"YOU MAKE MY HEART SING"

Coyote - 5 Photos

Another name for the coyote is a "song dog", so called because of their species' large range of vocalizations. 

It's one way for the family to communicate when they are separated and I have witnessed on one occasion when a coyote had found the remains of a mule deer doe carcass and made her find known to other family members through a vocalization. (The deer was most likely what was left from a cougar kill.)

Coyotes play an important role in the delicate balance of predators and prey, as well as being a vital part of Nature's clean-up crew, often followed by the magpies & ravens.

There is much misinformation out there about coyotes. I may be jinxing myself, but in the years I have been photographing I have not had a serious incident. The youngsters when they are old enough to leave the den on their own, may be seen more often or be in more close proximity but I have found this to be more curiosity & generally trying to find their way in their progression to adulthood. A quick wave of the arms or a clap accompanied by a loud utterance, sends them on their way.

Encounters with adult coyotes are often due to people and/or their dogs unintentionally approaching close to a den, totally unaware of the danger coyotes perceive to their pups. We should take a step back and think of how we, as humans, would feel if a stranger suddenly appeared in our home or in close proximity to our children and how we would risk anything to defend our offspring. Generally, the adult coyote follows the walker by "escorting" them off the property. Once the human or human & dog, have left the vicinity, the coyote returns to the den.

Coyote Watch Canada have an adage when it comes to coyotes and in fact, all wildlife. It involves the 3 "R's", Respect, Reverence & Restraint, great advice as we all try to find our way in the natural world. 

I can in no way match a coyote's vocalization but when I see this "song dog" in the wild, going about his/her coyote business, they make my heart sing.

The photos below are of a young coyote, probably not much more than 10 months old.

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5