"Canis latrans".
I have always appreciated my furry brother everytime I catch a glimpse of him. Working in the prairie I've watched him..watching me, from a good distance. He's wary. He's cunning. He's a survivor.
In the 100 degree heat we get to break for water. He has to constantly move looking for the next dried up mud hole.
In the freezing drizzle, we get to hop in the truck and warm up. He has to curl up, with only the fur on his backside to keep him from the north wind.
We get to head home and have a good meal. He scours the tallgrass for grasshoppers and field mice.
With the encroachment of humans, wolf numbers decrease with diminishing range. The Wiley Coyote's numbers flourish, even in populated areas. I know I've heard stories, but until I see it with my own eyes, I don't believe a coyote will take down a healthy animal larger than themselves. Rabbits, yes. Cattle, no. They do eat carrion (yum). They'll eat just about any morsel that doesn't hurt to chew. I've even seen them eating dirt.
I have never seen them run in packs larger than 3, and that's rare. Probably mates and pups if you see more than one. Usually it's a lone creature, ears up, watching. A most noble creature at home with his environment; and like I said, a survivor.
Check out this amazing story:
One Tough Coyote
Hit by a car at 75mph, embedded in the fender, road for 600 miles -and SURVIVED! When a brother and sister struck a coyote at 75mphthey assumed they had killed the animal and drove on. They didn't realize this was the toughest creature ever to survive a hit-and-run. Eight hours, two fuel stops, and 600 miles later they found the wild animal embedded in their front fender - and very much alive.
Daniel and Tevyn East were driving at night along Interstate 80 near the Nevada-Utah border when they noticed a pack of coyotes near the roadside. When one of the animals ran in front of the car,the impact sounded fatal so the siblings thought there no point in stopping. "Right off the bat, we knew it was bad," Daniel explained. "We thought the story was over."
After the incident around 1am, they continued their 600 mile drive to North San Juan - even stopping for fuel at least twice. But it was only when they finally reached their destination at 9am did they take time to examine what damage they may have sustained.
"We knew it was bad":
Tevyn East, who was in the car when it hit the coyote, bends down to
take a look at the fur poking through the fender.
Fur Pete's sake:
What Mr. East spotted as he bent down to inspect the damage to his car -
the body of the coyote poking out through the radiator.
Wily coyote:
The animal's head can be seen as rescuers took apart the front
fender to save it after it was struck by the car at 75mph.
Miracle escape:
As the animal struggled, wildlife protection officials put a loop
around its neck to prevent it from further injuring itself.
The front of the car is completely taken apart as the coyote
begins to wriggle free. And voila!
"Tricky", the toughest coyote ever, rests in a cage after its ordeal -
which it survived with just some scrapes to its paw.
Wow now that is an amazing story of survival!! :-O :hi5:
I wonder what they did with him afterwards? He's too lucky to just send him back on his merry way. 😐
Damn, now how am I gonna get back to my wife and kids.....
I am seeing (and hearing) them, more and more.
EVERY job site now has at least one. And I find their dens all over the place.
> I have never seen them run in packs larger than 3, and that's rare. Probably mates and pups if you see more than one. Usually it's a lone creature, ears up, watching. A most noble creature at home with his environment; and like I said, a survivor.
>
The lone male is usually what people see, running away, looking back at you.
But just 6 or 7 years ago we were working a big project right on the edge of the Green Swamp, and they were everywhere. I found one of their "hang outs" in the orange grove and was able to sneak up on the whole pack, about 12-15 of them. It's funny but when their all together you can really notice the differences in their color and coat. Not 2 were exactly identical.
You can hear them calling to each other at night (especially when I'm out camping) and then they all get together and yip.
I didn't give them much thought, except for our pets and livestock, but I just a 60 minutes, or 20/20, whatever, about 2 coyotes that killed a hiker.
That does it, game on. Not one will survive an encounter with me, if I have my way.
:dog:
Is what he said, after he was extracted from the car...
Angel
If I had the opportunity, I'd drive him right back to the spot he got hit and let him loose with a bucket-o-fried chicken. Maybe I'd hum "Born Free" (sniff) or somethin' as I watched him lope off.
I bet he'd stop at the top of the ridge and look back at me and wink.
I know I've heard stories, but until I see it with my own eyes, I don't believe a coyote will take down a healthy animal larger than themselves. Rabbits, yes. Cattle, no.
They will kill small calves, I've seen the aftermath. Probably takes 3 or 4 to fight off the mama cow while they do it.
There is a blog called The Daily Coyote, run by a young lady who lives in the middle of nowhere on a ranch with the usual horses and cattle, plus a tomcat, dog, and coyote. She raised the coyote from when he was only ten days old. She posts new pictures every day, showing Charley's antics. The three animals live in the house with her when they aren't off roaming. The tomcat is the alpha animal and the coyote adores the cat.
> "Canis latrans".
>I know I've heard stories, but until I see it with my own eyes, I don't believe a >coyote will take down a healthy animal larger than themselves. Rabbits, yes. Cattle, no.
>
Don't bee so sure.
Late Winter/early Spring 1962. 5 miles south and 2 West of Texline, TX. Calving season.
Coyotes caught a healthy cow with a calf half in/out during the birth process.
Results: 1 dead calf & 1 dead cow.
Most old time ranchers have lost some cows and calves to coyotes.
The Other American Coyote
I see them all the time. Odd little critters but they do deserve some respect.
The other side of the story about coyotes is not so respectfull. It seems that the AZ Game & Fish consider them pests. It seems that the antelope herd is more important than the predators. Thus they formed a group of hunting enthusiasts to reduce the coyote population via an annual hunt. Which ever team kills the most predators, which include coyotes, bobcat, mountain lions, wins a prize. Plus they get their picture in the paper and look more macho in their camo garb with their "kill" at their feet.
I never heard about this kind of stuff until I moved here. But it is what they do.
This is March the 23rd Annual Antelope Eaters Hunt coming to a town near you. Still time to enroll
Angel- Don't look at this picture
here's what the coyotes left in my yard 2 weeks ago.
https://surveyorconnect.com/images/uploaded/201202171812504f3e98a2ead9d.jp g">Don't look if you're squeamish
I thought about taking the hind quarters as it looked fresh, but decided against it.
Angel- Don't look at this picture
Likely a good call to skip those venison steaks, but tempting, eh. Too bad it wasn't a nice buck - you'd at least got a coat rack. Most of the recently half eaten deer I've run across had an arrow in them somewhere. Those folks need to learn how to shoot before they pull the trigger. Those 'yotes just had a good dinner on that wounded roadkill.
Then again, deer are also a pest in many areas. Open season for farmers. At least deer won't eat your cat, but they do run in front of your car on the way to eat your crops. Plus they taste good.
Whereas the coyote only contributes to the food chain in his own wiley way, and makes for a nice fur wrap upon their demise. Never heard of anybody eating one. The folks around here just shoot them and leave them lay to give the birds something to eat. Kinda wierd IMO.
Angel
> If I had the opportunity, I'd drive him right back to the spot he got hit and let him loose with a bucket-o-fried chicken. Maybe I'd hum "Born Free" (sniff) or somethin' as I watched him lope off.
>
> I bet he'd stop at the top of the ridge and look back at me and wink.
you're a good man, charlie brown.
kharma is happy.
murphy is not.
Will a .17 Remington take them down?
Or do you have to go up to a .22 centerfire?
carnivorous vulgaris - in action
Okay, I've shown this action picture before in a post, but if you didn't see it, this thread seemed appropos. this coyote was chasing his favorite delicacy (the Accelleratii Incredibus) at the time. (I don't know that he ever caught him though).
The Prey:
Angel- Don't look at this picture
> here's what the coyotes left in my yard 2 weeks ago.
>
There are those that will be grossed out by the image Perry displayed. However, long before 'we' reputedly civilized things, critters were eating other critters to exist. How is this any different than chowing down at a steak or burger house? Just a bit more graphic, but really the same thing.
Ken
Coyotes are a superior predator and I have some respect for them, but they are hell on the deer population. Our hunting camp has a shoot on sight policy with them. If you see one and don't kill it you better not talk about because you will be the goat of camp. We have seen a marked decline in double fawned does in the last 5 years. You normally see 1 fawn per doe now. The coyote has no natural predator here.
> Coyotes are a superior predator and I have some respect for them, but they are hell on the deer population. Our hunting camp has a shoot on sight policy with them. If you see one and don't kill it you better not talk about because you will be the goat of camp. We have seen a marked decline in double fawned does in the last 5 years. You normally see 1 fawn per doe now. The coyote has no natural predator here.
My neighbor usually has a half dozen coyotes hanging in his shed this time of year.
So the barn is their coyote cave of sorts. They just be hanging. 🙂
