Yesterday, wet canid tracks along the Salt Marsh Trail should have been a clue that a coyote was in the area. It was too early in the morning for anyone to have been out walking a dog. Isn’t it strange how previously overlooked details become obvious once you’re able to identify an animal in an area? Today, just moments after I read a sign saying that coyotes were among the mammals sighted occasionally in the salt marsh, one ran onto the trail. He was fast. Quickly, he ran down into the marsh area near the woods.
If you want to follow a predator, follow the crows. I did and soon saw him in a clearing. He pounced on something and then seemed to crouch down. The crows continued with their harassment. Moments later, he was gone, deeper into the woods.
I’ve spotted coyotes in the past crossing Bissett Road but it’s been years since I’ve seen one. They are long legged with beautiful tails. Their fur is beige with black. They’re opportunists that will eat whatever they can find… which is one reason why I’ve always kept my cat indoors. But knowing they are still living nearby makes the woods and the marsh suddenly seem more mysterious.
Coyote in Salt Marsh Grasses
May 27, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I know they are around here where I live in NH but I haven’t seen any. Did you just do that drawing? I like the photo too.
May 27, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Coyotes are fairly common in northern Michigan, too. They have even been known to sing along – perhaps yip along is more accurate – with the musicians at Stone Circle. They’re clever, persistent predators, and I admire them very much. I don’t trust them, though, and neither does Miss Puss. She and the Disreputable Duo know that wild always wins.
May 28, 2009 at 8:16 am
Just like foxes, they are elusive creatures seashellsbymillhill. You never know when you’ll see one though.
I made a quick pencil sketch of a coyote since I didn’t think the photo gave a clear enough view.
Gerry, they seem to be quite comfortable making their home in a number of environments. They made their way into our ecosystem with the disappearance of wolves. I haven’t heard them howl and feel that I am really missing something. I love what you wrote, that ‘wild always wins.’
May 28, 2009 at 10:30 am
Hi Ms. flandrumhill this morning! We hear the coyotes yip and howl in the evenings, but very very rarely do we ever see them. And if we see them, sometimes they have “mange” or that disease where their fur is all matted. It’s sad.
We had a dog once which looked suspiciously half-coyote. We never knew if that was true and my grandmother was beside herself that we kept the dog, not knowing. Someone tried to pitchfork it. We spent hundreds at the vet getting the dog fixed. A gentle dog who sometimes howled half-crazy at the moon. PS. love your drawing! You have some talent, lady.
May 28, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Yeah – what Kathy said – your drawings are lovely! During mud season, I was out walking my “pack” and ran into a friend who was all upset because he thought he had seen wolf tracks in the area and “it must’ve been a huge wolf by the size of the tracks!” Just about then, my very big black lab walked out of the woods and the mystery of the wolf prints was solved!
May 29, 2009 at 8:44 am
Kathy, I’ve never seen a mangy mammal, but I know that disease often makes wild animals lose their natural fear of people. I’d stay away from any wild creature that wasn’t wary of humans.
We used to have a dog that was part wolf. Your grandmother certainly would not have approved. He looked intimidating but was very social and extremely protective of our kids and our neighbors’ kids. However, his desire to roam was always a problem. He’d often run into the woods where his collar would sometimes get caught on a tree limb in the bog or he’d engage with porcupines. It was hard for him to ignore the ‘call of the wild.’ I’m guessing that a dog that was part coyote would be quite similar. As Gerry wrote, ‘wild always wins.’
Cindy Lou, it’s amazing how many people will suspect a wolf before they’ll suspect a dog of making large prints in the woods. Nothing’s wilder than our human imagination.
Glad you both liked the drawing.