# Young folksinger dies



## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

This is such a sad and senseless loss of a young, talented girl. My heart goes out to her friends and family.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/10/28/singer-mitchell-coyote-reaction.html


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

It's the kind of tragedy that inspires songs. All the more so because she was a folksinger, on the verge, appealing and inspiring herself.

It's a damn shame.

May she rest in peace.

Peace, Mooh.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Yes, we were talking of her passing last night. 

Looks like she is just the second fatality ever, and the first Canadian to coyote attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote#Attacks_on_humans

A rather shocking cause of death.

If you go out in the woods alone... 
1) bring an air horn, 
2) don't ladle on perfumes of any kind, and 
3) know what lurks in your area and how to deal with those dangers.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Crazy sad story for sure!

Coyotes are a pretty small creature, all fur not much meat. It's truelly shocking that 2 of them had enough nerve to attack a human, there must have been a food source near by that they were trying to protect. Or they were rabid. Second case is much more likely.

I spend some time in the woods and even a wolf pack that that knows what humans are will scatter from a kill if a single human approaches them.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> Or they were rabid.


...an expert on the radio yesterday claimed that's not possible - had they been rabid, they'd have attacked each other, not a human.

-dh


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

there's an irony to it that she was a hippy chick who got taken out by the nature she was communing with. if she had whacked one of them with that guitar she had in the newspaper pic, she'd be alive right now.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

Or maybe she picked up a pup she thought was a dog,we'll most likely never know.It's sad that it happened but more people die of being bitten by rats,if you use common knowledge in the bush it shouldn't be a problem,then again who can say what really happened to aggravate those animals,could have been a couple cross bred dog/coyote like mentioned in the news yesterday.


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## SteveS (Apr 25, 2006)

We were hiking with the kids not too far from that area about a month ago.

Very sad story....


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

cheezyridr said:


> there's an irony to it that she was a hippy chick who got taken out by the nature she was communing with...


....sorry, i don't see anything resembling irony here.

hippy chick? 

seriously?

what, exactly, is a "hippy chick", and how/why do you think she deserves the label? 

a close friend of mine knew her as a decent human being.

-dh


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

cheezyridr said:


> there's an irony to it that she was a hippy chick who got taken out by the nature she was communing with. if she had whacked one of them with that guitar she had in the newspaper pic, she'd be alive right now.


She was just a kid and she was most likely terrified. I am 47 and probably would have wet myself if a pack of coyotes surrounded me out in the middle of nowhere, by myself.

It's easy to sit in your living room and say, should have done this or that.


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## Jimi D (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't mean to appear insensitive - this child's death is a tragedy, and as a parent I can't even begin to imagine what her parents are going through right now - but as someone who grew up in northern Saskatchewan and Alberta I cannot for the life of me imagine how a couple of mangy, feral canines could possibly have successfully attacked and killed a healthy adult. These animals wouldn't weigh more than 50 pounds each; standing and fighting against this kind of threat with whatever is on hand should see them scampering back into the woods in terror...


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

cheezyridr said:


> there's an irony to it that she was a hippy chick who got taken out by the nature she was communing with. if she had whacked one of them with that guitar she had in the newspaper pic, she'd be alive right now.


Geez, man. How insensitive can you be? I wouldn't wish this kind of death on my worst enemy.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Don't let the entertainer/entertainment aspect distract us. She was a young person, outside on her own, and something terrible befell her without anyone else nearby to help out. She could have been a secretary or a nursing student camping, and it would have been just as much a tragedy.

What's a shame is that she was out by herself. Every year one sees and hears stories of young people attacked by a wolf, a bear, a cougar, wild dogs, or whatever, and a nearby parent does something to fight off the attacking animal. Tragically, she had no such person to help her out in her time of need. If you're going to be out in the woods, do your best to prevent stories like this one; bring a buddy.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Jimi D said:


> I don't mean to appear insensitive - this child's death is a tragedy, and as a parent I can't even begin to imagine what her parents are going through right now - but as someone who grew up in northern Saskatchewan and Alberta I cannot for the life of me imagine how a couple of mangy, feral canines could possibly have successfully attacked and killed a healthy adult. These animals wouldn't weigh more than 50 pounds each; standing and fighting against this kind of threat with whatever is on hand should see them scampering back into the woods in terror...


Animals, all of them whether they are domesticated or not are always unpredictable. What they do with one person or in one situation can be very different with someone else or in a certain situation. There may have been offspring there, she may have tried to contact them or follow them. Who knows. I had a buddy of mine that used to deliver papers when he was a kid. There was a dog on his route, big black lab. He must have delivered 200 papers to that house and the dog was there every day. One day he went up to the house and for whatever reason, maybe he was holding the paper differently that day, maybe the dog was having a bad day. But that dog lept at him and tore half his face off. He underwent a lot of surgery and still has the scars to prove it. The dog was put down.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Jimi D said:


> I don't mean to appear insensitive - this child's death is a tragedy, and as a parent I can't even begin to imagine what her parents are going through right now - but as someone who grew up in northern Saskatchewan and Alberta I cannot for the life of me imagine how a couple of mangy, feral canines could possibly have successfully attacked and killed a healthy adult. These animals wouldn't weigh more than 50 pounds each; standing and fighting against this kind of threat with whatever is on hand should see them scampering back into the woods in terror...


On average for a healthy coyote would be in the 30-35 lb range. Though the east coast variety is suppose to be a little larger than the western ones.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> On average for a healthy coyote would be in the 30-35 lb range. Though the east coast variety is suppose to be a little larger than the western ones.


I lived there for 22 years and never, ever saw one. Where I live now? see them all the time and we hear them at night. wonderful sound, I hear them and think, "soups on" However, we are nervous when we see them during the day as that is not normal. There was one we saw a few days in a row and my husband was considering maybe having to do something about it, but then we didn't see it again. Most of the ones I've seen look to be about the size of my dog (who is a very muscular 70lbs) but I know that's mostly fur on a coyote.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Every year one sees and hears stories of young people attacked by a wolf, a bear, a cougar, wild dogs, or whatever, and a nearby parent does something to fight off the attacking animal. Tragically, she had no such person to help her out in her time of need. If you're going to be out in the woods, do your best to prevent stories like this one; bring a buddy.


Small humans that run will most definately look like prey and parents need to keep an eye on their children in the wilds of Canada.

I find it interesting how you mention wolf first. It's the one that happens the absolute least. I wonder, is there still a sterotype 100s of years after us white folk tried killing them all off? I can only find one case of a wolf killing a human in recent history, and it was a sick wolf that frequented a garbage dump. There are some cases of wolves biting children but in all these cases the wolf was aclimitized to human camp sites, food and garbage.

I'm heading out to the wilderness in NE Saskatchewan next week. There's still an over population of wolves. No buddy or gun required.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> I lived there for 22 years and never, ever saw one. Where I live now? see them all the time and we hear them at night. wonderful sound, I hear them and think, "soups on" However, we are nervous when we see them during the day as that is not normal. There was one we saw a few days in a row and my husband was considering maybe having to do something about it, but then we didn't see it again. Most of the ones I've seen look to be about the size of my dog (who is a very muscular 70lbs) but I know that's mostly fur on a coyote.


Most will find this repulsive but... When I was young kid I ran a trap line, yes once you get the fur off there isn't much left at all. Seeing them during the day isn't really that abnormal, I see them all the time during the day. Most often in the morning.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> Most will find this repulsive but... When I was young kid I ran a trap line, yes once you get the fur off there isn't much left at all. Seeing them during the day isn't really that abnormal, I see them all the time during the day. Most often in the morning.


Oh yeah morning's fine, but 1:30 in the afternoon is not normal.


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

The sad part is that Taylor looked to be pretty excited about going on that hike. Her last Facebook status update on Monday was "Taylor Mitchell
is having brunch in Lucasville NS, then driving 5 hours to the Cabot Trail "


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> I find it interesting how you mention wolf first. It's the one that happens the absolute least.


Don't read too much into it. I was whipping off a quick list that I wanted to start with something NOT coyote. Cougar and bear are probably the more likely, and wolf the least. While we're talking about wolves, I heard a lengthy interview with the author of this book last week. Fascinating. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/the-philosopher-and-the-wolf-by-mark-rowlands/article1143675/


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Hey guys. I used to manage a pet shop. I had some delicious jobs like cleaning the dog kennels of poo ever 20 minutes all day long >.< which is why today I am owned by my cat.

One of the other jobs I did is one that gives younger kids the squiemies. Very important and one that has to be done, I used to feed the snakes and other carnivores  and some got fed dead and some got fed live and those that ate live we worked to getting to eat dead (FAR safer for an animal, live prey always has a chance of living and that could mean real damage). Yea, them little rodents take one head whack and it is all over for them. That is the most humane, and fastest, way of doing them in; short sharp fast rap on the noggin and they are meal time without even realizing it.

*One thing you SO DO not want is to smell or look like the prey.* Especially around carnivorous creatures. Washing your hands was a must (especially having handled heavily that once live now made ready prey), no cologne, no perfume, not even sun tan lotion. Ive had my hand down the gob of a 12 foot snake, it is NOT fun (and it was after that I learned the vinegar trick). Pacman frogs LOOK awesome, but those bony jaws HURT! Many products contain animal scents. Musks and other pheromones. Sun lotions contain heat reflectors lights you up like a bulb. Some of these can incense animals in the wild. It could be something as simple as she spritzed with a deodorant before going on her hike that contained just what was needed to hit the frenzy button of the coyote.

Not in anyway being derogatory or offensive. I do appreciate irony. There are people who have passed, and have in a state of irony. John Denver who sang of his love of flying dying while flying his plane. John Morris Rankin on his way home from hockey, spinning out on road salt going into the ocean. The crocodile hunter and wrestler being harpooned by one of the gentlest sea creatures going. A folk singer on a nature excursion becoming part of the life cycle of nature is I feel a nobler way of passing than had it been with a needle in some bus or on a plane tokin some white crap or drinking all night and aspirating vomit or being mugged for a tenner and her shoes.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

mhammer said:


> While we're talking about wolves, I heard a lengthy interview with the author of this book last week. Fascinating. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/the-philosopher-and-the-wolf-by-mark-rowlands/article1143675/


Yes, very interesting!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

david henman said:


> ....sorry, i don't see anything resembling irony here.
> 
> hippy chick?
> 
> ...





GuitarsCanada said:


> She was just a kid and she was most likely terrified. I am 47 and probably would have wet myself if a pack of coyotes surrounded me out in the middle of nowhere, by myself.
> 
> It's easy to sit in your living room and say, should have done this or that.





Big_Daddy said:


> Geez, man. How insensitive can you be? I wouldn't wish this kind of death on my worst enemy.


i expected a parade of people who would fall all over themselves to be the first to appear offended. however, i expected the offense to be my labeling of her being a hippy chick.

did i somehow stumble into the emo forum? do you whine because my name is cheez? 

no where did i say it was funny, or not tragic.

webster says:

a (1) : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity

granted, not the first definition, so, ok, i'll accept that one as my miscomunicated intent.

that said, i stand by my hippie chick statement. *that is clearly the image she was going for*. folks singer, acoustic guitar, renamed herself with the last name of mitchell. her appearance is total hippie _chic. _

nowhere did i say she deserved to die for it, or that i wished it on her. nowhere did i say she wasn't a decent human being. even though for all i know she could have been either way. i didn't know her any more than the man on the moon.
nowhere did i say that kind of death wasn't scary , for her or anyone else. 
i purposely posted an opinion that had a little more imagination that the usual whiney oh how sad post because i knew there would be a bucketful of them, and one more would contribute nothing of value to the conversation. let's face it, every single one of you who want to jump my case will forget about her by 2010. am i going to have to defend every post i make because of the gay thread last week?


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Cheezy, I don't know you from Adam (and I don't know anything about any gay thread of which you speak either). I thought your post was "insensitive" because I find nothing ironic about a 19 year old woman being ripped apart by wild animals when she's just out to enjoy the scenery. Your post expressed no regret or emotion about the poor girl's death either. Again, insensitive. 

From Webster's; 

Main Entry: in·sen·si·tive
Pronunciation: \(ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-s(ə-)tiv\
Function: adjective
Date: 1834

1 a : not responsive or susceptible <insensitive to the demands of the public> b : *lacking feeling or tact* <so insensitive as to laugh at someone in pain>
2 : not physically or chemically sensitive



> i purposely posted an opinion that had a little more imagination that the usual whiney oh how sad post because i knew there would be a bucketful of them, and one more would contribute nothing of value to the conversation


Sorry you feel that it's "emo" or "whiney" to lament the loss of a young, talented person with great potential. I personally find great value in that. 

Let's agree to disagree.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

cheezyridr said:


> i purposely posted an opinion that had a little more imagination that the usual whiney oh how sad post because i knew there would be a bucketful of them, and one more would contribute nothing of value to the conversation. let's face it, *every single one of you who want to jump my case will forget about her by 2010*. am i going to have to defend every post i make because of the gay thread last week?


Personally, I will probably have forgotten about it by the end of the day, thats not the point. You are entitled to your opinion and maybe your sense of humor is a little different than some others. I am sure you don't wish death upon anyone. But you also seem to know where to place a button, knowing it will get pushed somewhere along the way.


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## SteveS (Apr 25, 2006)

cheezyridr said:


> am i going to have to defend every post i make because of the gay thread last week?





If they're as classy as the first one you made in this thread, then probably yeah....


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

This is an unfortunate incident. I like being outside, up north, on the water, and hiking mountain trails. When I lived In Calgary I tried to make it to the Rocky Mountain parks as often as possible. I'm not familiar with Cabot Trail park, but one thing I've learned is that you really ought to be with others when you venture into the wilderness. Unless your an expert outdoorsmen/women, you shouldn't be alone and unprepared. Sadly, this is not the way most people understand the risks involved. Here are some simple safety tips:


http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/docs/pc/guide/nature/nature07.aspx

Shawn :smile:


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

If I may repost this from another forum...otherwise I wish we could give it a rest.

Peace, Mooh.

_Taylor's manager Lisa Weitz has just forwarded to Maplepost this extremely thoughtful message from Emily's mom:

On behalf of my family, I want to express my deepest thanks for the outpouring of condolences and support from Taylor's friends and fans, near and far. My thanks to the hikers who called 911, the RCMP officer who first arrived on the scene and did his utmost to help her, as well as the incredible doctors and nurses at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax who tried desperately to save her. I wish to also thank RCMP's Victims Services, and the Atlantica Hotel who've gone out of their way to support us during this difficult time.

There are no words to describe my grief. Taylor was my shining light, my baby, my confidante and best friend. My world is turned upside down and forever transformed without her. I don't know how to move forward from here but I know that she would want that for me and I will try to do that in her memory and celebrate her life in the way she lived it-- with passion, commitment and an unbridled loving heart.

I've noticed that the media have often mentioned that Taylor was hiking alone when the coyote attack occurred. I want people to know that Taylor was a seasoned naturalist and well versed in wilderness camping. She loved the woods and had a deep affinity for their beauty and serenity. Tragically it was her time to be taken from us so soon.

We take a calculated risk when spending time in nature's fold-- it's the wildlife's terrain. When the decision had been made to kill the pack of coyotes, I clearly heard Taylor's voice say, "please don't, this is their space". She wouldn't have wanted their demise, especially as a result of her own. She was passionate about animals, was an environmentalist, and was also planning to volunteer at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in the coming months.

Her loss is an incomprehensible tragedy on so many levels-- but everybody's messages of love and support and desire to keep her memory and music alive will help me to move forward and honour her short but full and vibrant life.

There will be a service and visitation, as well as a concert to celebrate her life and music.

Details will be finalized in the coming days.

With love and deep appreciation,

Emily Mitchell 



_


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...thanks for posting this.

on the cbc site, there are tons of manly, gun-happy types wallowing in their "shoot to kill" fantasies.

-dh




Mooh said:


> If I may repost this from another forum...otherwise I wish we could give it a rest.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.
> 
> ...


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