Rising folk star Taylor Mitchell killed by coyotes

news ^ | October 29, 2009

[JoeProBono]

A PROMISING young Canadian musician has been attacked and killed by coyotes while on a tour promoting her new album. Taylor Mitchell, 19, was considered a rising star of the folk music scene, having just earned a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination.

She was hiking alone on the Syline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park when a pair of coyotes attacked her.

Tourists rushed to her aid when they heard her screams and found Mitchell bleeding heavily from mulitple wounds "all over her body", according to The Canadian Press. "She was losing a considerable amount of blood from her wounds," paramedic Paul Maynard told TCP. One of the animals was later shot by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but the other got away.

Park officials said it was highly unusual for coyotes to be involved in such an aggressive attack.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[Minus_The_Bear]

Coyotes? I highly doubt this. Coyotes would run away if you stepped towards them.

[girlangler]

OMG ping.

[SampleMan]

Coyotes? I highly doubt this. Coyotes would run away if you stepped towards them.

Concur. Sounds like wolves or wild dogs.

[JoeProBono]

[Recon Dad]

I would seriously doubt Coyotes were responsible. A small child or a small pet I've heard of, but never an adult.

I would have no qualms with shooting them on sight.

[Azzurri]

Her Facebook page.

[JoeProBono]

Winding through the northern half of Cape Breton Island, the Cabot Trail traverses the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, 366 square miles of magnificent highlands and coastal wilderness.

[girlangler]

Actually, I know a guy who had a slight stroke and fell out of a tree stand while deer hunting.

He fought coyotes off him after falling on the ground. He HATES them, and is an expert on coyote hunting now. His techniques are pretty impressive, and he has been quoted extensively in outdoor magazines.

He also is an expert wild turkey caller, and avid turkey hunter, another reason he hates coyotes.

[hellbender]

I think coyotes have been known to enter people’s open doors and attempt to drag small children from the house. Some wild predators fear people only because they have been hunted for centuries (e.g. wolves, black bears). Once hunting stops, they may become dangerous again.

[Uncle Miltie]

Agree. Never met a coyote that didn’t run when it saw me.

[JoeProBono]

[allmendream]

How large was this 19 year old adult?

Two HUNGRY coyotes were after my 90 lb bull mastiff; was this gal much more or less than 90 lbs?

They shot one of the coyotes involved in the attack, assuming that it was legitimately linked to the attack, that would indicate that it was indeed a coyote attack.

[vetvetdoug]

I do my part. I kill every coyote I see if I can get the rifle quick enough.

[CholeraJoe]

Why couldn't it have been Taylor Swift?

[Red_Devil 232]

Do Cougars run also?

[JoeProBono]

Wild coyote at Benjies Lake Cabot Trail, Cape Breton - Nova Scotia

[NRA2BFree]

Coyotes? I highly doubt this. Coyotes would run away if you stepped towards them.

Oh no they wouldn't. Many who live on the edge of land that has been turned into housing development have lost their fear of man. I've seen them follow a little boy on his 4 wheeler back into my yard. They also attacked two of our German Shepards.

[allmendream]

Yo Taylor Swift,
I’ts cool you being attacked by coyotes and all
and i’m gonna let you finish
but I just gotta say that Taylor Mitchell had
on of the greatest coyote attacks of all time
OF ALL TIME!