Coyote Crossing

Several times this winter we've seen a coyote slinking around the edge of the woods by our nature pond. Of course, by the time I get my camera the dog has moved on. The other day when Jim checked the images on his trail camera, we discovered that there are at least two coyotes that patrol our area.

Coyotes usually don't bother me much, unless they are howling all night. But many of my neighbors have chickens and other small livestock, so I can imagine that for them, these wild dogs spell trouble with a capital "T".

I have to admit that I don't know much about coyotes. About ten years ago, a friends' grandson brought a coyote pup home that he had found abandoned in a wooded area. The family raised the animal and it was a good pet for a long time, until other people began messing with it (teasing it, etc, that you wouldn't do to a domestic dog because it would cause it to become vicious). Eventually, my friend's coyote had to be put down because it had become dangerous to keep. A sad ending to such a heart-felt beginning.

Many of us chalked this up to the category of "well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. You can't tame a wild dog.". But I think maybe we were not exactly correct in that assumption. In her book, "The Daily Coyote", Shreve Stockton records her experience in raising Charlie, a coyote given to her to raise by a most unlikely person, a man whose job it was to eliminate coyotes in Montana's cattle country.



I found Shreve's book while idling time away at Barnes and Noble. Looking straight into the camera, Shreve and Charlie's eyes drew me in and I bought the book. I discovered that the book came about because of the blog she started to share pictures of Charlie with her friends and family. The blog is also called The Daily Coyote. 




Today is the first day that I have visited the blog. I found the book to be riveting, and it was enough to satisfy my curiosity about the dedication it takes to raise a wild animal. Shreve is extremely wise beyond her years, and I enjoyed reading her philosophies and insights. Mostly, reading her book gave me an even deeper appreciation for the balance of nature.  And, really, is it ever in balance, even when we humans are not interfering? 

Here in Crawford County, Ohio, I can see both sides of the coyote "problem". The animals are a threat to our food sources and cause trouble and expense (and heartache) for those who are raising pets and/or farm animals. The humans are a threat to an animal that was put on this earth for a reason, too, and deserves life just like the rest of us. Maybe that's what "balance" is all about?

Marcheta *balancing act