Since late Spring, there seem to a lot more coyotes around this year than in past years. Besides hearing packs of them howling at night, every week or so I see one or two coyotes strolling across the field by my house, a couple of times when I've been out working in the yard. They don't seem to be afraid of people. Needless to say, I'm frightened of them. Having mobility issues, I know I won't be able to make it to safety if confronted by one.
Native to Western North America, coyotes are not uncommon in Solano County. Over the years their numbers have increased and so has their geographic coverage. They're very adaptable and feed on a variety of food sources, ranging from rodents, rabbits, and birds, to fruits, berries, seeds, and insects in compost piles.
According to the coyote information posted on the UC Integrated Pest Management website (http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74135.html), if you are confronted by a coyote, you should make yourself appear larger and more threatening than normal, by waving your arms and shouting or making loud noises to scare them off. A friend suggested I buy an air horn to help scare them off, which I did. Now when I'm out in the yard I carry my baby air horn with me which I hope I will never have to use!