Coyote
I had a Collateral moment about ten days ago that I forgot to mention. It's significant because (a) it's straight out of a key scene in Michael Mann's film and (b) it's never once happened in the 24 years I've lived in this town. I'm talking about a face-to-face with an unperturbed, zen-like coyote. Every animal I've ever been close to outside of a zoo has exuded some degree of caution or fear, but not this guy. He was in some kind of zone and couldn't have cared less.
It was around 10 pm. I'd just turned right onto a dark side street off La Brea south, somewhere between 3rd and Sixth Street, and there he was in the middle of the street. He seemed utterly indifferent to my slowing down and lowering the window and snapping a photo. He stood there for 10 or 12 seconds, and then sauntered over to La Brea. For a second I worried about him getting hit by a car." Then I thought, not this guy...coyotes know how to survive this town better than me. He crossed La Brea like a champ and disappeared into an alley.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 1, 2007 at 4:57 PM
comment #1
bmcintire
says ...
Jeff, I live across the street from a smallish dog-friendly park in Silver Lake (off Marathon) that has long been rumored to be populated by coyotes. After months of waiting to spot them, they finally turned up through the closed entrance gates around 1:00AM on Tuesday. Five of them, ranging in size from maybe 40 to 50 pounds, completely aloof and uninterested in me and my dog (who was going flat-out insane over them). Thrilling to see. And a total flashback to COLLATERAL.
Posted by bmcintire
at March 1, 2007 5:25 PM
comment #2
Kristopher Tapley
says ...
Really? Never came across that? I was seeing a girl in the fall who was living at the Oakwood's over at Warner Bros. and you'd see coyotes in the parking lot all the time late at night. But then again, that's close to the mountain. Intereseting to see one so much further south.
Posted by Kristopher Tapley
at March 1, 2007 5:27 PM
comment #3
actionman
says ...
came face to face with a wild coyote (early in the morning) near my buddy's apartment in Hollywood last year...and my first reaction was holy shit! straight out of Collateral!
Posted by actionman
at March 1, 2007 5:29 PM
comment #4
jeffmcm
says ...
I saw one last summer down the block from the Virgin Sunset - some girl also walking by asked me 'is that your dog?'
I think I also saw one more recently in Los Feliz. Also raccoons inside the Universal lot.
Posted by jeffmcm
at March 1, 2007 5:36 PM
comment #5
actionman
says ...
yeah....it was Los Feliz area where I saw the coyote, near that chip & putt golf course
Posted by actionman
at March 1, 2007 5:39 PM
comment #6
Kristopher Tapley
says ...
Yeah, all of those make sense, because of the vacinity to the mountain. But La Brea and 3rd? That's a trek.
Posted by Kristopher Tapley
at March 1, 2007 5:45 PM
comment #7
FilmTurtle
says ...
A friend of mine lives in east Hollywood, in the hills above Bronson Canyon. Most nights around 7pm or when the sun goes down you can hear the coyotes in Griffith Park howling and chattering and settling down for the night, I guess. The local dogs go nuts every time. Last year, same neighborhood, I was sitting in my parked car about 2am when I saw an animal move under the headlights. I thought it was a stray dog, but moments later a coyote appeared in my driver's side window, totally Zen-like, no signs of aggression at all. Just curious. He dropped out of sight a moment or two later and disappeared. I'll never forget it.
Posted by FilmTurtle
at March 1, 2007 5:58 PM
comment #8
Joel
says ...
But was your cell phone working?
Posted by Joel
at March 1, 2007 6:06 PM
comment #9
malibugigolo
says ...
Real Men Don't Kill Coyotes as the song goes... or is RealMen. DontKll...KY-YOTES!
Posted by malibugigolo
at March 1, 2007 6:22 PM
comment #10
MikeSells
says ...
I'm shocked you've never encountered one before, Jeff. I've stumbled across them in Silverlake, Runyon Canyon, Beachwood Canyon, Beverly Hills, and had a similar middle-of-the-road encounter right on Mulholland Drive (there was two or three of them in that instance). And this is all in the last couple of years!
Posted by MikeSells
at March 1, 2007 6:26 PM
comment #11
Mr. Gittes
says ...
Michael Mann!!!!!!!!!! What are you doing next!!!! Please do a movie!!!!
Posted by Mr. Gittes
at March 1, 2007 7:06 PM
comment #12
rocco
says ...
Coyote? We don't have them out east...shit...about the closest thing I've ever come across was a stray doberman at end of my cousin's shared driveway in Flatbush...with the beast cornered I thought I was a meat waffle...he methodically stepped towards me as I backed away, palms down, "easy boy, easy boy..." Once there was clearance he just trotted away, looked back at me once as if to say "sucker, I'm already full" and was gone...
...saw a deer get hit by a car in North Philly...talk about a long way from home...to this day no one believes me...of course there was that bobcat in Central Park...I think it was a bobcat.
Please excuse my self-indulgence, LA is like another world, just trying to relate!!
Posted by rocco
at March 1, 2007 7:18 PM
comment #13
Titus Pullo
says ...
I've seen em around Lookout Mountain, LaBrea and 3rd is pretty far in though. I'm still waiting for that other Collateral moment when I'm menaced by one of those roving bands of white supremacist wiggers that so routinely prowl the streets of LA at night.
Posted by Titus Pullo
at March 1, 2007 7:35 PM
comment #14
Leonardcoenbrothers
says ...
I don't understand....I can't find any reference to Zodiac or Eddie Murphy in this story....I'll get lookin....
Posted by Leonardcoenbrothers
at March 1, 2007 7:54 PM
comment #15
Thrudvangar
says ...
I had a Miami Vice moment sometime ago. I was standing next to an Asian lady at the bus stop and I couldn't understand a word she said.
Posted by Thrudvangar
at March 1, 2007 8:23 PM
comment #16
cobhome
says ...
Live in NW NJ - coyotes all over - have to keep the cats inside - they howl at night and it gives me the shivers - bears too - was out walking one afternoon - shaggy bear ambles across the road ahead of me - phew! glad I was upwind!!! I live one hour outside NYC - amazing - bears - coyotes wild turkey - one hour outisde the big city!
Posted by cobhome
at March 1, 2007 8:36 PM
comment #17
colby
says ...
A friend of mine lives in the Park La Brea Apartments and about ten days ago saw a coyote within the apartment gates. I am assuming it is the same one.
Posted by colby
at March 1, 2007 8:42 PM
comment #18
Marc Wallace
says ...
What's all the fuss? Here, right in the middle of NYC, as high up as the top of the Empire State Building, there was this major hairy ape! I swear. I'm talkin 'huge!
Posted by Marc Wallace
at March 1, 2007 9:04 PM
comment #19
The Winchester
says ...
I have seen a few in Los Feliz/Silverlake area. But I was in Sherman Oaks a few months ago, around 3 in the morning, leaving my then girlfriend's house, and There was a coyote about 10 feet from my car as I was getting in. Much like Jeff's experience, it was very low kkey and chill.
Posted by The Winchester
at March 2, 2007 12:12 AM
comment #20
bachelorcool
says ...
You're sure it wasn't Johnny Depp?
Posted by bachelorcool
at March 2, 2007 2:52 AM
comment #21
iamanerd
says ...
Cool shot Jeff. I don't know where these suckers hide during the daytime, but I live in the south, and I can see coyotes about once a week 10 miles north of Atlanta right off I-75North. This is with all the people and traffic. It is interesting to see because they really don't seem scared or much less concerned by the us, the cars, whatever. As bad as it sounds, these aren't dogs and deer that get flattened on the road all the time. I think you were right to say that this guy wasn't going to get hit.
Posted by iamanerd
at March 2, 2007 4:52 AM
comment #22
rocco
says ...
Coyotes in New Jersey? I've seen black bears, but never seen or heard (of) coyotes...
Posted by rocco
at March 2, 2007 6:58 AM
comment #23
Piper71
says ...
I had a Collateral moment too. I'm a cabby and this grey haired guy took me around Kansas City while he killed a bunch of people. Killed this great Jazz guy right in front of me. No Coyotes though. Sorry.
Posted by Piper71
at March 2, 2007 7:18 AM
comment #24
Edward Havens
says ...
I was driving down Santa Monica Blvd. at 2AM a few weeks ago, on that stretch where BevHills becomes WeHo, when I saw a coyote in the middle of the street, wearing a Ralph Lauren jacket and carrying a Caipirinha. He stared me down as I slowed my car to a stop, then glared at me as he realized there was a fence where he wanted to go and he would need to return to the hell that is Zsa Zsa Gabor's house.
Posted by Edward Havens
at March 2, 2007 8:23 AM
comment #25
T. S. Idiot
says ...
I live in the NJ suburbs, a half hour from Manhattan (by train), and I have birds (including a red-tailed hawk and woodpeckers), squirrels, rabbits, racoons, possums, badgers, groundhogs, wild turkeys, foxes, and deer in my neighborhood but no bears or coyotes so far. Then there's this chihuau (Tina) down the street who's one tough bitch. Maybe she keeps the coyotes at bay.
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at March 2, 2007 8:45 AM
comment #26
christian
says ...
more importantly, did you hear a bad rock ballad about how hard it is being a man in the city while you contemplated your mortality face to face with the coyote?
Posted by christian
at March 2, 2007 9:33 AM
comment #27
EveHarrington
says ...
Jeff, hate to rain on your parade but I don't think that's a coyote in your picture. I see them all the time and they're much smaller. That looks like a husky or malamute.
Posted by EveHarrington
at March 2, 2007 9:58 AM
comment #28
austin111
says ...
Errr, no babe, that is definitely a coyote. I live in Texas and have seen plenty out west and closer in. Trust me!!! Besides it's made the news now. There was a report on some TV channel not long ago about how coyotes have invaded the inner sanctums of L.A. Cool, but not nice to small pets necessarily -- who are considered nice snacks by the packs.
Posted by austin111
at March 2, 2007 11:00 AM
comment #29
cobhome
says ...
Coyotes in New Jersey? I've seen black bears, but never seen or heard (of) coyotes...
Delbomber - a park ranger told me they are all over the state - even on the outskirts of Newark ( guess they are like everyone else afraid to actually go into Newark proper)- apparently they are very adaptable - we have packs of them here in nw Jersey -
Posted by cobhome
at March 2, 2007 11:05 AM
comment #30
thorsen1nk
says ...
My dad is a veterinarian and told me that if you see a coyote acting brave that's probably because it's rabid. Too bad Dave Poland wasn't there to pet it.
Posted by thorsen1nk
at March 2, 2007 12:30 PM
comment #31
Piper71
says ...
Jesus.
30 posts about a Coyote in LA. Get over yourselves.
This makes 31 posts.
Posted by Piper71
at March 2, 2007 8:43 PM
comment #32
EveHarrington
says ...
To Austin111, errr, no babe back atcha. I'm very aware of the coyotes in LA. I see them all the time, at least once a month. I'm not questioning that there are coyotes in the city. But that picture resembles a coyote about as much as Lassie.
Posted by EveHarrington
at March 2, 2007 8:52 PM