[IdahoDoug]

I had a small group of Coyotes follow me back to my tent at dusk camping alone. I'd gone for a walk and they must have sniffed around my camp, then came out to find me. As I walked toward them, they stopped yipping. I could not see them. After I went by, they began following me and yipping again. I had the very clear impression that they could tell by sniffing at camp, then sniffing my trail that there was just me (rather obvious, but kinda unnerving to think about). I had my 9mm but did not feel overly threatened - just keenly aware of my aloneness. When I got back to camp, they disappeared. Just curious critters and smart.

A few friends have lost farm dogs to coyotes. Apparently they are so good at luring dogs out that if they have a female in heat in the pack, she will walk around upwind until even the most veteran dog ends up leaving the safety of the porch. Remarkable. I guess it's true that all the years of shooting and poisoning them left only the very smartest ones out there. Now they've dramatically increased in numbers over the last 50 years or so and are all from the smart gene pool....

DougM