After some digging I found another story about a similiar looking critter. The rancher claims to have shot the animal. I have one problem with his claim. There is absolutely no blood in the picture, the ground around the animal is dry, I am no expert, but it seems to me there would have been some blood soaked into the soil, I can see no evidence of this. It looks like a coyote that died of mange. Being that ill would also account for the poor thing weighing only 20 lbs.
Well I can think of one explaination of no blood around the body. He could of moved the body to get a better pic. Though it seems highly unlikely. I have on question though. Does the animal seem to have suffered any trauma other then mange?
Just from the picture the only obvious thing is the mange, I see no evidence of any other trauma. Untreated mange can kill an animal, what a sad way to die, it isn’t something that kills quickly.
I really can’t imagine something that dinky eating Maegan alive… unless Maegan is a midget.
Usually, I’ve fallen down and for whatever reason (broken legs, or feet trapped in tree roots) I can’t get away. Then I get surrounded by a pack of hungry…whatever they are. Also, b/c I hit my head, it usually paralyzes me, and I can’t even fight them off while they bit me and rip bits of flesh and guts. It’s really quite a disturbing dream. It used to be about raccoons and alligators (Florida swamp animals…), but they don’t seem as gross and creepy as this animal.
If this is a coyote, which I suspect it is, they don’t run in packs normally. Coyotes are loners and very shy. I have lived in a very rural area for 11 years now and have only seen three coyotes, all of them were alone. Most of them avoid human contact, unless they suffer from rabies or are extremely hungry. We just don’t make good prey, they would rather chase down a rabbit or other small animal.
I really can’t imagine something that dinky eating Maegan alive… unless Maegan is a midget.
Usually, I’ve fallen down and for whatever reason (broken legs, or feet trapped in tree roots) I can’t get away. Then I get surrounded by a pack of hungry…whatever they are. Also, b/c I hit my head, it usually paralyzes me, and I can’t even fight them off while they bit me and rip bits of flesh and guts. It’s really quite a disturbing dream. It used to be about raccoons and alligators (Florida swamp animals…), but they don’t seem as gross and creepy as this animal.
If this is a coyote, which I suspect it is, they don’t run in packs normally. Coyotes are loners and very shy. I have lived in a very rural area for 11 years now and have only seen three coyotes, all of them were alone. Most of them avoid human contact, unless they suffer from rabies or are extremely hungry. We just don’t make good prey, they would rather chase down a rabbit or other small animal.
They do run in packs sometimes—it’s not uncommon in more rural areas to hear a pack of coyotes yipping at night. However, I suspect that since they have garbage and cats to eat, coyotes that get kicked out of their packs or wonder off are doing a lot better and so there are more of them.
After a quick bit of research, all the incidents of coyotes attacking people that I could find were done by individual coyotes, not packs. I would guess that it’s mainly the lone coyotes that attack people because they’re the ones who end up moving into more urbanized areas and get more acclimated to the presence of people. Coyote packs live in the wilderness areas, I suppose, and wouldn’t be so used to people.
Feral dogs are a different matter, though. I’ve had serious problems with both packs and individuals of those. Most of them have lost or never even had any fear of people, fire, etc. So even if your little puppy gets all grown up and isn’t so much fun any more, DON’T ABANDON YOUR DOGS on some roadside!!!
According to the wildlife people I have talked to coyotes run in packs 1) in family units (pups are being taught to hunt etc) or 2) when small prey isn’t available and they must hunt larger prey such as deer, cattle etc. While it isn’t uncommon, it isn’t their preferred way of living, at least that is my understanding of their behavior. Most coyotes I have seen have been lone, or hunting with their mate and pups. Here, where I live they will sit outside of town and howl at each other, I love to listen to them, sometimes I even join in on the chorus, I don’t think my neighbors approve of my howling though. 😉
After a quick bit of research, all the incidents of coyotes attacking people that I could find were done by individual coyotes, not packs. I would guess that it’s mainly the lone coyotes that attack people because they’re the ones who end up moving into more urbanized areas and get more acclimated to the presence of people. Coyote packs live in the wilderness areas, I suppose, and wouldn’t be so used to people.
Feral dogs are a different matter, though. I’ve had serious problems with both packs and individuals of those. Most of them have lost or never even had any fear of people, fire, etc. So even if your little puppy gets all grown up and isn’t so much fun any more, DON’T ABANDON YOUR DOGS on some roadside!!!
I agree, I’ve had many a pet cat’s life be cut short by packs of dogs who weren’t even feral, just not well taken care of. Also I’ve come to be a little frightened on my walks in the canyon because I’ve heard dogs shuffling around, although never in packs so it’s probably silly of me to be worried.
Also I’ve come to be a little frightened on my walks in the canyon because I’ve heard dogs shuffling around, although never in packs so it’s probably silly of me to be worried.
It’s NEVER silly to be worried. YOU COULD BE EATEN ALIVE. I presume your canyons are of the rocky persuasion - hard ground, etc…
If you were startled by a dog, you could trip, smash your head, be conscious, but immobile - and KNOW THEY WERE EATING YOU. Tearing right through your clothes, and skin. Hearing and feeling them bite right through your bones. I’m sure that even if it was a lone dog or coyote…the others would soon smell your BLOOD! Bringing all types of predators to your limp, lifeless body. And it would only be after your body was stripped of anything nutritious that a jogger or another person strolling along like yourself would find the bloody tattered remains. Maybe even slipping in some of your little intestine. Ruining their SHOES! Hopefully, they would not slip to the ground, or be knocked unconscious - continuing the bloody massacre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my god Meagan, you have thought a lot on that subject havent you?
I was once attacked by three dogs in a commercial area of Los Angeles, had me backed up against a fence…pretty freaky….luckily, the alpha male will normally lead the aggresion and therefore be the first to receive aggression in return…which is what happened in my case..lead dog got a little to close to the steel toes i was wearing and got popped in the snout which caused him to yelp and retreat…the other dogs followed his lead.
so, if you find yourself in a similar situation, focus on the lead dog…dispose of him as a threat and the other dogs should no longer pose any danger (i make no guarantees but it worked for me)
my god Meagan, you have thought a lot on that subject havent you? ... If you find yourself in a similar situation, focus on the lead dog…dispose of him as a threat and the other dogs should no longer pose any danger (i make no guarantees but it worked for me)
Chuck, I’ll be much to busy panicking to be worrying about details like THAT. SHEESH. And I DO think about it a lot. I’m terribly clumsy (I fell so much when I was pregnant, I was beyond worrying about the baby, I was afraid I was going to be killed). So my worry isn’t just that I’ll be ATTACKED. The real issue is the falling down and they’re eating me alive. When I was 10, I read Jurassic Park, the only part I remember clearly is the part where the raptors or whatever start eating the guy, and he can see his own intestines.
