Cool Coyote Encounter

The other week I went out on a little Owl prowl not too far from home. It turned out to be a bust for any Owl finds or pretty much any other birds. Oh well, it was a nice sunny day which is something I embrace especially at this time of year. I don't care how cold it may be, just give me that glorious sunshine.

Somewhere along my walk, I passed a woman walking her dog. She was quite excited to tell me of a Coyote just up around the bend in a field. Her excitement was very positive. She was thrilled to see it even with walking her small dog. I know I repeated myself there with the bit about her walking her dog because that threw me as it's not normal for me to hear of a dog walker happy to see a Coyote, nor a dog walker keeping their dog on a leash as I encounter far more of the opposite to this in my outings.

I thanked her for the report as I was heading over that way and would keep my eyes open for it.

Sure enough I found the animal quite some ways out in the field. I watched him for a bit and figured that this was probably going to be the best thing I see on my walk.

Man was I ever wrong.

I turn around, going back to the main path and I see a second Coyote, only this one was maybe 20 feet from me. It was just doing it's thing, looking for rodents in the snow and wanted nothing to do with me.

Imagine that! First there was a Coyote out there not wanting to steal a small dog on it's leash. Now another one is in the area and it wants nothing to do with a human in the same vicinity as it. What is it with two myth busting Coyote encounters in mere minutes of each other?

I picked my jaw up out of the snow and then got my camera ready. It was tough to get some photographs of this beautiful animal through the foliage that separated us. I just lightly stepped back and forth, manually focusing where seemed to be decent spots to take pictures and did just that. I see Coyotes here and there while out but never have I been that close to one. I should have just admired the animal through my own eyes and not a lens but I just couldn't help myself. While the photos I got aren't National Geographic worthy, they are the best I have ever taken.

It was an amazing encounter and had me grinning. I've heard so many awful stories from people out there about these animals and how dangerous they can be. Some rather ridiculous stuff too such as Coyotes travel in packs, they use their pups to run out and play with off leash dogs, who then lure the dog to the waiting pack that will tear it to shreds. Coyotes do not hunt like that.

People need to keep their dogs on leash. It stuns me how many people walk around and think the outdoors belongs to them and not the wildlife. I always say "we live in our homes, the outdoors which includes our backyards belongs to the animals."

I'll take the chorus of a couple Coyotes in the middle of the night over loud drunken assholes any time in our neighbourhood.

Toronto Animal Services gives out free seminars across the city throughout the year. There is one coming up on December 3rd at the East York Civic Centre. I promote these seminars to people I know who do not understand these animals and live in constant fear of them. Do these people ever go? Unfortunately no. It's easier to stay home and preach their negativity over social media than go out and perhaps learn something like how to live with wildlife.

Predatory animals like Coyotes play an important role in our ecosystem. They offer some of the best pest protection out there.

People say they love their animals as much or even more than their children yet they will let their cats free roam outside day and night, and let their dogs run off leash. A lot can happen to their pets and not just by Coyotes.

Wild animals are in a constant battle for territory claims. They can see other dogs as a threat to their territories and will defend as such. There's always a reason for an attack. It's not just because. Why is it so difficult for some to understand and take simple steps to prevent this?

I know 98% of the people reading this blog are those who agree with me. I'm hoping this reaches someone in that 2% who might take a moment and rethink things regarding the Coyote.