We have two acres bordered on the west by our neighbor’s 20 acres, most of which is wooded areas, ravines, creeks, with lots of underbrush. My husband mows probably three acres around the log home that sits there. He often takes Eddie, our Boston Terrier, for walks on that property, with the neighbor’s permission, of course. This morning, Eddie had his first encounter with a coyote. We hear them often, and see them, sometimes even crossing our back yard. Eddie isn’t very good at staying right with his buddy, and suddenly my husband heard yipping and other noises as if a fight was about to occur. A gunshot into the air brought Eddie running as fast as he could, and when the coyote saw my husband and heard the report of the gun, it also ran away. Eddie thinks he can run right up to other dogs and sniff them out. But, I expect that Eddie will stay closer to his protector next time they walk in the woods and across the mowed area next door because he has a bite on his butt. We will be off to the vet in just a little bit. He has had his rabies shots, thank goodness, but we don’t want to run the risk of infection or any other problems.
That isn’t the only encounter we have had with a coyote. One day about two years ago, my husband motioned through the patio doors for me to come outside. He walked to the storage shed, and there was an animal lying curled up in the front corner. We stood and looked at it, wondering if it was a stray dog or what. Then the animal saw us, stood up, and walked right past us, not four feet away from where we were standing. It was a coyote! It walked about twenty feet farther, turned and looked at us, and then continued on its way.
Housing developments have forced animals into smaller and smaller areas, and it is no longer unusual to see coyotes where we live. In a suburb of Indianapolis recently, a news report told how a small dog was taken by coyotes and killed. The town has an ordinance that no guns may be fired within the town limits. I feel so bad for those folks who lost their small furry family member to animals that shouldn’t be forced to live so close to people.
Would be interested in hearing from others who have experienced close encounters with coyotes where one wouldn’t expect to do that.
