Too-Friendly Neighbors

Just like a Bobcat that comes too close, the wily coyote can be even more of a threat. Where a bobcat might come in fast, strike and get out, the coyote is a little more liable to take his time and look things over, then make his move.

Now I enjoy seeing the wild critters around the house, but when they show up too near the front door, it can be disconcerting to say the least. Especially when two of our three dogs are meal-size chihuahuas. Tinker Bell in particular, a tiny 4 1/2 month old mini, would be no more than an hors d' oeurve for a hungry coyote.

Today, about 12:30 p.m., I was filling hummingbird feeders and looked around the ranch as I was walking back and forth. Down in the irrigated meadow below the barn, I spied our overly-friendly coyote unconcernedly looking around the pasture. The animal was headed in a northeasterly direction, which would have sent it passing in front of the barn, and on toward the hill, probably going north through the horse pasture, and on to the north where the nest must be.

The next trip, I looked where I expected to see the traveling coyote to no avail. Nowhere was the animal to be seen, at least in THAT direction. I walked toward the end of the house. Going across the face of the hill, no more than 150 feet from me, was the large coyote, very placidly strolling along. He was obviously heading for the back field, but passing close enough to the house to be a serious risk to the little dogs had they been outside.

Saturday evening we were returning home from Porterville when a nearby neighbor called, saying that Beau (the big boxer) as well as Coco (the larger of the two chihuahuas) were really barking excitedly. Beau barks because he can. But Coco is much more reserved, and only barks when there is really something to bark at. Since we were at least 15 minutes or more from home, he hot-footed it across the hill, to check things out.

When we arrived home, everybody was safe, but Beau was panting as if he had been running hard. Obviously he was both out of breath from barking, and still excited about something.

I suspicioned it was either the cat or possibly the coyote, but now I am quite sure it must have been the coyote. This morning when we let the dogs out, Beau made a circuit of the patio area, sniffing and stopping in a couple of places, as if the offending critter might have "marked" the property. Of course, that by itself would have had Beau apoplectic.

Coyote are bright, inventive creatures, and I suspect he could see the dogs were corralled and came to investigate. My guess is that the coyote came within a very few feet of the side of the kennel, which just inflamed the dogs inside. Fortunately, they can't get out, and the coyote can't get in. At least I HOPE he can't get in. It's quite sturdy, with a concrete base and pipe and chain-link sides that are 6 feet high, so I don't think that is really a question.

But boy it sure upset my dogs when that brave, overly-friendly coyote came calling.