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Patrick Hill
7/26/2026
Trying to sort out my morning routine and could use some real-world input. I walk our lab, Biscuit, along the Trabuco Creek trail near the sports park most mornings around 6, and lately there's a coyote that's been sitting up on the bank watching us go by. It never comes closer, just watches, but Biscuit has started pulling toward it and my kids catch the bus for Ambuehl right around then too. I'm not looking to make a whole thing of it with the HOA, I'd just like to know what a sensible person does here. Shorten the leash and keep moving? Change the time? I don't want to overreact, but I also don't want to be the guy who ignored the obvious.
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Youssef Tran
7/25/2026
Pulled our little dog off the path twice this week on the Serrano Creek trail behind Rancho Cañada Elementary. Same coyote both mornings, right around 6:30, just standing in the brush watching us walk. My kids catch the bus at that corner. I've asked our HOA (Serrano Highlands) to look into removal because I don't think "wave your arms and yell" is a real plan when there's an animal that clearly isn't scared of people anymore.
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Isha Cruz
7/24/2026
Small win worth sharing: the mystery of "who keeps flipping our green waste lid" on Ridge Route was a coyote, not raccoons. Caught it on the Ring cam around 4am, calm as anything, just testing the latch. We'd been leaving the bin out the night before pickup and the lid never clicked all the way shut. Bungee cord across the top solved it in one night — no more visitor. Our little terrier mix Biscuit does her business in the back yard before dawn, so I've also started flipping the patio lights and stepping out with her instead of just opening the door. Costs me thirty seconds. She hasn't noticed the difference and neither has the coyote, which is kind of the point. If your Serrano Highlands HOA bins live at the curb overnight like ours, the bungee trick is a freebie.
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Aaron Jung
7/23/2026
Quick one that's been nagging me. I walk our beagle on the Oso Creek Trail behind Pavion Park most mornings around 6, and the last two weeks there's been a coyote sitting up on the ridge just watching us go by. Doesn't approach, doesn't run — just watches. Honestly it's more unsettling than if it bolted. Our HOA (Aliso Villas) sent a "keep pets leashed" email and left it at that, which didn't tell me much. My kid walks to Del Cerro Elementary a little later, maybe 7:45, so I'd love to know from folks who've dealt with a regular like this: is a coyote that just sits and observes something to change my route over, or is that pretty normal behavior?
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Wesley Ahmed
7/22/2026
Small win I wanted to share. We've been walking our beagle, Biscuit, on the Jeffrey Open Space Trail near Portola Springs right at sunup, and for weeks there was one coyote that would sit up on the ridge and just watch us go by. I started doing the thing everyone here talks about — stopping, making myself big, a firm "go on" — and after a few mornings it stopped bothering to get up. Now it barely glances over. I think the trick was being boring and predictable rather than surprised. Keeping Biscuit on a short six-foot leash the whole stretch, no retractable. Our HOA also just moved trash pickup earlier, which probably helped more than anything I did.
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Leila Kang
7/21/2026
Walking our little cavapoo along the Oso Creek Trail near the Marguerite tennis courts this week and twice now we've had a coyote just standing off the path in the morning, maybe 7am, watching us go by. It didn't do anything, just watched, but my stomach dropped both times and I ended up carrying the dog the rest of the way. My kids walk that same stretch to Del Cerro in the fall and our HOA hasn't said a word about it. I'm not trying to make it a bigger deal than it is, I just want to know what actually keeps everyone safe on that trail in the early hours. What do you all do with a small dog at that time of day?
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Maria Hernandez
7/20/2026
Quick tip for anyone walking the Jeffrey Open Space Trail in Woodbridge — we've shifted our morning walks with Pepper (our little terrier mix) to a bit later, closer to 7:30 instead of first light. The stretch near the Alton crossing seems to be where a coyote likes to trot through around dawn, and just giving it that extra half hour has meant we haven't crossed paths at all this past week. Keeping her on a short six-foot leash instead of the retractable made a bigger difference than I expected too — feels like we can share the trail as long as we're not out during their quiet hours. Curious whether the timing lines up for folks on the other end near Portola.
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Yuki Mendoza
7/19/2026
Trying to figure out my morning walk route with our little dog Momo. We usually loop through the Los Rios district and along the trail by Trabuco Creek right around 6:15, before the kids are up, and lately there's a coyote that's very comfortable trotting the same path. It never comes close, just watches from the brush and moves on. I don't want to give up that quiet hour, but Momo's about 12 pounds and my daughter walks with us before Ambuehl drop-off some mornings. What's the sensible move here — different time, different route, or just tighten up and keep the leash short? Looking for what's actually worked for people, not worst-case stuff.
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Terrence Taylor
7/18/2026
Walked Bella (our little cattle dog mix) up the Ridgeline trail behind Talega around 6:15 this morning and a coyote crossed the fire road maybe forty feet ahead, stopped, looked at us for a second, then trotted off into the brush toward the golf course. Bella didn't even react. Honestly neither did I — it just went about its business. I've lived off Avenida Vista Hermosa for four years and this is the third or fourth time this spring. My question for folks who've been at this longer: is that kind of casual daytime crossing just normal coyote behavior this time of year, or is forty feet closer than I should be letting it get? Trying to calibrate what "normal" actually looks like before I decide whether it's worth mentioning to the Talega HOA.
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Brian Williams
7/17/2026
Trying to get comfortable with the coyote that's been working the greenbelt behind Northwood, near the Hicks Canyon trail. I walk our beagle, Biscuit, there around 6:30 before it gets hot, and twice this week one has trailed us at maybe forty feet, not aggressive, just... there. Biscuit's on a six-foot leash the whole time. My kid walks to Canyon View for the bus around the same hour. I don't want to overreact and I don't want to swap trails forever — what actually works for keeping a little more distance when one's clearly curious? Our HOA sends out the generic "don't feed wildlife" email and that's about it.
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Lauren Fujimoto
7/16/2026
Small win to share: we've officially got our morning walk dialed in. We used to do the Jeffrey Open Space Trail right at dawn and kept crossing paths with the same coyote near the Trabuco entrance, which made my kid nervous and made our terrier mix, Miso, lose his mind. Switched to leaving about 45 minutes later once there's real foot traffic, kept Miso on a 6-foot leash instead of the flexi, and it's been totally uneventful for a few weeks now. The coyote's clearly still around, we just aren't overlapping anymore, and honestly that feels like the whole game to me — a little timing and a short leash and everyone gets their space.
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Jian Yang
7/15/2026
I don't want to start a fight, but I need to say this plainly. For the third time this month I've seen a coyote trotting the sidewalk along Del Prado near the drop-off zone at R.H. Dana Elementary, right around 7:40 when kids are walking in. This morning it stopped and watched a group of them before slipping into the ivy. My daughter walks that stretch, and we lost a neighbor's cat on Copper Lantern in the spring. I keep hearing that we should yell and wave our arms to "haze" them off, but a wild animal that comfortable around children isn't going to be talked out of it. I've asked our HOA to press the city on removal in that corridor before school's back in session, and honestly I think that's the responsible call.
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Mariana Jung
7/14/2026
Took Biscuit out on the Aliso Summit Trail off Pacific Park a little after 6 this morning and a coyote was just sitting in the dry grass maybe forty feet off the path, watching us. It didn't come closer, but Biscuit's only fifteen pounds and I couldn't get my heart to slow down for the rest of the walk. My daughter walks to Don Juan Avila for the summer program and that trail feeds right into our tract. I keep telling myself it was calm and kept its distance, which I know is the normal thing — but I'd love some concrete habits from people who walk these hills every morning. What do you actually do in the moment, and does the time of day matter as much as I think it does?
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Roy Rivera
7/13/2026
Practical question for the Turtle Rock crowd. We walk our beagle, Biscuit, on the Bommer Canyon loop most mornings before I drop the kids at Bonita Canyon Elementary, and lately there's been a coyote sitting up on the ridge just watching us around 6:45. It doesn't approach, but Biscuit is 22 pounds and I'll be honest, my stomach drops every time. Our HOA sends out the generic "keep pets leashed" email and that's about it. For those of you who actually walk the same trails at that hour, what do you do differently, short leash and keep moving, or is there a better routine? I want to keep walking there, just want to feel less on edge about it.
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Andre Khan
7/12/2026
Small thing that's been working for us: I moved our dog's evening walk on the Beach Trail up to right after school pickup instead of dusk. Same loop, but we're back at the car before the light really drops. We still see the pair that dens up in the canyon brush near Calafia most weeks, but they hold their line on the ridge and we hold ours, and honestly Biscuit has stopped losing his mind about it. Our HOA over in Talega put out a nice reminder about not leaving cat food on patios and it seems like fewer people are doing that now. Feels like the neighborhood is getting the rhythm of it.
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Andre Khan
7/11/2026
Small thing that's been working for us: I moved our dog's evening walk on the Beach Trail up to right after school pickup instead of dusk. Same loop, but we're back at the car before the light really drops. We still see the pair that dens up in the canyon brush near Calafia most weeks, but they hold their line on the ridge and we hold ours, and honestly Biscuit has stopped losing his mind about it. Our HOA over in Talega put out a nice reminder about not leaving cat food on patios and it seems like fewer people are doing that now. Feels like the neighborhood is getting the rhythm of it.
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Andre Khan
7/10/2026
Small thing that's been working for us: I moved our dog's evening walk on the Beach Trail up to right after school pickup instead of dusk. Same loop, but we're back at the car before the light really drops. We still see the pair that dens up in the canyon brush near Calafia most weeks, but they hold their line on the ridge and we hold ours, and honestly Biscuit has stopped losing his mind about it. Our HOA over in Talega put out a nice reminder about not leaving cat food on patios and it seems like fewer people are doing that now. Feels like the neighborhood is getting the rhythm of it.
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Jada Gupta
7/9/2026
Trying to get ahead of my own nerves here. We've had a coyote working the greenbelt behind Sienna Botanica the last couple weeks, usually right around dawn when I'm walking Biscuit (our beagle) before the Oso Grande drop-off rush. It hasn't done anything — just trots the treeline and keeps its distance — but Biscuit is 22 pounds and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't watching the whole time. What's the realistic move here? Shorter leash and different route, or am I overthinking a coyote that's honestly just minding its own business?
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David Shah
7/8/2026
Trying to figure out a routine that actually works. Most mornings I walk our little cavapoo, Biscuit, on the trail behind Wagon Wheel around 6:30 before I drop the kids at the elementary school, and lately I've seen a coyote sitting up on the ridge near the arroyo watching us. It hasn't come close, and honestly it looks more curious than anything, but Biscuit is 12 pounds and I'd rather not find out. What time of day are people actually running into them around Coto? And is a short leash plus one of those coyote-vest things overkill, or is that what the rest of you are doing? Our HOA sent a general email but it was pretty vague, so I'm coming to the people who actually walk these trails.
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Kenji Huang
7/7/2026
We walk our beagle, Mochi, along the Jeffrey Open Space Trail near Northwood every morning around 6, and for the third time this week there's been a coyote just standing at the edge of the greenbelt watching us. Not running off. Just watching. There's a preschool drop-off two blocks from that stretch and I keep thinking about the little kids. I've read the hazing advice here and I've tried the arm-waving and the shouting, and this one does not care — it takes a few steps back and settles right back down. I don't think "haze it and coexist" is a real answer when the animal has clearly figured out we're all bluff. I've already emailed our HOA asking what it takes to get the city or a trapper out there before someone's dog or a kid gets hurt.
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Arjun Zhang
7/6/2026
Trying to figure out what's "normal" for our stretch of Ladera. Walking our beagle Biscuit on the trail behind Founders Park a little after 6am, and lately there's been a coyote on the ridge that just... watches us go by. Doesn't approach, doesn't run off either. Same spot two or three mornings this week. I'm not alarmed exactly, just genuinely not sure whether that's routine coyote behavior or the kind of thing I should be adjusting my walk around. What's the read from folks who've been at this longer than me?
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Rosa King
7/5/2026
Small win worth sharing: our HOA finally added two of those hooded, latching trash enclosures near the Glenwood Park side of the neighborhood, and the difference in a week has been noticeable. We used to get a coyote cutting through the greenbelt off Aliso Creek Trail right around dusk, nosing at whatever spilled on pickup day. Since the bins stopped being a buffet, our morning walks with Biscuit (our little cavalier) have been calm — one trotted along the far tree line yesterday around 6:30am, looked at us, and kept going about its business. I still keep him leashed and close on that stretch, and I carry the pack a little tighter when the elementary school lets out, but it's been a good reminder that a lot of this comes down to what we leave out for them to find.
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Zaria Le
7/4/2026
Little thing that's been working for us on the Jeffrey Open Space Trail: I moved our dog's morning walk to right after sunrise instead of the pre-dawn slot. Same loop, but the coyotes we used to cross paths with near the Hicks Canyon end seem to keep their distance in full light — we just give them room and keep Mochi on a short leash. Our HOA over in Northwood added a couple of "keep dogs leashed at dusk/dawn" signs by the trailhead last month and honestly I think it's helped set the tone for everyone.
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Megan Khan
7/3/2026
Little thing I've been trying to figure out. My spaniel Waffles and I do the same loop most mornings through the Harbor Point trail behind the Dana Point library, usually right around 6:30 before it gets busy. Twice this week there's been a single coyote sitting way out in the dry grass off the path — not moving toward us, just watching, then it trots off when we get closer. It doesn't feel aggressive, but I honestly don't know if sitting-and-watching is normal coyote behavior or something I should read into. I keep Waffles leashed and we just keep walking. Curious how others read that kind of thing.
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Leila Kang
7/2/2026
Small thing that's been working for us, sharing in case it helps someone. My daughter and I walk our beagle, Mochi, on the Oso Creek Trail before school and there's a coyote we'd see most mornings near the little footbridge by Pavion Park. I stopped bringing treats in my jacket pocket (I think Mochi's snacks were the whole draw) and started carrying a cheap umbrella I can pop open. Between those two changes we've had a much calmer month — the coyote clocks us and keeps its distance now instead of trailing. Still keeping Mochi on a short leash and we turn back if it's within about 40 feet. My real question for the group: our HOA off Marguerite keeps the greenbelt sprinklers running at dawn, and I've noticed that's exactly when we cross paths most. Is early morning just a high-activity window I should plan around, or is there something about the wet grass and open space that I'm not thinking about? Trying to keep the routine my kid loves without white-knuckling it every day.
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Emily Fujimoto
7/1/2026
Still processing this one. I was unloading groceries in the driveway off Bonita Canyon this afternoon, garage door wide open, kids' bikes and everything right there, and one came trotting straight up toward me like it had somewhere to be. It stopped maybe fifteen feet off when I turned around, gave me a long look, then peeled off toward the greenbelt. Didn't feel aggressive exactly, just way more comfortable than I expected one to be in broad daylight with a person standing right there. I know they've always been around here and I don't want to be the person freaking out over a coyote existing. But the walking-up-the-driveway part is what got me. Is that a normal boldness level, or is that a "this one's been getting fed / into someone's trash" situation? Trying to figure out if I should be doing something different (I've read about the shaker can and getting big and loud) or if I just startled it and it was as surprised as I was.
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Maricel Rahimi
7/1/2026
Coyote crossing Sand Canyon near the Quail Hill loop about ten minutes ago, maybe 7:40. Trotted across the road and slipped into the brush toward the trailhead, didn't seem in a hurry. I'll admit it got my heart going a little, but it kept its distance and moved right along. Just a heads up if you're walking dogs over there this morning, keep them close on the leash.
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James Nguyen
7/1/2026
Just watched one lope across the greenbelt along Serrano Creek near Rancho trail, maybe 6:40pm. Big and healthy-looking, not in any hurry. Didn't seem interested in me, just kept moving toward the wash. Not panicking, I know they live back there, but figured the folks who walk dogs on that stretch after work would want a heads up. Leashes on and keep an eye out for the next bit.
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Amber Rahimi
7/1/2026
One trotting along the Jeffrey Open Space trail near Trabuco just now, about 4:15. Not in a hurry, didn't seem bothered by the bikes going past. Cool to actually watch one move through — it cut back into the brush by the footbridge. Nothing dramatic, just passing it along in case you're out there this afternoon.
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James Adeyemi
7/1/2026
Walking the trail along Trabuco Creek near the Los Rios district this morning I watched a coyote just sitting in the open, maybe 30 yards off, totally relaxed while joggers went by. It wasn't hunting anything, wasn't skittish, just parked in the sun watching. I'm genuinely curious rather than worried — does anyone know if that kind of calm daytime lounging is normal behavior, or is it usually a sign one's gotten too used to people? Trying to understand what I'm actually looking at before I read too much into it.
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Daniela Rodriguez
7/1/2026
Was reading up on the Mission Viejo Animal Services page after seeing a coyote trot along the Oso Creek Trail near the library last week, and a couple things stuck with me that I don't think get said enough. Coyotes are territorial, so the ones living around Oso Creek and the golf course green belts are basically holding that ground against other coyotes moving in — remove them and new ones just fill the gap within weeks. What actually changes their behavior is us: fallen avocados and loquats, cat food left on patios, unsecured trash the night before pickup. That's what turns a shy coyote into a bold one. The city and CDFW both point to the same fix — take away the easy food, make yourself big and loud if one lingers, and report anything unusually bold. Feels a lot more doable than living scared of a trail we all love.
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Tyler Gonzalez
7/1/2026
Trying to sort out what's normal before I overreact. We back up to the Jeffrey Open Space trail and I've started seeing one trotting the fence line around 6:45 most mornings, not skittish at all, just kind of going about its business. Is a coyote that's this comfortable near people something that changes over time, or is a regular commuter route like that just part of living out here? I'm not looking to panic, I'd genuinely rather understand it than assume the worst. We keep the cat in and I've been walking the dog leashed after reading a few threads here, so I think we're covered on the basics. Mostly just want a read from folks who've lived alongside them longer than we have.
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Ren Rahimi
7/1/2026
Walked the San Clemente beach trail below Calafia around 6:40 this morning and a coyote was just sitting up on the bluff, watching the water with me. Didn't move, didn't care about me — just soaking up the fog burning off. Honestly one of the calmest things I've seen down there. Gave it plenty of room and kept going. We share that stretch, and mornings like that are a good reminder why it's worth it.
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Ximena Flores
7/1/2026
Trotting north along the Jeffrey Open Space trail near the Trabuco crossing about 7:40 this morning. Healthy looking one, didn't seem bothered by joggers, just kept moving. Logged it in Coyote Cacher. Not alarmed, more curious how many of us are seeing them use that greenbelt as a route lately.
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Jose Chen
7/1/2026
Saw a thread going around about the coyote near the Oso Creek Trail by the golf course and people talking about calling to have it "dealt with." I walk that stretch behind Marguerite most mornings and honestly the ones I see there are just trotting through, minding their own business. That greenbelt was their route long before it was ours. Leash your dog, don't let it lunge, give them room and they move right along. The trouble usually starts when someone's been leaving food out or the trash cans by the trailhead aren't latched. Way more useful to fix that than to panic every time one crosses the path.
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Feng Wilson
7/1/2026
Following up from a while back — someone here suggested reporting sightings through the Coyote Cacher instead of just posting them, so I actually did it after seeing one trot across the greenbelt behind Antonio near the Bell Tower park. Took two minutes and it plots on their map. Not worried, just kind of curious now watching where they show up. Anyway, thanks to whoever mentioned it, felt more useful than another photo on here.
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Hui Carter
7/1/2026
Walked the Oso Creek Trail loop behind the library this morning and had a coyote just... trot alongside the far bank for a minute before it cut back into the brush. Gorgeous animal, thick summer coat, totally unbothered by me. I didn't grow up around them so I honestly wasn't sure what I was looking at until it turned and I saw the face. Curious more than anything — it never came close, just going about its morning same as I was. Nice way to start the day.
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Fernando Wilson
7/1/2026
Question for whoever sits on the landscape or safety committee in Third Mutual — do we have any say over the timer settings on the greenbelt sprinklers behind the buildings off Ronda Mendoza? Ours kick on around 4:45am and I've now twice seen a coyote lingering right where the water pools by the walking path. I'm not assuming the two are connected, but a maintenance guy mentioned standing water and the ground squirrels both draw them in, so it seems worth asking. I'm not looking to trap anything or make this a whole thing. Honestly I know they were here before the Village was. I just want to understand what's actually ours to adjust versus what's the county's, and who I'd even call at Community Services to raise it the right way. If someone's already been down this road with the manor board I'd rather learn from you than start from zero.
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Joon Jones
7/1/2026
Hot take that'll probably get me flamed: the constant "give them space, they were here first" comments aren't helping anyone. I get it, I've read the coexistence stuff. But I walk the loop by Jeffrey Open Space most mornings and there's one that no longer bothers to move off the path when people come by. That's not coexistence, that's a habituated animal that's lost its fear of us. At some point the answer can't just be "clap your hands and feel enlightened about it." I'd rather we push the city to actually manage the bold ones before something happens than keep repeating that everything's fine because it was here first. It being here first doesn't make it safe.
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Andre Fujimoto
7/1/2026
Was reading up on the OC Fish & Wildlife pages after seeing tracks along Oso Creek Trail, and one thing stuck with me: the biggest driver of coyotes getting bold isn't the coyotes, it's us feeding them by accident. Fallen avocados and citrus, pet food left on the patio, unsecured trash the night before pickup, even the koi ponds. A coyote that never scores an easy meal in a yard mostly keeps moving through. So if you're near the creek or the ridgelines off Marguerite, worth a walk-around of your own place first. Access the Coyote Cacher to log sightings too, it actually helps the county map where the food sources are.
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Aram Hosseini
7/1/2026
Every summer the O'Neill Regional Park threads light up with the same panic and I want to gently push back. We built here, in their canyon, on their creek. The coyotes working the wash behind Trabuco Oaks aren't invading anything, they're doing what they've done since long before the first cul-de-sac went in. That doesn't mean careless, it means responsible. Keep cats indoors, walk dogs on a six-foot leash and off the flexi, bring in the fallen avocados and the kibble bowl, and if one gets bold, make yourself huge and loud until it moves off. Do that and they stay wary of us, which is exactly what keeps everybody safe. Sharing this canyon is the deal we signed when we moved up here.
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Ying Sato
7/1/2026
Passing along something the trail volunteers at Oso Creek told me last month, because it reframed how I think about our coyotes here. The reason we see so many in the greenbelt behind Marguerite is partly us: fallen loquats and figs rotting under trees, unsecured trash the night before pickup, and folks leaving cat food on patios. That stuff pulls in rodents and rabbits, and the coyotes just follow the buffet. Fish & Wildlife's line is that a coyote that learns to associate people with food is the one that loses its natural wariness, and that's when problems start. So the single most useful thing we can do to keep them wild and keep their distance is boring: pick up the fruit, lid the cans, feed pets indoors. Coexisting doesn't mean doing nothing, it means not accidentally inviting them to dinner. If you do want to log a sighting so the city has real data, Mission Viejo routes through the Coyote Cacher map rather than a phone tree.
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Destiny Solis
7/1/2026
Walking the Jeffrey Open Space Trail this morning near the Trabuco end and got to just stand and watch one trot along the far edge of the meadow, totally unbothered by me. Beautiful coat, that late-summer reddish tint. It stopped, looked over, and kept on its way like it had somewhere to be. I don't know much about them honestly, but it was one of those quiet 7am moments you don't expect on a regular walk. Just wanted to share it.
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Claire Ahmed
7/1/2026
Passing this along because it reframed things for me: the county's guidance is that coyotes hold territories year-round, so the animal you see crossing near Jeffrey Open Space today is very likely the same resident, not a "new" one moving in. Removing it just opens the territory for another to fill, usually within weeks. What actually changes their behavior is us — a fed coyote (pet food on porches, unsecured trash, fallen avocados and figs going soft under the tree) is what turns a shy passer-through into a bold regular. So the highest-leverage move is on our side of the fence: bring dishes in at night, latch the bins, clear the fruit. And if you want your sighting to actually count, log it in Coyote Cacher rather than just here — that data is what the wildlife folks use to spot real hotspots.
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Kaveh Okoro
7/1/2026
Brought this up at our Woodbury East HOA meeting last night and figured I'd share since it applies to a lot of us near Jeffrey Open Space. Two of the trash enclosures on our loop had lids that don't fully latch, and one had a bag left outside the bin all weekend. That's basically a standing dinner invite. Coyotes aren't the problem there, the buffet is. The board agreed to get the two latches fixed and I asked them to add a line in the next newsletter about not leaving trash out the night before pickup and picking up fallen fruit from the yards backing the greenbelt. Small stuff, but it's the difference between animals passing through and animals hanging around. If your enclosure gate is broken, put in a ticket through Access Irvine so there's a record. Landscaping also runs sprinklers around 5am along the path, which is prime coyote hour, so keep dogs leashed on those early walks and just give them room to move off. They've got a den somewhere back in the open space and they're not going anywhere, so the enclosures are really the piece we control.
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Jennifer Novak
7/1/2026
Trying to get a straight answer on this. We back up to the Jeffrey Open Space trail near Portola and I've counted three separate coyotes cutting through the greenbelt in the past week, twice in full daylight around 4pm when the kids are getting off the bus. When I report through the Access Irvine app, what actually happens on the city's end? Does anyone come out, or does it just log a dot on a map somewhere? I keep hearing "coexist" but I have two small kids and I'm not comfortable treating a predator wandering our yard as normal background noise. Is there a threshold — a number of sightings, a certain behavior — where the city or Fish & Wildlife will actually remove one? I'd rather know the process now than after something happens.
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Arjun Zhang
7/1/2026
Pulled up the county's coyote guidance last night after a walk on the Ladera Ranch trail behind Avendale and figured I'd share a couple things that surprised me. OC Animal Care lists their diet as mostly rodents, rabbits, fruit, and insects, which lines up with the loquats dropping all over the greenbelts right now. The part I didn't know: the biggest driver of them getting comfortable around people is unsecured food and water sources, not the trails themselves. So bird feeders that spill, pet bowls left out overnight, fallen fruit under trees. If anyone wants to actually log a sighting rather than just talk about it, the Coyote Cacher (UC ANR runs it) maps reports countywide. Not pushing a view either way, just found it useful to see the numbers instead of guessing.
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Courtney Ortiz
7/1/2026
Coyote just trotted across Avenida Vaquero near the sports park about 6:40 this morning, headed toward the trail behind the field. Didn't seem in any hurry. Keeping my two indoors till things settle — figured the early dog-walk crowd would want the heads up.
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Karan Rodriguez
7/1/2026
Pulled this together after reading up on the county's guidance, because I think a lot of us in San Clemente are underestimating how fast a coyote learns our neighborhoods. Two things stuck with me. First, once they start associating people with food — pet bowls left out, trash that isn't latched, fallen avocados and figs — they stop keeping their distance, and that's when the daytime boldness starts. Second, OC's own reporting line (Coyote Cacher) exists because sightings near homes are worth logging, not shrugging off. We back up to the Ridgeline trail off Avenida Vaquero and I've watched one trot the greenbelt at 6:40pm like it owned the easement. So my ask is simple and on the controlling side, I'll admit: cats indoors, small dogs on a short leash and never off it near the canyons, no food or water bowls outside overnight, and lock your trash bins. The more we remove the reasons for them to feel comfortable around us, the fewer close calls we all deal with. Report the bold ones. Don't wait until it's your yard.
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Mariana Jung
7/1/2026
Weird one this morning at the little playground off Aliso Creek Rd near the elementary. A coyote was just standing there on the field, maybe 20 feet out, and did not care that a bunch of us were around at drop-off. Didn't run, didn't flinch when a couple parents clapped. Just watched us and stayed put for a good few minutes before it wandered off toward the greenbelt. I know they're supposed to be around here and I don't want to be the person who panics over a coyote existing. But the daylight-and-won't-budge part is what got me. Is that the point where you actually report it, or is standing its ground more normal than it felt in the moment? Genuinely asking. Reported it on Coyote Cacher just in case.
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Isha Cruz
7/1/2026
Quick one for anyone walking the trails around Serrano Creek right now: the fallen fruit is doing a lot of the work of drawing coyotes into the neighborhoods. We had a loquat and a fig going nuts in the back and I noticed a lot more activity along the fence line until we started clearing the drops every couple days. Grab the ground fruit, keep trash lids latched, and don't leave cat kibble on the porch overnight. Give them a reason to stay on the wild side of the creek and they mostly will. They're not the problem, the easy calories are.
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Omar Choi
7/1/2026
Coyote just trotted across Crown Valley near the Marina Hills entrance, maybe 6:40pm, headed toward the greenbelt. Full grown, not spooked by cars at all. Get your cats and small dogs inside now if you're up here — it's still light out and it did not care one bit.
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Thao Anderson
7/1/2026
Bringing this to the HOA meeting next week and wanted to sanity-check first. The trash enclosures along our stretch off Rancho Viejo don't fully latch anymore and the lids sit open half the week. I've watched a coyote nose around them twice now near the Trabuco Creek trail edge, and I don't love that we're basically setting out a buffet. I'm not trying to make this a big fear thing, they were here before the tract was, but if we can fix the latches and maybe ask the landscapers to hold off on the pre-dawn watering that leaves puddles, that's two easy asks. Anyone know if that falls under the master association or our sub-HOA? Trying to send the request to the right people so it doesn't just bounce around.
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Aditya Green
7/1/2026
Bringing this to the board for the July HOA meeting and wanted to float it here first. The greenbelt behind the Serrano Creek homes on the Lake Forest side has become a regular coyote runway at night, and I don't think our current setup is helping. Two things I want us to actually vote on and fund: 1. Timers on the greenbelt sprinklers. Right now they kick on around 4:30am and it's basically a watering hole invitation right when the coyotes are moving. Push them to midday. 2. The trash enclosures by the guest spots. Half of them don't latch anymore and the lids sit open on collection eve. That's the real draw. We should get them repaired and add the self-closing hardware before we spend a dime on anything else. I know some folks feel we should just live and let live, and I respect that, but I've got a 5-year-old who plays in that common area and I'd rather we manage the food and water sources now than wait until there's an incident. This is stuff the HOA can control. If you're on Serrano Creek, please email the board or come to the meeting so it's not just me asking.
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Marco Flores
7/1/2026
Just wanted to pass along something that's worked well for us near the Salt Creek Trail. We had a coyote cutting through the yard most evenings, and the thing that actually made a difference wasn't fencing, it was cleaning up after our avocado tree. Fallen fruit was pulling in rats, and the rats were the real draw. Once we started clearing the drops every couple days and moved the bird feeder, the visits basically stopped. Coyote's still around the greenbelt where it belongs, just not treating our lot like a buffet. If you've got fruit trees backing up to open space, that's the easy win before you spend money on anything fancier.
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Omar Delacruz
7/1/2026
2am and a whole pack of them let loose right behind our fence off Sand Canyon near the Quail Hill trailhead. Not one or two — a full chorus, yipping and howling maybe fifteen feet from the kids' window. Both of them woke up terrified and one wouldn't go back to sleep until almost 4. I get that they were here first, I've read the coexistence stuff. But there's a difference between a coyote crossing the greenbelt at dusk and a pack setting up that close to a house full of sleeping children in the middle of the night. That felt like a warning, not wildlife. What I actually want to know: is there anything the city or HOA does when they're denning or grouping this close to homes? I reported it on Coyote Cacher but that feels like it just goes into a database. Do we have any say in whether they get pushed back from the residential edge, or is the answer just "get used to it"? Genuinely asking, because right now my kids are scared to sleep in their own room and I need to be able to tell them something.
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Eun Hernandez
7/1/2026
Was reading up on why we're seeing more of them along Jeffrey Open Space lately and it clicked: this is pup season winding down, so the adults are ranging wider to feed growing juveniles. It's normal, not a sign anything's wrong. The thing that actually shifts their behavior is us — a coyote that finds cat food on a porch or fallen avocados under a tree learns to come back and stops keeping its distance. So the single most useful thing any of us can do is boring: bring the pet dishes in at night, pick up fruit drop, latch the trash. Keep them a little wild and they mostly keep to the greenbelt, which is where they've always been. If you want daytime sightings logged somewhere useful, the Coyote Cacher map takes them.
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Feng Choi
7/1/2026
Question for whoever handles our HOA landscaping schedule up here off Robinson Ranch. The greenbelt sprinklers along the walking path have been running before 5am and I've noticed the standing water in the low spots is drawing rabbits at first light, and where there are rabbits I'm now seeing a coyote working that stretch a couple mornings this week. I don't want to overreact and I know they've got every right to be here, but can we look at shifting the irrigation to midday and getting the two overflowing trash enclosures by the mailboxes latched properly? Trying to make our patch a little less of a convenient stop, not chase anything off. Happy to bring it to the next board meeting if someone can tell me who to loop in.
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Mina Rodriguez
7/1/2026
My teenager swears he saw a coyote trotting down the sidewalk on Sand Canyon near the Quail Hill loop around 2 in the afternoon yesterday, just casually in full sun. I always thought they were a dawn/dusk thing, so is a middle-of-the-day sighting actually normal, or does it mean something's off with that one? Not trying to panic, I'd just like to know how to read it before I decide whether to change my kids' walking route to the park.
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Yuki Miller
7/1/2026
If you've got fruit trees dropping right now, that's the fix hiding in plain sight. We had a mess of loquats rotting under the tree near our patio off Avenida Vaquero and were getting nightly visitors working the fence line. Raked it all up, kept the ground clear for a couple weeks, and the traffic just moved on. They're not after your yard, they're after the easy calories. Same goes for the water bowl and the cat kibble on the porch. Clear the buffet and you're mostly sharing the neighborhood on much better terms. Bins latched at the curb helps too, especially on collection morning down toward the pier.
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Long Walker
7/1/2026
Saw a thread going around about the coyotes near the Salt Creek trail and figured I'd add a little perspective. I walk that stretch below Chapparosa most mornings and I run into one pretty regularly, usually just trotting the ridge line minding its own business. It's not stalking anyone. That's its route the same way the trail is ours. The couple times it's paused to look at me I just make myself big, clap once, keep walking. It moves on every time. Leash your dog through there and give it room and honestly it's a non-event. They've been working that canyon a lot longer than the houses have. We can share it.
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Vahe Guerrero
7/1/2026
Coyote trotting up the Ridgeline trail behind Talega about 7:40 this morning, headed toward the neighborhood. Not in a hurry, didn't spook when I stopped. Kept my leash short and gave it room. Keeping the cat in today just in case. Anyone up that way, heads up.
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Parisa Rahimi
7/1/2026
Pulled the Fish & Wildlife numbers after what's been happening around Chapparosa Park and honestly they make the case for why we can't just "leave them be." California logs coyote bites and attacks on people every year, and the pattern is always the same: it starts with them getting comfortable around food, then pets, then they stop backing off from people. Once a coyote is that habituated, wildlife folks don't relocate it — the outcome is worse than that. So the takeaway I keep landing on: the friendly-neighbor approach is actually how you end up with the dangerous ones. Every unsecured trash can, every bowl of cat food on a Laguna Niguel porch, every "aw look at it" moment near the lake trail is teaching them we're safe. We should be reporting sightings, not admiring them. If you see one near Sea Country or the Chapparosa fields during the day and it doesn't run, that's already a problem animal and the city needs to know. I'd rather we be the neighborhood that's overly strict now than the one on the news later.
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Lucine Patel
7/1/2026
Walked the Central Park loop off Antonio around 8:15 this morning and stopped dead — a coyote trotting the dry edge of the arroyo below the trail, backlit, coat all rust and silver. It clocked me, held for a second, then just went about its business into the brush. Didn't feel like a warning, just a neighbor on its own errand. I don't know much about them yet but that was genuinely a beautiful thing to catch before coffee. Kept my distance and let it be.
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Ximena Garcia
7/1/2026
Following up from a couple weeks back when I asked about the ones cutting through the neighborhood off Avenida Vaquero at night. A few of you told me to just bring the cat food dishes in before dark and stop leaving the garage cracked for my two, and honestly that alone changed things. Went from hearing them in the yard most nights to nothing since. I still get a little tense when I take the trash down after sunset, not gonna pretend otherwise, but the porch light and keeping the cats in has been enough so far. Appreciated the folks who didn't just tell me to panic.
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Sarah Tran
7/1/2026
My husband asked if we should "do something" about the coyote that trots across the Oso Creek trail every evening like he owns the place. I said sure, we can start by paying him rent since he clearly moved in before we did. Honestly the guy minds his business, gives us a look, keeps walking. We leash up, give him room, he does his thing. Best neighbor on the whole stretch — never once parked in front of our driveway.
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Aaliyah Lopez
7/1/2026
Quick question for people who've dealt with this longer than me. We back up to the Jeffrey Open Space trail and I've started seeing one trotting along the fence line around 6:30 most mornings. Not running from us, just kind of watching. What actually makes them leave and stay gone? I've read the clap-and-yell stuff but honestly it feels like it barely registers with this one. Is there something the city does if you report it on Coyote Cacher, or is reporting basically just for their map? I've got two little kids and I'm not comfortable letting them play in the yard until I know it's handled. What's worked for you?
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Mai Lopez
7/1/2026
Walked the Oso Creek Trail down by the botanical section this morning and had one of those moments that makes you stop. A coyote came out of the brush near the little pond, sat down about forty feet off, and just watched the ducks with me for a good minute before trotting on. Gorgeous animal, thick summer coat, totally unbothered. I stayed put and let it have its space. I don't know a ton about them yet but I've been reading up, and it's kind of wonderful that a whole wild life is running alongside us out there. Made my walk.
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Aaliyah Shah
7/1/2026
Following up from a couple weeks back when I asked about the pair denning near the Jeffrey Open Space trail. A few of you said give it space and just reroute my morning walk for a bit, so I did, took the loop toward Hicks Canyon instead. Saw them again yesterday around 7:15 and they honestly didn't care about me at all, just trotted off into the brush. Kind of fascinating to watch them move. Anyway, thanks for the calm answers instead of freaking me out. Filed a Coyote Cacher report too so it's on the map for anyone tracking.
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Yasmin Vargas
7/1/2026
Friendly reminder that we don't actually have to wait for one to show up in the yard before we do something. I keep seeing "saw a coyote, oh well, they were here first" and I get it, but the ones trotting through the Portola Hills tract behind Saddleback Ranch aren't scared of people anymore, and that's on us. Bring the cat food bowls in, lock the trash, hose down the fallen avocados. It's not fearmongering to want fewer of them comfortable walking down my street at 6pm. Prevention now beats a sad post later.
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Neil Clark
7/1/2026
If you walk the loop around Laguna Niguel Regional Park in the evening, do yourself a favor and drop a couple small pebbles or coins in an empty water bottle before you head out. Carry it in your hand, not your bag. If a coyote gets curious and holds its ground near the lake trail, shake it hard and step toward it while you yell and wave your arms big. Nine times out of ten they remember they'd rather not deal with you and trot off toward the brush. The whole point is to keep them wary of people, which is what keeps everybody, coyotes included, out of trouble. Give them room, keep the dog on a short leash on that stretch, and you almost never have an issue.
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Amit Roberts
7/1/2026
Coyote trotting along the Salt Creek Trail near the Chapparosa Park side about 20 min ago, maybe 7:40am. Didn't spook when I clapped, just kept moving toward the houses. Leashes on and eyes up if you're headed that way this morning. Honestly wish the city would step up patrols on that stretch, it's getting way too comfortable coming down off the ridge.
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Wesley Ahmed
7/1/2026
Walked the Jeffrey Open Space trail early Sunday and one trotted across the path maybe forty feet ahead of me, stopped, looked back for a second, then just melted into the brush along the creek. Coat was in beautiful shape, moved like it owned the place. Which, fair, it kind of does out there. I stood still and let it go about its morning and it never once seemed bothered by me. Honestly one of the better things I've seen on that trail in a while. We've got a whole wild neighbor living in the greenbelt and most mornings it just wants nothing to do with us. Felt lucky to catch it.
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Hector Tran
7/1/2026
Quick tip for anyone walking the O'Neill Regional Park loops or the trails off Trabuco Creek: carry a cheap shaker can. Handful of pennies in an empty La Croix, tape over the top, clip it to your bag. If a coyote holds its ground and eyes your dog, shake it hard and wave your free arm up big while you back away facing it. Sounds silly but it works way better than yelling alone. The point isn't to scare them off the land, it's just to keep that healthy little distance both directions so we can keep sharing the canyon. Been doing this on my morning walks near Trabuco Oaks for years and the ones I see now give me plenty of room.
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Aaron Park
7/1/2026
Trying to sort out what's normal before I overreact. We back up near the Jeffrey Open Space trail and I saw a coyote trotting along the greenbelt around 9:40am yesterday, not slinking, just moving like it owned the place and not bothered by me at all. Everything I'd read said they're mostly a dawn/dusk thing, so a mid-morning one out in the open threw me. Is a daytime sighting like that actually a red flag, or is it just what they do here and I'm reading too much into it? Genuinely asking — I'd rather understand the behavior than assume the worst.
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Nairi Cho
7/1/2026
Genuine question for anyone who knows the rules here. We back up to the trail near Calle Frontera by the San Clemente Ridgeline, and I've watched a coyote trot the same path around 6:40 both mornings this week, totally relaxed, not bothered by people at all. My question is: at what point does the city actually step in and remove one? Is there a threshold — a certain number of reports, or does something have to happen first? I called and got pointed to Coyote Cacher but I want to understand what logging it actually triggers. I'd rather be the annoying neighbor who reports early than wait until it's comfortable enough to come up a driveway. What's the real process?
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Xavier Green
7/1/2026
Two coyotes trotting along the Oso Creek Trail near the Marguerite crossing about 20 min ago, maybe 6:40pm. Not in a hurry, just cutting through toward the golf course. Curious if that pair is a regular thing on that stretch or if I just caught them passing.
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Lucia Carter
7/1/2026
Walking my son down to the bus stop near Rockfield and Peachwood this morning and a coyote came out of the greenbelt behind us. Not running off, not curious-and-gone — it just kept pace with us at maybe thirty feet, and when I stopped it stopped. I put myself between it and my kid and did the whole wave-my-arms-and-yell thing and it backed up a little but didn't leave until the bus actually pulled up. My hands were not steady after. I know they live here and I'm honestly not looking to villainize the thing. But something about it not breaking off felt different from the usual trot-across-the-street sightings I've read about here. Is that a normal thing this time of year, or is this one getting too comfortable with people? Trying to figure out whether I overreacted or whether the 7:20 walk needs to change for a while. Reporting it on Coyote Cacher either way.
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Jian Vargas
7/1/2026
Still shaking a little so bear with me. I walk the Aliso Creek Trail behind the Town Center most mornings, and today near the wooden bridge by Grand Ave there were two of them just standing on the path, not moving, watching me the whole time I backed away. I clapped, yelled, waved my arms — the whole routine everyone says to do — and one of them barely flinched. Just kept staring. I know people are going to tell me they were here first and to give them space, and I hear that, I do. But this is a paved public trail with kids and strollers and leashed dogs, and an animal that won't break off when a grown adult is shouting at it is not one I feel safe walking past. That's not normal boldness, that's something that's stopped being afraid of us. I reported it on Coyote Cacher but honestly I don't know that anything comes of those. I'd rather the city thin out the brush along that stretch or do something before it's a person and not a report. Please just be careful down there, especially early.
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Terrence Taylor
7/1/2026
Coyote trotting the ridge trail behind Ridgeline Park about 20 min ago, maybe 4:50pm. Not bothered by me at all, just cruised the fence line toward the canyon and kept going. Healthy looking one. Sharing in case anyone's walking dogs up there before dark.
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Carlos Reddy
7/1/2026
Been reading up on the food-waste angle since the group by Serrano Creek has gotten busier, and one thing stuck with me: the state guidance basically says a coyote that never finds a handout stays wary of us, and a wary coyote is exactly the neighbor you want. The trouble spots are the boring ones — fallen avocados and figs left on the ground, pet food on patios, trash out the night before pickup. Fruit under the trees near the Serrano Creek trailhead is a big one this time of year. None of it takes much. Rake the drops, feed pets indoors, wait for morning to roll the cans out. Keeps them doing their actual job of thinning the rabbits and ground squirrels instead of learning our cul-de-sacs. If you want to log a bold one, Coyote Cacher takes the report and it actually helps the county see where the hot spots are.
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Rey Nazarian
7/1/2026
Following up from the thread a couple weeks back where someone said to just make yourself big and loud instead of freezing up. Got to try it Sunday around 6:45 near the lake by Central Park RSM, one trotted out of the landscaping on the paseo maybe 30 feet off. Did the arms-up, stepped toward it, said a firm loud "hey" and it just reconsidered and looped back into the brush. No drama. Honestly I was more curious than scared once it was over, it clearly wanted nothing to do with me. So thanks to whoever posted that, wanted to close the loop. Still not totally sure if that's the move every time or if I just got a mellow one, but it worked here.
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Patrick Hill
7/1/2026
Coyote just trotted down Rancho Viejo Rd near the Franciscan Plaza entrance about 20 min ago, maybe 8:40. Looked healthy, wasn't in a hurry, cut toward the creek behind the shopping center. Not trying to alarm anyone, just a heads up if you're walking dogs around there this morning. Kept mine leashed and gave it room and it moved on fine.
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Vanessa Hosseini
7/1/2026
Pulled this off the OC Animal Care page because a neighbor kept insisting coyotes "never" go after anything bigger than a rabbit. Not true. Their own guidance lists small dogs and cats as prey, and says the animals lose their fear of people fast once they associate us with food — that's the part people gloss over. Around the Aliso Viejo Ranch trail and the greenbelt behind Glenwood I've counted at least three that do not flinch anymore, middle of the afternoon, walkers ten feet away. That's a habituated animal, and habituated is the one that becomes a problem. So a few things I'd rather see enforced than debated: nothing edible left out, period — no cat bowls on porches, no fallen avocados sitting for days, lids latched. Dogs on a short leash on the Ranch trail, not the flexi ones. And report every bold daytime one to Coyote Cacher, because the county only acts on a pattern if the pattern is actually logged. I know the "give them space, they were here first" line is popular, but space only works if the animal still wants distance from us. Once it doesn't, tolerance isn't coexistence, it's just waiting.
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Danielle Hernandez
7/1/2026
We lost our cat Mochi sometime Sunday night. She was an indoor girl mostly but she'd slip out the back and hang around the greenbelt behind our place off Del Prado near the harbor, and she always came back by morning. This time she didn't. I found tracks in the mud by the drainage ditch and I think I know what happened, even if I don't want to say it out loud. I keep going back and forth. Part of me is angry and part of me knows they were just being what they are, and that it's on us for letting her roam. I'm not looking to blame anything. I just wanted to say her name somewhere. If anyone near the Lantern District has seen a small gray tabby I'd still love to hear it, but I think I already know. Bringing our other one in at night from now on.
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Alejandro Rodriguez
7/1/2026
Sharing this because I think people should know the science, not just the sightings. Coyotes that get comfortable around people don't calm back down on their own — once they lose the fear, they keep pushing, and that's when the trouble starts. Fish & Wildlife is clear that the single biggest driver is food: unsecured trash, pet bowls left on the patio, fallen avocados and oranges rotting under the tree, even fallen birdseed. Up here off Avenida Pico and back toward the Ridgeline trail I've watched three different yards leave garbage out the night before pickup, and I promise you the coyotes have that schedule memorized better than we do. If you see one and it doesn't run, that animal is already too far gone to ignore — report it through the Coyote Cacher so there's an actual record, don't just assume it'll move along. We can't manage what nobody's tracking, and waiting until something happens is not a plan.
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Arash Mitchell
7/1/2026
Just watched one trot across the Aliso Creek trail near the AV Aquatic Center, maybe 7:40 this morning. Didn't seem bothered by me at all, just crossed and kept going up toward the ridge. Wasn't limping or anything, looked healthy. Posting the sighting in case it helps anyone tracking where they move through here.
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Ling Wang
7/1/2026
Emailed our HOA board twice now about the trash situation up near Bluebird Canyon and still nothing back. The cans on our street sit out overnight before pickup and half of them don't latch — I've watched a coyote work one open around 5:40am like it does it every day. If the bins are basically a free buffet, of course they keep coming through the neighborhood. Can we PLEASE get the enclosures they promised in the spring, or at minimum a rule that cans go out morning-of, not the night before? And the landscaping crew leaves the side gate by the mailboxes propped open all day, which just lets them wander straight in. Who is the actual person to escalate this to? I don't want to wait until something happens to a pet on our block before anyone acts.
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Haruki Nelson
7/1/2026
Question for anyone who walks Jeffrey Open Space regularly — we crossed one on the trail near the Trabuco entrance around 4pm Saturday and it just stood off to the side of the path watching us, didn't run off. My kid was with me so my heart was going, but it also didn't do anything. Is that middle-of-the-afternoon, holds-its-ground behavior something you all see a lot up there, or is that the kind of thing worth reporting? Trying to figure out where the line is between "normal coyote, give it space" and "actually keep an eye on this one."
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Curtis Taylor
7/1/2026
Saw a couple folks in the neighborhood talking about "getting rid of" the coyote that's been trotting the greenbelt behind Serrano Creek Park, and I want to gently push back on that. That corridor is theirs — it's literally why it exists, wildlife moving between the creek and the canyon. We're the newcomers to that stretch, not them. Nothing I've watched that one do has been aggressive. It's cutting through, ignoring people, doing coyote stuff. The fix isn't removal, it's just us being a little sharper: leash on the trail, keep some distance, and if one gets too comfortable, make yourself big and loud so it stays wary of us. That's the whole game. Coexisting works a lot better than most people expect once you stop expecting them to leave.
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Aditi Park
7/1/2026
I still can't find Biscuit. He got out through a gap in the side gate Sunday night off Marguerite near Beebe Park and hasn't come home. I've walked the greenbelt behind the house twice a day calling for him and put flyers up at the dog park. I know coyotes move through there at night, I've seen one trotting the trail at dusk more than once, and I keep going back and forth on whether I even want to know. He's a gray tabby, notched left ear, very friendly, will come to a can being tapped. If anyone in the Aegean Hills area has seen him or has a camera facing the greenbelt, please check your footage. I'm trying to stay hopeful and I'd rather learn how to keep the others safe than assume the worst.
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Hannah Ortiz
7/1/2026
If your trash cans live along the side yard like mine off Trabuco, pull them in tight against the house and weigh the lids. We had one knocked over twice last week and it turns out the smell alone was enough to keep a coyote circling the cul-de-sac at night. Also worth clearing any fallen avocados or citrus, apparently they'll eat the fruit too, which I did not know. Since we buttoned all that up the nightly visits basically stopped. Still keeping the cats in after dark just to be safe, but the trash thing made the biggest difference for us.
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Roy Rivera
7/1/2026
Still shaken from this morning so bear with me. We walk the Hicks Canyon trail most days and around 6:40 a coyote came out of the brush maybe twenty feet off and just paced us, matched our speed for a good stretch before it peeled off toward the wash. Didn't lunge, didn't do anything really. But my heart was going and I basically speed-walked my daughter and the dog home. I know they were here long before the trail was, and I don't want to be the guy screaming to trap everything. I actually love that we still have that wild edge back there. I just wasn't ready for how it felt to be watched like that with my kid next to me. So genuinely asking the calmer heads here: was it sizing us up, or is pacing just a normal thing they do? Trying to stay level and not swear off the trail we love.
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Vinh Garcia
7/1/2026
Two coyotes trotting up Sand Canyon by the Quail Hill trailhead about 20 min ago, 6:40pm, not spooked at all by cars. This is right where families walk. I already dropped a report in Coyote Cacher — please do the same if you see them so the city actually has numbers to act on. Little dogs and kids on leash/hand until these two clear out.
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Kim Flores
7/1/2026
Walking the loop up at Aliso and Wood Canyons this morning and watched a coyote just... exist for a while near the wood canyon trail. Sat down in a patch of sun, did the whole cat-loaf thing, watched a couple of ground squirrels like it couldn't be bothered. I always picture them slinking around all tense, and this one was so relaxed it almost looked bored. Kept my distance and let it be, but honestly it was a really nice thing to catch on a Tuesday. Handsome animal.
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Miguel King
7/1/2026
Genuine question, not a gripe: does every single sighting need its own thread? I love that people report the ones that matter, but I scrolled past six posts this morning that were all basically "coyote trotting through Foothill Ranch at 6am." That's just Tuesday out here. I get the instinct to flag it, I've done it too, but I'm honestly curious where the line is. A coyote crossing the greenbelt near Rancho Serrano feels like weather at this point. One acting weird or following someone, absolutely, tell us. Not trying to police anybody, just wondering if we could save the alerts for the stuff that's actually out of the ordinary.
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Jae Jung
7/1/2026
Coyote just crossed Rancho Viejo Rd near the Marbella gate about 6:40pm, headed toward the golf course. Big one. Get your animals inside now — do not leave anything out after dark. I already called it in to the city. Watch yourselves out there.
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Andrew Solis
7/1/2026
Friendly PSA: you don't have to log every single coyote. I love this forum but half of Woodbury is a "spotted one trotting down the greenbelt" report and honestly, yeah, that's just Tuesday. They live here. The Jeffrey Open Space is basically their backyard, so one crossing it at 6am isn't news. Genuinely not trying to be a grump about it. If it's acting weird, following someone, out at high noon looking bold, hanging around a school, that's worth a heads up and I'll read every word. A healthy one loping across a field on its way somewhere is just scenery. No judgment, just trying to keep the actually-useful stuff from getting buried.
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Ramil Williams
7/1/2026
Did some reading after seeing tracks along the Sea Country trail near Chapparosa Park and figured I'd pass it along. OC Animal Care and Fish & Wildlife both make the same point: the biggest thing that pulls coyotes into a neighborhood isn't the open space, it's us. Fallen avocados and citrus, pet food left on the porch, unsecured trash, water bowls out overnight, even birdseed that draws the rodents they hunt. A coyote that finds an easy meal in a yard keeps coming back and starts losing its natural wariness of people. That's the "habituated" animal everyone ends up worried about. The fix is boring but it works. Pick up fruit, feed pets indoors, latch the trash the night before pickup, and if one does wander through, make yourself big and loud so it stays uneasy around people. That last part is actually a kindness to the coyote as much as to us. If you want to log a sighting so the county can see the patterns, the Coyote Cacher site takes reports in a couple minutes. Around Chapparosa and the trails behind it they've basically always been part of the picture, so most of this is just keeping the line between their space and our porches clear.
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Aiko Cho
7/1/2026
Following up on the shaker-can advice a few of you gave me last week. I finally tried it Sunday morning when one wandered onto the greenbelt behind our place near Jeffrey Open Space, and honestly I was too nervous to do it at first. But I stood up tall, shook the can, and it just trotted off toward the trail. Didn't even look bothered, just decided I wasn't worth it. So thank you. I'm still keeping the cat in and I still get a little jumpy when I see one, but it helped to know there's actually something I can do besides freeze. Appreciate this group.
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