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42 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 7.16 A BIT DEEPER stmatthewschamber.com kyhumane.org/tuxes-and-tails complementing shades of hot-pink and black running gear. "Can I ask you guys a question?" he asks. "Have you all encountered aggressive coyotes while you're out and about?" Teir eyes pop, mouths fall open. Both blond heads swivel left and right. "No, but honestly we don't ever look around. We're gossiping too much," one of the women replies with a smile. "I have seen, honest to God, guys who take of their pants and run," the other woman says, chuckling. "Tey fash." We share a laugh, but Nally gets back on task, administering advice. "If it's in the feld and it's not paying attention to you, just don't do anything. But if that coyote stops, looks at you, approaches you, barks at you, it's a good idea to raise your hands, clap your hands, walk toward it," he says. "I know it's counterintuitive because the frst thing you want to do is run." "Oh," the ladies say, nodding. "To keep the coyote safe, and everyone safe, it's good to train that coyote to be afraid of humans again," he continues. "If it keeps on approaching you, get a stick, throw rocks, haze it until it's gone out of sight." Hazing, that's the main response to the coyotes as of mid-June. Nally wants to meet with running and other outdoor groups to teach them how to instill a little fear back into the animals. He also plans on posting signs in the park, a list of tips: don't back away, keep your dog on a leash, don't leave food outside. Whether more severe steps will be taken, he's unsure. "We always value human life over wildlife," Nally reports in an assuring tone. I'll learn later that in the week prior to our hike, coyotes were laying low. Maybe they had caught enough fame. More likely, they had caught a fawn. In late spring and early summer, deer birth their young. Cuteness doesn't infuence the food chain. Our mission fails. No coyotes spotted. But that is how it should be. It's a boring ending. And a natural one.