I have always thought coyotes to be a solitary animal, traveling in pairs only during the mating season. I live about 1/2 mile east of the Dick Young Forest Preserve. Last week my neighbor was walking his two medium sized dogs about 10:30 P.M. He said he saw six coyotes that were following him. Then when he shined his flashlight at them he saw "many more" sets of eyes staring at him from an open field along his path. He is a very credible individual and I tend to believe him. His report is unnerving. Are there occasions in which coyotes travel in packs? And if so might they pack in highly human populated areas?

Good morning, In areas with a good food supply (such as near a forest preserve), it is not uncommon for coyotes to live in small family groups or packs. A pair raises one litter per year, with an average of 5-7 pups born each year. While most of the young typically disperse by late fall to find their own territories, some of the young will remain with the adults to help raise the next year's litter. Seeing a group of coyotes together should not be cause for concern unless they are acting aggressively towards people or pets.

Depending on the height of the eyes, it is quite possible that the other eyes that your friend saw as he looked back may have been deer watching the coyotes.

You can find more information about coyote's life history and how to live with coyotes at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=coyote This page also provides access to a very good report on an urban coyote management study that was conducted in Cook County, IL: http://ohioline.osu.edu/b929/pdf/b929.pdf

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.