It’s coyote pupping season, and this is the time of year people may encounter more confrontations with them.
Those at Golden Gate Park recently noticed park rangers educating dog owners about an incident over the past weekend.
Howling coyotes at Golden Gate Park near Lindley Meadows, a popular spot where dog owners walk and play with their pups. Brandon Hartstein and his dog Oden encountered a pack of coyotes in the area about a year ago.
“We were walking on a trail that’s not too popular and all of a sudden, three coyotes just appeared and started kind of stalking us,” said Hartstein.
Similar stories of coyote encounters are surfacing this year. Lauren Roche watched her dog get chased by coyotes.
“She was running along the grassy area and I was running in the path that doesn’t have cars, and there were two coyotes that started chasing after her,” said Roche.
“And I look over, wow, they’re going so fast, and it was two coyotes chasing after her. Luckily, she was fast enough to outrun them, and I called her back over and they ended up going away.”
Signs like these are posted in Golden Gate Park to warn people about these potential run-ins with coyotes. Experts say coyotes are just protective during pupping season and are not displaying unprovoked aggression. They say the best thing to do is to shorten the leash and walk in the other direction. Something Hartstein tried to do.
“We kept on walking away,” said Hartstein. “I was making loud sounds trying to scare them off, and eventually we started running. Luckily, a biker came by and I flagged him down and he helped to chase them off.”
Some dog owners have noticed coyotes getting bolder and becoming used to humans in their territory. They say with these canines all over the Bay Area, the key is to limit conflicts and coexist with each other.
“I just kind of try to adjust my way of living because it’s part of where they live,” said Roche. “I wouldn’t have to adjust for someone coming into my home.”
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