Monday, February 1, 2010

Tuesdays' Show and Tail - Wyle E Coyote

It's time for Tuesdays' Show & Tail' over at Angela's West Virginia Treasures! If you have a story and picture of wild life, a pet, or any furry (or non-furry) friend, you are welcome to join in! Check her blog for the rules, post away - and thanks, Angela, for hosting!
Living in the woods presents wonderful opportunities for sights and sounds that just are not available to the city folk. At night coyotes are prowling, playing, and searching for food, and oftentimes can be heard in the distance, howling at the moon.

I saw my first live coyote when living in Illinois. It was roaming about in daylight, on the side of the road, and quickly trotted across a plowed field when I slowed my car to get a better look. At first glance its appearance was similar to a German Shepherd dog, but as I got closer, I could see it was not a dog at all. It looked rather gaunt and rangy, ribs showing, and it carried its tail lower than its body as it took off. Because it was out at daylight alarmed me, because I thought they were only out at night. The fact is, they are active both day and night, but their peak activities occur in the evening and nightfall.
Coyotes live about 6 to 8 years in the wild, and can live longer in zoo habitats. If starvation and disease doesn't get them, hunters will. They are considered a pest, and there are men that advertise for hunting locations, and offer to kill coyotes if you will allow them access to your property. Coyotes eat almost anything, and have no problem consuming berries, mice, rabbits, garbage, pet foods, insects, and smaller livestock, like sheep, calves, and poultry. They will also go after unattended dogs and cats, so if you have pets, keep an eye on them!

11 comments:

Angela said...

I have heard that there are coyotes around where I live but I haven't ever seen one. I have also heard neighbor's talk that it was either a coyote or a bob cat that got one of their baby cows. And you know we have talked about Two looking like a coyote! lol She doesn't look like the ones in your pictures though but it does scare me that she might get mistaken for a coyote when she is in her own yard!

Great post today! Thanks for joining in!

Tuesdays' Show & Tail!
Angela

Chatty Crone said...

This was right near your house? Awesome. Is doesn't have rabies does it, being up in the day time? You get the neatest pictures. Sandie

Carmen S. said...

I have never seen one but supposedly there are some around and even in the woods behind our house, good thing my bunnies are HOUSE rabbits:)

Sherrie said...

Hi!
My hubby has saw a few around here, but they were in a preservation, that is wild and run by the state. Great pictures. Have a great day!

Sherrie
A View of My Life

Michelle @ Delicate Construction said...

That is for sure why all my animals live indoors- even the cats!!! Oy I would never have someone go kill one- they are gorgeous, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be scared to death if was in my backyard lol. Thanks for sharing!

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

They are all over now...their range is increasing...I do them no harm, but give them quite a wide berth when I can. I see them all the time out here...feel sorry for them, because it sure must be hard to find much to eat or drink in this wasteland.

Jayme Goffin, The Coop Keeper said...

Every night we hear the coyotes howling around here. It's rather spooky! I've yet to see one though. We just got one of those whopper eggs yesterday. I can't stop looking at it or holding it, it's so fun and crazy!

Chatty Crone said...

Just saw that picture of the coyote standing there howling again - what a strong centered creature he is. sandie

Old Time Cindy said...

I've only seen a coyote once and that was while I was driving. I did a double take to be sure and it definitely was not a dog.
Cindy at Lakewood

Troy said...

I love to lay awake at night in the spring and fall, when the windows are open, and listen to the coyotes howling in the wildlife preserve across the street.

I have seen them from time to time, usually alone, but one night in Denver, I saw a pack of about 20 of them walking down the middle of the street at about 3 AM.

It was very creepy and surreal to see so many of them together, in the middle of a major city.

ocmist said...

Your pics are of some beautifully healthy coyotes! The ones we USUALLY see are much thinner and ratty looking... but I guess a lot of it is the time of year, too. Like after this amount of rain that we've had around here, there will be a lot of green growth and that means a lot of healthy small animals, which works up the line to healthy coyotes.

We have a LOT of them around here all the time since we live out away from everyone. THAT is why our fences for our yard are 5-8 ft. tall and part is electrified. I also don't take the corgis out after dusk very often, and keep them very close to me if I do.

Another reason we don't have cats!

They are often just outside of our fence howling at night and ticking off our dogs... like teasing them!