Posted on 05/23/2016 8:36:06 AM PDT by w1n1
I’m a big fan of coyotes. I enjoy seeing them, hearing them and hunting them. I think the reason I like them so much is that I’ve always had a lot of respect for a underdog, which the coyote surely is compared to its more media divisive cousin the wolf, or other charismatic megafauna like the bear. Similar to Rodney Dangerfield, coyotes “don’t get no respect.” Unlike wolves there are no national groups crying for their protection, no one is pleading their case on the steps of the capital. In spite of this, coyotes are without a doubt one of the most successful predators in North America. They are ultimate survivors.
Here are some facts to give you a better understanding of the coyote and maybe help you put a couple extra pelts on your wall this year.
1. General Description
Coyote males typically average between 18 and 44 pounds, while females average between 15 and 40 pounds. Northern subspecies tend to grow larger than southern populations.
2. They've been in North America a long time
The modern coyote shows up in the fossil record during the Middle Pliestocene about 450 thousand years ago, after they diverged grey wolves about 1.5 million years ago.
3. They're speed demons
The coyote can run up to 40 miles per hour. Its animated enemy the roadrunner can only run about 20 miles per hour, making Acme Rockets completely unnecessary in the real world.
4. Coyotes are very mobile can be found almost everywhere.
The 19 subspecies of coyote are found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama to the northernmost parts of Canada. Males will travel up to 100 miles to find food and new territory when their current location is overpopulated.
5. Native American mythology Coyotes play major role in the mythology of many Native American tribes. While their description varies, they are often seen as a crafty and intelligent trickster with a voracious appetite. Read the rest of the facts and trivia on coyote here. What are some other facts about coyote that you come across?
Coyote walked right by the front of my car as I was inside eating lunch a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was pretty neat seeing him so close. He clearly didn’t see me.
Then I got the idea to try to call him, so I quick YouTubed up some coyote calling video, plugged into the car stereo and cranked the volume. Yote was 150 yards out by then, but he spun right around and came back to me.
At about 20 yards he started getting real suspicious and I couldn’t get him any closer than that.
Was fun, though.
They don’t get no respect because they’re varmints that will destroy anything they find. The things got into northern New Jersey before I left there. Mostly they bred with stray domestic dogs and produced coy-dogs. If you think coyotes cause a problem, coy-dogs cause a plague.
#2 and #3 sound like lyrics from a Marty Robbins song. Guess which one?
El Paso is the Marty Robbins song you refer to. I could run the tune in my head but not the title. Was thinking Big Iron at first. Had to Google it. Sorry, Friend, I did use Google. Sigh.
Good you knew of his songs. I like Big Iron the most among all his songs.
Here in western NC I’ve learned that they are always a few around but every few years they move in with pack strength to devour the easy pickings then move on to another area—kind of like the aliens from the movie Independence Day.
Three years ago they could be heard yipping and yapping most nights and seeing them as road kill was not uncommon. A nearby sheep farmer baited and trapped 25 of them in 2012.
They’ve moved on and have only heard one and seen two as road kill in the past couple of years.
Marty Robbins told stories in his songs. El Paso was a novel of a tale.
“and then there’s me...who puts hot pepper powder around my property...which some called ANIMAL ABUSE.”
No, it’s not abuse, it’s proper training.
Once had a neighbor who let his scraggly mop of a poodle mix run loose. It would crap all over my yard and walkways. Took a piece of meat and generously blackened it in Cayenne and pepper flakes and left it out for the critter.
From then on it never came back to my yard.
Coyotes are bad news for livestock and pets. They are great however for golf course pest management.Anything that reduces the hacker population is alright by me.
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