Coyote Encounters

Coyotes have always been around the property, some years more than others. Mostly we see fleeting glimpses as they disappear into the woods. When we had the ducks, they and the Bobcat were constantly trying to grab a duck. There is a den in the woods about 50 yards east of the house. Most years it is active. Back when the fire station was manned by volunteers, they would blow a siren to call the fire fighters. The siren would set the pups to howling every time (our way of knowing the den was active). Now only a passing police car or fire truck causes the pups to howl. But the short duration of those sirens does not set them off as often or completely as the old firehouse siren did.

Coyote Pup - 1995 ~ by Griz ~
I rented a trencher and dug several thousand feet of 6-8" wide 3-4' deep trench around the place. I ran water and power lines between all my buildings, and installed a system of French drains designed to collect ground water coming downhill from the tree farm and dump it in the creek. (During the wet season the underground channels can't handle the volume and it starts flowing across the surface). One night we heard the most god-awful squealing, yipping and downright crying coming from up behind the shop I was building. We decided it was a pack of coyotes taking down a deer or some other prey. It went on for almost an hour then abruptly stopped. Next morning I went up to see what I could find. From the tracks it was very obvious that a coyote pup had fallen into the trench I had dug between the shop and the pump house. The loose dirt all around the center section of trench was tramped down by overlapping coyote tracks (about 50-50 adult-pup). In the trench I could see where the trapped pup had tried to climb out and dig himself out at several points. There were also two very deep "cuts" in the side of the trench where someone had been digging from above. A single set of tracks went down the trench to the shop and up the ramped end.

Charlie - 2011 ~ by Griz ~
2011 was a bumper year for rabbits, especially after the cats died. Dart loved to snack on baby bunny and even shared with Dodge (his mom). When he found a new nest he would take one-a-day till they were gone, then go find another nest. Within a month of abandoning the "Pee Line", I saw Charlie hunting rabbit in the yard. She would show up every day or so and soon - when I went out on the porch to say Hi - she just looked at me for a while before continuing the hunt. A healthy, beautiful wild animal doing her thing.

I was sitting in my easy chair having lunch one afternoon when I saw Charlie across the driveway acting very nervous. Then I saw the 4 half-grown pups she was watching over. I wanted to get the camera but she was obviously uneasy and I did not want to kill the moment. As I watched the pups play, I became aware of another large coyote off to the side, sitting quietly at the very edge of the forest watching me. I sat very still, only moving my eyes. It was the male and he was magnificent, He sat very tall and straight, slim of build, with a large brilliant white "mane" flowing from under his chin to his lower belly. Then I forgot and moved my head very slightly toward him. He made a sound (being inside there was no way for me to hear it, but I could see the chest, neck and mouth make a grunt like vocalization). Instantly, all 4 pups scrambled into the woods. He stood up - he was at least 6 inches taller than Charlie - and calmly followed the pups with a powerful, all-muscle demeanor. Charlie stayed as I grabbed the camera and went out on the porch to say Hi. With the pups safe she was now relaxed and actually moved toward me a bit as she probed the Ivy. Then I saw the male sitting just inside the trees watching me again. I got one picture before he realized I could see him and moved out of view.

I never saw the male again but I often saw Charlie hunting rabbit. A month later she wandered through the yard, followed in a few minutes by a pup who took the same path she had taken, then the other 3 pups each did the same at 2-minute intervals. I noted that each pup, in-turn, stopped and sniffed exactly the same spots that Charlie had sniffed on her trip though.

Did you know that coyotes eat berries? I've seen Charlie eat both salal and salmon berries. I don't mean she ate a berry or two. When she was in the mood she would take 30 minutes or so to meticulously clean out a large patch of salal berries. Maybe a pound or more berries in a single session. Below is Charlie eating Salal berries and a Nov 2011 shot of her in winter coat.

Dec 2011 was the last time I saw Charlie; she was trudging through the snow in her heavy dark winter coat. I believe someone (probably more than one) is killing the coyotes. The rabbits were abundant again this year, but it's now Dec 2012 and the only coyote I've seen all year is one skinny ragged yearling.

Grey - 2022 ~ by Griz ~
This spring I have seen very few deer, infact, I've only seen 2 in months. First spring in 28 years I’ve been on Acres North that I have not seen a single fawn.

2 young coyotes are hanging around (maybe a pair of siblings hanging out together as they learn to make their way in the world). One is very shy, but I'm developing a relationship with other. I see them coming from the north. At the fuel tank one always turns off into the woods, to emerge 50 yards south of me, while the other (Grey) trots on down the drive, When I step out on the porch, give a wave and say ”how you doing”, I get the slightest of nods then either Grey continues trotting or I get a brief “lock eyes”, before continuing. Only once were we eye locked for more than 20 seconds. After getting a lot better look at Grey I can see that she is an adult (younger and smaller than Charlie was) but not a yearling. Because Charlie was female and accepting of me and her mate was most definitely not accepting of me, I’m going to assume Grey is female (until proven otherwise) and the one that wants nothing to do with me is her mate. I found this on the edge of the driveway up by the shop.

I do not assume that the coyotes ate all this year’s fawns. Any Doe with fawns “worth her salt” would have vacated an area containing coyotes. I assume that the coyotes have moved in to stay, with den very close at hand. And I bet they have done a good job of marking their territory with a very strong pee-line. I know that works on deer and lots of other critters. Remember the Griz Pee-Line. I’m shocked by the change. I miss my deer. They were dependable, interesting, entertaining friends. I loved watching the fawns grow up. Learning new things, including what an electric fence is. Ouasha “learned” about my electric fence 2 weeks ago. My bad for not thinking about telling her beforehand. But firsthand experience without permanent damage is an effective way to learn.

After the girls (Allie, Ouasha & Iko) left here the 2nd time (Sun 8/7) I did not see any coyotes for 3 days but I knew they were around cause my security lights were popping on and off all over the place when I was out for a cig after dark. Then on Wed afternoon from inside I saw Grey up on the easement nose down scanning for ?. She worked her way north until right across from me, where she laid down for a while, then sat up and did a big right-side scratch, then down again (but always scanning her surroundings with ears and eyes). Then sit up for big left-side scratch. Down again, then up for an aggressive dig with front teeth for flea or ?. Then down for a few minutes. Then up for a lengthy fur comb which included spitting out clumps of fur. The whole thing took 20 – 30 mins. Several times she would look at me - standing in the window - as if to say “are you coming out?”. But I decided to play hard to get and did not go out on the porch.

Afternoon Fri 8/12, I went out to have a cig and Grey was off to my right on the easement sweeping for field voles. She worked her way north, snapped up something and plopped down in the same spot as she did on Wednesday to chew and swallow. She hung around for about 15 mins. Several times she started to scratch or root out a flea but each time would stop, glance my direction then continue scanning for threats. It was as if personal hygiene was suddenly a little too intimate for my presence. These 2 short videos are of that visit.

Sat Night 8/13 I was out on the porch in the dark (no lights anywhere) when the house corner light came on. There was Grey, entering the protective cone of the light, 30 ft from me. She looked my direction then walked slowly up between the tree and the Ivy scanning. She snatched up a big slug, chewed 3 times and swallowed. She picked up 3 more slugs before turning around the tree out of sight.
Note: I learned from Charlie that coyotes eat lots of berries. Now I know they also eat lots of slugs. I don’t know why that surprised me (makes sense) but it did. It also may explain why the coyotes seem to deliberately trip my security lights (easier to find slugs). Whereas deer tend to avoid the lights, only occasionally tripping one. In the past, on full moon, I have seen 8-10 deer wandering around the place feeding and not a single light tripped.

Fall 2022
A few times I have glimpsed almost full-grown pups darting out of view. But Grey continues to "visit" at least once a week. She's very comfortable approaching within 20 feet when I'm out on the porch talking to her. The other night I went out on the porch to have a cig. It was pitch black; I was facing north when the house corner light came on reveling Gray standing up from sitting position exactly in the center of the light motion detection zone. She had been sitting perfectly still so light had went out. She looked directly at me and I 'heard' her say "Well it's about time, I've been waiting for you". After a long 30 second eye-lock, she moved north at a slow trot. When she turned east (out of view) around the big cedar, the woodie light came on. I thought "that was bizarre". 5 seconds after she disappeared, a young coyote walked up out of the woods through the woodie light and disappeared behind the tree. 5 seconds more and a second young coyote did the same. Then a third, then the male (who glanced my direction). soon security lights were popping on all over the place north of the house (9 lights). I watched the lights come on, go out and come on again for 15 mins (never saw a coyote). That was the last time I saw Grey, her mate or the kids and the lack of nightly security light trips, comfirms they have moved on.