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Read Thread: Did I see a coyote this morning?

Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Dec 4, 2006 6:25pm
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On my way to work I saw an animal cross I-70 in Indiana (Henry County, I think). From a fair distance I thought it was going to be a dog, but as I got closer I could see it definitely was not a dog. I've never seen a wolf up close. It was a mangy in color and didn't look very strong, like I visioned wolves to be.

Guess I better google images of both, huh?

speedsquare
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54997 by speedsquare
Dec 4, 2006 6:26pm
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Coyote?
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54999 by Ish
Dec 4, 2006 6:29pm
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Quote Coyote?


That was my thought, too. They can look like a scraggly, malnourished wolf sometimes. <g>

DebBee
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54999 by Ish
Dec 4, 2006 6:30pm
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I saw two at an urban park smack in the middle of Houston one cool morning a month or so ago. I thought it was two German shepherds, but then realized what it had to be. Like you, I came home and googled images.

They definitely are moving into more urban areas, and their range is expanding eastward.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0806_020806_coyote.html

Dewberry
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55003 by dewberry
Dec 4, 2006 6:40pm
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Coyotes were native to Indiana a long time ago according to the DNR page I read.
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54997 by speedsquare
Dec 4, 2006 6:42pm
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It could easily have been a coyote. There are parts of Asheville, NC, where they are so common that people don't dare put pets out at night.

Unfortunately the urban coyote also tends to be fairly bold, at least around here, so watch out.

Knit Wit
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55003 by dewberry
Dec 4, 2006 7:10pm
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Quote They definitely are moving into more urban areas, and their range is expanding eastward.


I dunno where you are, but the range of the coyote includes the entire continental US. For their range to expand eastward, they'd have to become aquatic.
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55012 by Kirbert
Dec 4, 2006 7:13pm
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hee hee hee

new dangers in the ocean: coyotes not sharks attack unexpected swimmers...

boy I need a nap!
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55003 by dewberry
Dec 4, 2006 7:15pm
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We've got a coyote that lives in the woods behind our house (Northern VA on the outskirts of DC). He's made several appearances the past several weeks--especially dawn and dusk--and has even picked some 'friendly fights' with a Black Lab in the neighborhood. Not sure if he'd be so 'friendly' with the littler dogs and rodents in the area, though. He looks like a mix between a German Shepherd and a Husky--although his coloring is more like the German Shepherd in this instance. We had coyotes in WA, too, and the one we routinely saw in our neighborhood while running was smaller, mangier and lighter colored. I've also seen them around Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Mojave Desert area of Southern CA. In the SW they were often extremely skinny and mangy (however you spell that). What I've noticed in every case though is that they've been much more afraid of us than we were of them--not sure if that's always the case as far as humans go. One of the nature guidebooks said that most coyotes nowadays are a cross-breed between coyotes and timberwolves--which may explain why they appear to look like Huskies occasionally.

daelphinus
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54999 by Ish
Dec 4, 2006 7:32pm
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Quote Coyote?


I've seen quite a few in my area of the 'woods', the latest was two days ago.. two rather large (the smaller of the two was the same size as my 60 pound shepard) 'strolling' through the neighbors yard. Both were rather healthy looking (Obviously well fed on the area wildlife) & at first I thought it was a 'local' shepard. The the 4 dogs in our fenced yard didn't seem to phase them at all!
They are not nocturnal and are 'curious' animals, but normally they are not interested animals of the same size and/or adult humans. Once walking my dog we ran into one 'face to face', needless to say my dog would not 'turn her back' to him and walk away. After a few tense moments I made my dog 'sit' and held my ground. The coyote turned and went along on his daily routine.

Wildlife in suburban areas? yes... suburban areas invading habitat? unfortunately yes...
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55017 by daelphinus
Dec 4, 2006 7:41pm
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As soon as we got back to Kernville this afternoon we filled up the bird feeders and within 20 minutes we had two does and two yearlings chowing down on the birdseed. Usually we get a chance two see our local bobcat once or twice per week. He is a really big guy and even though he hates our Brittany barking at him, he takes his time knowing he is the toughest guy in the neighborhood, and just saunters down the hill.
Coyotes , we have our share. Unfortunately some idiot that lives about 1 mile away puts food out for them and that makes for very prolific breeding coyotes.
The best part of Kernville is the animal wildlife, and fortunately there is less human wildlife than in the city.

Don
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54997 by speedsquare
Dec 4, 2006 8:36pm
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A coyote seems likely. They do look like a mangy, scrawny dog. We see them regularly here on our farm in N. Illinois and hear them often. I have also seen deer, wild turkeys, pheasant, fox, weasels, and many others. And one evening last Spring we watched a mother skunk and four babies play wrestling in our back yard!
S
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55052 by Nitrocat
Dec 4, 2006 8:54pm
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My hubby has seen them on our road, and says the same. He thought it was a dirty stray til he got closer to it.

We live outside the city limits, so we see deer, foxes....I took pictures of the nosey ( ist, est?) possum I have ever seen! He came up on our backporch and was looking in the french doors, then walked around, sniffing, in the backyard for a good 20 minutes!

I've also been surprised by a little skunk standing on our front porch one morning, while I was trying to let our dog out! Thank goodness we surprised each other, or that would have been NASTY!!! :p

Sorry, I think I'm starting to stay from the original thread!

moonshowr~~ who tends to do that alot
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #54997 by speedsquare
Dec 4, 2006 9:49pm
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I'm trying to picture the color "mangy."

Quote It was a mangy in color and didn't look very strong, like I visioned wolves to be.


I think it is an honor to see an animal like this. Coyotes aren't popular, for all the reasons that they are successful. They're smart and adaptable, and have found a way to live around humans. Raccoons are unpopular for all the same reasons.

Lisascenic
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55063 by lisascenic
Dec 4, 2006 10:50pm
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Quote for all the reasons that they are successful


And they catch the farmers livestock,small animals mostly.

Shiloh
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55029 by Don and Gwen
Dec 4, 2006 11:02pm
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Quote Usually we get a chance two see our local bobcat once or twice per week.


Our german sheppard tree'd a bobcat a month ago. I was outside working in the yard, and the dog was barking in the outback/ wooded area about 150 to 200 feet away (still our yard) I went to see what he was barking at and well looked up to find a bobcat in a tree. My dog was sooo proud of himself. I decided that it was time for us to go inside and let the "kitty" move on his way.

A week later my hubby and I watched a coyote trot threw our back yard. How fun to watch the wild life from your own home windows.

Mystic Dreamer
who would love it if her sheppard did not feel the need to bark and chase every deer, racoon, squirrl and any thing else he sees moving in the night.
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55074 by shiloh
Dec 5, 2006 6:22am
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Yeah, from what I read farmers might like to have a coyote around the farm as long as it doesn't feed on the chickens and little lambs; some don't bother them. They help keep the rat population in check.

Incidentally the area where the "coyote" crossed is very agricultural. I also read where coyotes come out in early December to find their mates. Also learned they pair for life. And learned some other interesting facts.

speedsquare
Re: Did I see a coyote this morning?
Board: Critter Corner
Reply to: #55076 by Mystic Dreamer
Dec 5, 2006 7:44am
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Our german sheppard tree'd a bobcat a month ago.

This reminded me of one Christmas Day when I was a kid. My parents have a huge kitchen window overlooking about a half acre of land. There was an area where the plow had created a corner basically and we had let the dog out a little earlier while we opened presents. We heard some barking and looked out to see that our dog had cornered a large doe into the plowed in area. She was trying desperately to get out but wouldn't just leap the snow piles (and they weren't that big) and the dog was having the time of his life chasing her back and forth! We called the dog up to the house and the deer took off running. I've never seen anything like that since.

moonduck