How to intimidate a coyote

Re: “Coyotes sightings and Twitter critter tips,” Carol Cormaci’s Piece of Mind column, Aug. 23. Wow, I could have written her exact words. I see the same coyote the Cormacis do, usually at exactly 6:55 a.m. The one coyote I have seen later in the day is a smaller, younger one.

I contacted the animal control agency in Pasadena to ask what I can do to protect myself, and to see if there is any way to get him to leave our neighborhood. The upshot is, not much.

For protection, you basically need to make yourself seem menacing by whaling your arms up and yelling; you can buy an air horn or a big toy water gun to spray at him; or put some stones or coins in a can and rattle it. He needs to feel you have the upper hand. If you run away, you are asking for him to chase after you because he thinks he is the stronger one. You don’t want him to think that. He needs to be intimidated by you, not the other way around.

Ellen Sherwood
La Cañada Flintridge