Coyotes

The other morning I was serenaded in to work by a chorus of yipping coyotes. The echo deep in the woods resounded up to our barnyard, sending a corresponding chill down my back and simultaneously up my scalp. It totally creeped me out. They sounded closer than was comfortable. When they all get going, and I don’t know how many “all” is, (nor do I want to know) they sound like babies crying. I envision them stalking me. It makes me want to run back to the house. During the gun deer hunt season, my husband and his group periodically run drives, which means they have a group of hunters strategically spaced far apart, yet close enough to see each other, and drive through a section of land that is normally a hideout for deer to hunker down in during hunting season. On the other side wait the shooters. I don’t like drives. I think it’s an accident waiting to happen, but that’s just my opinion. On one drive this past season, not only did they not scare up any deer, they also scared up three coyotes! It was crazy. The guys figured the reason they didn’t see as many deer were because of the coyotes. That didn’t sit well with any of them. One spring morning, my husband was turkey hunting and was using his hen call to entice the toms to come in. All of a sudden a siren sounded on Highway 29, just to the north of him. Soon, he was startled by a group of coyotes that been lurking there, slightly outside of his vision. Hearing the siren, they had started their own warning sound, and he found they had boxed him in, horseshoe-like. Unknowingly, as my husband was trying to call in the turkeys, he had summoned the coyotes instead and they had sneaked up on him. He got out of there because it was just a little too disturbing. He had never even seen them; he had just heard them and they were too close for comfort. They had circled him without my husband even knowing it. Just lately, we spotted one in a field of ours as we were driving past. Immediately, my husband called his good buddy, who happened to be one of his hunting companions, and let him know we saw one. “I’m right on it!” he declared and hung up. We were just getting at our evening chores when our friend drove in to let us know what happened. Using a predator call, he had coaxed the coyote back in to him. Apparently, the thing was very curious until the bullets started flying. He had spun on a dime and ran, loping off, darting here and there, a very difficult target. No luck that day, but that won’t stop our friend from trying again. I was wondering, just what are a coyote’s natural enemies? Whenever I don’t know anything, I Google it. Checking it out under www.animalquestions.org, it showed that depending on where coyotes live, their natural enemies hinge on what other species of animals living nearby. In our neck of the woods that could be eagles, bear or wolves. According to the website, the biggest threat, however, are humans. I know there have been issues with coyotes in the area and have found out from different people that they hear packs crying, too. When they become a nuisance and overrun the woods, threatening the deer and turkey population, I believe action must be taken, as humanely as possible and for good reason. Also, I would not mind a quiet, peaceful walk to work. (“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, Who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:9-11)