Buzz reader Bill Sawyer shared the following report of his encounter with an aggressive coyote Sunday evening in Windsor Square. Sawyer was able to scare the coyote away – as experts have advised – by making himself loud and scary to the animal.  Sawyer, his family and dog were not harmed, and Bill sent this report to the Buzz:
“I wanted to report that my wife and I had an encounter with an aggressive coyote tonight (Sunday) while walking our small dog in the Larchmont area.
Around 8 p.m. we were walking on the east side of South Lucerne, between 1st and 2nd streets. It was dark, but I spotted something unusual sitting on the front lawn of a house we were passing. At first I thought it might be a cat, but then I realized it was a coyote.
About a second later, the coyote got up and started running towards us, most likely because it spotted our small dog. However, I counter charged it while yelling at it, and that made it stop coming towards us.
I continued to yell at the coyote and chase it down Lucerne, while my wife ran our dog back the opposite direction to our car. But even with me yelling and chasing the coyote, it was hesitant to move very far, and I had to continue chasing it to keep it away.
After my wife came and got me in the car, we followed the coyote east down 2nd, across Larchmont and all the way to 2nd and Plymouth, where it sat on the lawn of the corner house (see the attached photo of it at the house – sorry the quality isn’t so great!). We watched the coyote from our car while calling animal control to report the incident. Shortly after the call, the coyote got up and ran east down 2nd. We tried to find it again from our car, but couldn’t manage to locate it.
Anyway, I thought this might be of interest to readers in the Larchmont area. Furthermore, I wanted to thank Larchmont Buzz for reporting the recent encounters people have had with aggressive coyotes. If I had not been aware of aggressive coyotes in the area, I would not have been able to so quickly identify it and have known how to respond.”
We’re glad to hear everyone’s OK…and that the recommended “hazing” techniques to scare coyotes away do indeed work as advised.
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I saw a very large coyote on Windsor between Beverly and 1st last Thursday. It was noon and the coyote was wandering from house to house. I’ve never see one out in the day, apparently not bothered by people on the street.
Continued sightings in our neighborhood, too, between Beverly and Melrose / Highland and LaBrea. Not that long ago, I spoke with a woman who scooped up her dog, so the coyote tried instead, but failed, to bite her… then followed her home. I still believe a whistle around the neck is a good idea. Good luck to all of us who walk our dogs in the area!
I’m the wife of Bill Sawyer. We called 911 and they transferred us to Fish and Game. Supposedly that’s who you are suppose to call if you have an encounter with a coyote.
I sent you a photo about a week ago of a very large Coyote that was going from house to house on Arden at 1pm in the afternoon and I lost him when he went down 5th.
Dear David:
Our apologies. I think we may have lost track of that image, would you mind re-sending?
Thanks very much!
My wife and I also saw (what I assume was) the same coyote on Ridgewood between 1st and 2nd at night about week ago as we walked our small dog. It didn’t run after us, but it did appear from the yard of the house we were walking next to. It was definitely bold and not easily scared.
Driving west on 2nd street passing Norton, I saw 2 coyotes roaming together on Sunday (9/27) morning on my way to Larchmont Farmers market. It was 9:30 a.m. and I was completely shocked to see how bold they were to walk around in broad daylight.
Really? Animal control? These poor animals are hungry, that’s why they’ve been getting closer to humans. I read the article and it didn’t seem that the coyote was aggressive as stated. No need to follow him either and instead of calling animal control just let the animal be. He wasn’t attacking anyone. Jesus. People believe every wild animal is out there to get them.
I do agree with you, it breaks my heart to know they might be hungry and thirsty but unfortunately, although the seem to get along pretty well around people we should not treat them as domestic animals. Animal control is where to call to “control” this sort of situations. They should be returned to the mountains safely. I have two dogs and I’m freaking out every time I go out for a walk and I don’t think it’s a good feeling, this has become a big concern to me…
– Calling animal control is the responsible thing to do when you encounter an aggressive animal.
– It’s unfortunate that they are hungry, but that doesn’t mean it is in the best long-term interests of coyotes to move out of their natural habitat and into densely populated urban areas.
– The coyote wasn’t being aggressive? Really? I have encountered numerous coyotes over the years and I have never had one coming running towards me. It clearly was trying to get my dog – something we know for a fact that coyotes do.
– We followed the coyote so we could warn other people walking their dogs. I would hope others would do the same for me.
– No one is saying that every wild animal is “out there to get them.” But I am saying this coyote was trying to get my dog and not very afraid of humans. If you don’t have a pet or don’t care, that’s fine. However, a lot of people in the area do have pets and do indeed care.
Wonder if the two coyotes Iris saw Sunday at 2nd and Norton are the same two we saw tonight at 2nd and St Andrews around 1am or so.
I’ve been seeing this coyote pretty frequently around the same areas and days posted on top comments in it has become a big concern. The one I spotted 3 times in a 2 week period is small, maybe a female and it seems very quiet. My and my husband were able to scare it away but it wasn’t an easy task it was ignoring us completely this was (sept 20 around 8 pm on 1st and St. Andrews) The first time we spotted was a week earlier walking down 1st street toward Western ave about 9 pm, and last Wednesday while I was walking my dogs I saw it again in the front yard on a house on 1st an Van Ness. It seemed very quiet, I managed to go across the street and felt lucky there was any eye contact between it and my dogs. I think something has to be done because to me it seem obvious they found a place to stay around this area and for a dog owner like me it’s not safe to walk the neighborhood knowing a coyote is roaming the area.This were not random encounters that coyote lives around here and seems to be very confident around people.
I see them on waring by Cherokee at all hours now.
Also, the middle school on Las Palmas. i seen them walking my dog at 10 p.m. gathered there just waiting.
I think they might be coming from the country club on Wilshire.