They're up to about the size of a labrador. There are various animals called "coyotes" or "wolves" and the terms are used loosely.

They're not harmless. If you see a field of sheep, or in our case chickens, there will usually be a donkey or a llama in the field. That's because donkeys and llamas are territorial and they don't like any form of dog, without the donkey coyotes will take lambs, cats, chickens perhaps full sized sheep. We heard a particularly lurid tale of coyotes taking new born calves on the weekend but that was told to us by people who live in High Park (in the city) so I took it with a truckload of salt. The same crowd fretted over bears around Brampton.

Coyotes are nocturnal so I would not allow small children to wander the fields and woods at night. I would not be concerned about coyotes during the day nor would I consider an adult to be at risk. I would discourage children from going into swamp areas due to the possibility of finding a porcupine or a fisher more than a coyote. I wouldn't leave a new born baby out in the garden unattended during the day (in the back of beyond or in Ealing).

It depends, of course, on how rural a location you're considering, if you were going to Northern Ontario you'd have to think seriously about bears. Do you have a location in mind?

Not really autumny but it was autumn when I took the pic. Gives me the giggles.

I miss the joke but is that in Merrickville?

We were going to rent around Belleville, with the hope if living in Prince Edward County. This will depend on exhcange rate and house sale prices as property is more expensive in that area. If we cannot afford that area then it will be North of Belleville. Fingers crossed subject to High commision.

I have a tremendous fear that taking a walk in the woods anywhere in Canada we will come across dangerous wild life. However common sense says that the odds are million to one. I dont want to buy a property with 30-50 acres and find out the only way to walk around it or let the children play outside is to have loaded gun sat on the porch.

I'm easily amused! It's in Perth.

I dont think the odds are that extreme. I live a little north of belleville, we've had at least one bear in our back yard (only a small one passing through mind), and I had a close encounter once with a bear while riding my bike around the Vanderwater conservation area on Hwy37 too.

There are also the occasional sightings of a lynx like creature in the Oak Hills too, as well as on the County.

Its not something to worry about though, the animals are just as keen to get away from you as you are to avoid confrontation with them. Its not made me go get a gun.

Now that we've been living in the exurbs for a while it just seems normal to me to have a gun. I had to laugh at some urban people we met on the weekend (they have a farm quite near us but it's just for weekends), a rabid racoon staggered on to their deck in the middle of the day so they called the SPCA to ask for advice. The SPCA person said to shoot it which left them perplexed and underequipped.

Would a thwack with a suitable shovel not do the trick?

How strong are you? how big the shovel. You really want to be that close to an injured rabid racoon?? They have hands you know and can hang on to your face with them

I have a bow and arrow....

Accuracy is an issue with hand implements.

Took the term staggered to mean past its best.
So a couple of blows should do the trick

Perhaps some golf lessons

I beat a raccoon to death with a shovel when we lived in the city. Admittedly it seemed like a healthy one but it was a bastard job, I wouldn't try it again. An axe might be better but there's a considerable risk of being bitten or scratched.

A wood might be a suitable weapon and, once dressed for golf, some splatter wouldn't make one look any worse.

It could only improve the outfit really. I suspect thats what you were hinting at.