes howling because the kid was screaming.

Go into most places anymore after dark and there are yotes hollering in three directions.

[counts]

Unless the Coyotes were out of range of scent and were reacting the a stressed sound. I have called them in by making stressed calls vocally.

[Warmouth]

Coyotes have attacked kids and pets in CA suburbs. They aint getting to the suburbs without crossing the scent of people for sure.

I killed two coyotes one year on the last weekend of deer season. I was at the inlaws and just walked back to their pasture and sat under a cedar. I could hear my daughter and nephews playing on the swingset yelling and sqealing, laughing etc. At 3:45 a female yote comes barreling through the middle of the field up toward the corner I was in (the corner nearest the house) and I shot it at 40yds. Then at 4:15 a male yote came through hugging the west field edge, again closing in on the corner I was sitting in. The only thing I can think of that was bringing those yotes in was the sqealing laughing sounds of the 2, 4, and 5yr old playing on the swing set.

I also saw a yote 2-3weeks ago in my neighbors backyard. That yote wasn't 75yds from his backdoor, and hung around for 3-4minutes before getting back into the woods.

Once an animal gets into an urban/suburban setting, it gets used to the scent of people. It has to or it wouldn't live there long.

[Outdoorsfool]

I think it's all about conditioning. I have to agree with
TTTN about the 'yotes hightailing it at the first scent, sign, movement of humans. But I think that's because the 'yotes where I hunt don't see humans on a regular basis. In more urban settings I don't think the 'yotes are near as concerned about humans and even see them as a food source, whether it be from trash, pet food, pets, etc..

I thought the article was interesting when the rescuer's said the child was "screaming". I can him being scared to death and crying or yelling for his mom/dad. But "screaming" I can't see unless something was after him.

[counts]

A week ago a Lear Jet flew low over the county spot I hunt, and a few yotes went ballistic on the hilltop. These critters may just sound off sometimes triggered by any sort of noise.

[Two Tall the Neanderthal]

Stranger things have happened.