Coyote Scare Tonight!

It took a half hour before I quit shaking!

Tonight I let the dogs out for their 10 o'clock run around the yard, and within minutes I heard the kind of barking that strikes fear into a dog lover's heart. Pepper and Suzie both sounded scared - panicked, even. Ralph, who goes on a rope when I let him out after dark, sounded angry. He's the only one large enough to defend against a coyote of any size, and he couldn't reach the others.

And the other voices that joined the fray sounded ominous. I know, it could have been a small coyote, visiting all alone. But it sounded like more than one, and that can mean death to domestic dogs.

Of course I started yelling at them to come back up the hill, then started screaming just some kind of noise in hopes of scaring the coyotes. Meanwhile, I remembered my fire crackers and ran back inside to get them. By the time I lit two of them my dogs were back at the door, looking relieved, and the "extra voices" had stilled.

I think that from now on, before I let them out for the night-time potty run, I'll go out and shoot a fire cracker or two. Knowing my kids have encountered intruders in the dark is just too frightening.

The Danger of Coyotes

Do you have coyotes wandering the forests near your home? We do, and sometimes they come a bit closer than I like. After all, I have a cat who loves to go outside, and I don't want him to wind up as "lunch."

Coyotes are dangerous for dogs too. Smaller dogs are most at risk, but even a large dog can get in trouble facing a whole pack of coyotes.

Generally, one coyote will come in close and try to lure a dog away from the house - where the whole pack is waiting to attack. Sometimes the only way to chase them away is a gunshot or other loud noise. (I keep a package of firecrackers in the cupboard by my back door, just for this purpose.)

This week one lone coyote decided to come exploring without the pack - and he was sorry. Ralph isn't huge, but he weighs about 80 pounds and most coyotes are barely half that size.

Ralph was laying on the edge of the hill, behaving like the King - and master of all he surveyed - when that coyote got brave and trotted right up almost into Ralph's yard. We might not have noticed, but Suzie saw something going on and went to the window, so we followed her gaze.

And there was Ralph - thoroughly beating up a coyote! My husband opened the door and hollered and Ralph let go of him, but when he tried to run off, Ralph was right back on him. The second time he let go and came back to the house, while the coyote made an escape.

I doubt if he'll come back to our yard real soon - at least not by himself!

I have to admit, I like hearing them howl and yip at night - but only if they sound like they're not too near. When they get loud, I start checking to make sure both cats are in the house and safe.