"TAKE A SNOW DAY" - Coyote

December 10, 2024  •  Leave a Comment

"TAKE A SNOW DAY"

Coyote - 7 Photos

 

 

WARNING: Some individuals may find the following content disturbing.

 

PLEASE NOTE ALL PHOTOS WERE TAKEN FROM A SAFE DISTANCE & LOCATION USING A 900 MM LENS EQUIVALENT.

 

When humans take a snow day, it generally means taking a day off from work or school because of heavy snow conditions.

 

When a snow day presents itself to a coyote, it's a day to take advantage of the conditions in the pursuit of food, whether that be solo or with other family members.

 

I saw the first coyote on my initial foray into the meadow. In fact, we actually arrived at the same time just by different routes. And it was a quick stage right for the coyote as he/she acknowledged my presence (Photo #1)

 

So I sat down on a fallen tree, in hopes that the coyote (or any coyote would return). Well no coyote returned to that area but eventually I saw not one but two coyotes coming down from the back ridge. And then I noticed a large number of magpies heading in the same direction. I like to call magpies my "CI's" or my Confidential Informants. When a large number gather and become excited, it can mean there is a predator like an owl or a weasel in the vicinity or even a coyote who has caught a meal and the magpies want a share.

 

So I trekked back to where I had seen the coyotes heading and there in the far part of the meadow, close to the ridge, hidden in the grasses were four coyotes standing over a dead mule deer. In the tree close to the footpath, were at least 11 magpies. Every so often a magpie would fly from the tree, across the meadow to harass the coyotes and try to grab some of the meal. 

 

I have included only one photo of one of the coyotes with the magpies and the unfortunate dead mule deer (which you can only just make out through the grasses) - Photo #7. Eventually, all coyotes left except one. When the final coyote left, he/she was carrying (if anyone is squeamish, stop reading here) a deer head, probably back to a den where a coyote could eat in peace.

 

It was at this stage that it dawned on me that the deer kill was most likely the result of a cougar attack. Even a family of coyotes would have difficulty severing the head of a large deer. There have been cougar sightings in this and other areas. So the cougar having had his/her fill, the remains were left for the clean-up crew, including the coyotes.

 

So although a very sad day for this doe mule deer, nothing goes wasted with wildlife, from the largest to the smallest, everyone would have had full stomachs that day.

 

Photo #2 through Photo #6 are of the second to last coyote to return to the woods that day. And although, he/she returned empty handed, the evidence of the meal is in the slightly red tinge around the coyote's head & jaw. And although the light was extremely flat and the day overcast, the magnificence of this canid pushes through.

 

Nature is a hard task master for both prey & predator but there is always balance. For every successful hunt, there are many more instances where the hunted escapes unscathed. 

 

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7

 


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