We’ve seen rattlesnakes, and wondered about mountain lions, but never considered that coyotes may be a threat, too.

After seeing a coyote this morning around 8:45 on Corwin Road near Dakota Road, I’m thinking cyclists should be more wary. I Googled “coyote attacks bicyclist,” and came up with disturbing confirmation that coyotes will take on cyclists if so inclined. Fortunately, the one I saw — while full grown — was by himself. He crossed the road ahead of me, but stopped just behind a creosote bush to watch me ride by.

Daylight sightings of coyotes are rare, but about a month ago I saw a pack of coyotes crossing Hesperia Road north of Seneca Road at 9:00 AM, although they seemed to be on a mission to get somewhere before the day got any older. In Desert Knolls I’ve also seen coyotes trotting along the road heading for the uninhabited hills nearby. The common factor seems to be that these sightings have each been in the morning.

I don’t have any special information or advice about how to deal with a potential coyote attack, but as with any other situation, the first thing is to be aware of ones surroundings, so if you need to react, you’ve given yourself as much time as possible.