CANMORE – Residents are being warned to be alert about aggressive coyotes in Canmore, after residents walking their dogs have been charged by coyotes, including one instance where the coyote had to be beaten off with a stick.
Resident John McNamee said he was walking his dog, which was on a leash, around 1 p.m. Friday (Feb. 14) on the river trail near the hydro station past the engine bridge when they were charged by two coyotes.
“They were waiting in the tree line and came running out towards us as we passed by," said McNamee.
“Thankfully my dog – who was on a leash – wasn’t harmed and I was able to scare them away by shouting. Keep an eye out if you take your pet on the river loop.”
Two days earlier, another resident reported that a coyote followed him and his dog for about five minutes up the creek on the river side of Larch Island before it flanked them through the trees and tried to attack the dog. The man said he whacked the coyote on the head with a large stick to scare it off.
In January and February, coyotes may gather in groups, looking for mates, and they tend to be more territorial and aggressive toward dogs at this time of year.
Coyotes may try to entice dogs away and attack them to eliminate any perceived threat.
Even though in these instances the dogs were on a leash, Nick de Ruyter, program director for Bow Valley WildSmart, said the encounters are a good reminder to always have pets on a leash.
He said it is a good reminder for people to get up to speed on what to do in the event of an encounter with an aggressive or curious coyote.
“Often when you kind of have those coyotes that are acting aggressively, they’re likely protecting either a food source or a den,” said de Ruyter.
There have been several social media posts about coyotes in Canmore throughout January and February, including one that was hanging around the Safeway and Save-On parking lots. A resident on Third Street reported seeing a coyote with a cat in its mouth last week.
In Banff, a local had her first encounter with a coyote while walking her small dog between Ti’nu and Tatanga Ridge on Feb. 11. “Coyote was not easily scared away, and came nearer as I yelled and screamed,” said the resident on the Overheard in Banff Facebook site. “Luckily my building entrance was close by.”
Coyotes are highly curious, intelligent and adaptable animals that feed primarily on rabbits, mice and squirrels; however, they will get into human food when it is accessible and easy to find, particularly at night when they encounter fewer people.
In summer and fall, coyote families travel together in search of food. Coyote sightings may be more common at that time as young animals explore their surroundings.
If coyotes are returning to neighbourhoods, de Ruyter said it is typically because there is shelter or easy meals available there. They are most active at dawn and dusk, but can be seen during the daytime.
“The only really two reasons why a coyote would be in your neighbourhood or in and around town is for a place to sleep somewhere or where they’re finding food,” said de Ruyter.
“We want to make sure there's no attractants in our yards, that we don't leave pet food or garbage that could attract them into town.”
Bird feeders can also draw coyotes into town.
“Birds are messy eaters and they spill bird seed onto the ground and bird seed on the ground will attract small rodents and small mammals – and those are the main food source of coyotes,” he said.
Coyotes may also look for a place to shelter or den in neighbourhoods, said de Ruyter.
“Make sure you don’t have any holes or openings underneath your house because that could be a den site for an animal like a coyote,” he said.
“Make sure that you close off any of those spaces under decks and patios, garages and buildings so they are inaccessible for animals like coyotes.”
During a coyote encounter, the advice is to respond aggressively by shouting and yelling, making yourself appear larger by waving your arms overhead. Thrust long objects like a stick toward the coyote, and throw rocks, sticks or other objects to try to scare the animal away.
If the coyote continues to approach, de Ruyter said back away slowly, but never turn away or run because that may encourage the coyote to give chase.
“Don’t panic, but you want to make it unpleasant for them in the encounter and unpleasant for them in town,” he said. “Keep small children close by when you're going for walks, on in your backyard.
“You just never know what could be lurking nearby.”
Residents and visitors are also encouraged to carry bear spray year-round.
“Just because bears are hibernating in the winter, there’s lots of other wildlife like coyotes, wolves, cougars and elk, so having bear spray on you is always a good idea,” de Ruyter said.
“In my opinion, it would be much easier to spray an animal like a coyote, and then you don’t have to start trying to get up close and hit it with a stick or anything like that.”
If you see a coyote that is so sick or injured it cannot move, or if a coyote is behaving aggressively toward people, such as nipping or biting, call a Fish and Wildlife officer through the Report-A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800.
Sheena Campbell, director of communications for the Alberta Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services, said coyotes are a common sighting in urban settings and generally do not pose a significant threat to humans.
“It is common to see them travelling in parks, green spaces, roads and sidewalks while watching people and pets at a distance. Coyotes are very adaptive and can readily co-exist with humans in an urban centre,” she said in an email.
“However, coyotes that have been desensitized to humans through food conditioning or coyotes protecting their dens or pups from off-leash dogs may become aggressive.”
