I saw a photo of a coyote (Canis latrans) on Stephen Barnard’s Facebook page, and asked him if I could use it. He said yes, but told me that I may have published one or more of these several years ago. So be it; I don’t remember, and I bet most readers either don’t or have come aboard since then. Stephen’s notes:
I’m pretty sure you’ve posted my coyote photos from three years ago. It was a winter of a vole population explosion and the coyotes were numerous and well fed. She was enamored of Deets — tried to get him to play and generally fool around — but she never crossed the creek, to my relief.
Anyway, here are some photos of her three years ago, across the creek, flirting with my Border Collie.
One request for any readers: No comments, please, about how dangerous coyotes are to dogs. I’m much more worried about mountain lions.
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I love coyotes. They are charming and beautiful. Sure, like any canid, including our pet dogs, they can be dangerous, but humans are more dangerous and far less charming! I’ve had two quite unnerving interactions with coyotes but that doesn’t alter my opinion of them in the slightest and I’ve had so many scary interactions with humans that I lost track, so which one is the “vermin”?! I know which one I’d rather have singing and cavorting in my back yard at night. Lovely photos as always.
I guess the only possible danger from a coyote is rabies. Is there any rabies among coyotes?
The only rabies vector I’ve seen reported around here is bats.
I live in Missouri and according to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation our most common sources of rabies are bats at 1% (though of undisclosed species) and skunks, but of “variable percentage”. So overall, I’m not much worried. The tweakers and drunks are far more dangerous, and come to think of it, them plus the cell phone-distracted drivers and our idiot politicians are the most concerning varmits.
The real question is how dangerous is man to coyote?
Cars and other humans are much more dangerous!
The car is only the instrument. Humans drive the cars.
In Yellowstone last summer we watched a coyote hunting just 100 feet off the roadway. I was enthralled by the beautiful animal. Later, driving outside the park, I saw a house with 6 or 7 coyote skins nailed out to dry on the porch. Humans are wierd.
In Fargo a population of coyotes lives in the band of woods along the Red river. I’ve only seen one in the daylight. However, before sunrise (and humans arising) they can be seen allover town. Love them.
A beautiful animal!
Gorgeous shots!
“She was enamoured of Deets..” — adorable.
One of the greatest pleasures of summer, here in the wilds of Ontario, is hearing the coyotes yipping and howling on a warm summer’s night. Gives me goose bumps.
There have been a spate of mountain lion sightings and encounters around here lately.
Cougars are not uncommon here in south B.C.A sighting brings a major alert. They are a threat not only to small animals but small children.
Beautiful animal!
A brief news article reported a pair of coyotes drinking beer in the Ballard community toward the north end of Seattle. They were in someones back yard drinking beer from dishes set out as traps for slugs/snails.
A few years ago I was hiking with a friend and her two dogs in northern Nevada. We had heard coyotes at dawn. One came out of the pinion-juniper forest and seemed to be attempting to draw one of the dogs into the woods. My friend said she had seen coyotes trying to lure her dogs before but seemed more intent on attacking when one of the dogs drew close. We scared the coyote away and one other followed it.
For the first time the name and email entries did not auto fill for me.
We have many coyotes around us and see them frequently. We lost two cats to coyotes a few years back. And people with small dogs have lost pets too. We have a fenced yard and big dogs so no problem for us.
A few years ago we had a wolf hybrid named Osiris who was 75% wolf and 25% malamute. He was a about 100 lbs. and a very sweet dog. As we walked along there was a coyote standing in the middle of the street howling. Osiris stopped and turned around and started pulling me in the direction away from the coyote. I always wondered what that coyote was saying that freaked out a wolf.
There is a significant population in New York (and I suspect elsewhere) of wolf-dog hybrids. I once saw one (I think) run across our yard.
Can confirm and agree with Stephen Barnard’s comment on dogs and ‘yotes. I live in Arizona with 3 Great Danes. We have coyotes and javalena everywhere but only care about the Mountain Lions in the ‘hood. The 450lb of dogs would probably want to play with one but we’ve not been (nor are seeking) opportunities for such.