Call of the Wild

We have a new predator in Alleghany County these days, the coyote. Yup, Canis latrans, the "barking dog". Now established in all 100 counties it North Carolina, it arrived in Alleghany County less than 10 years ago. Their numbers appear to be growing and a pack of them lives less than 5 miles away.


Not that I've actually seen one, mind you, because few humans have. But, I heard a pack howling for the first time tonight at dusk. Sounded just like the howling does in cowboy movies.

And, they were just over in the next hollow.

Coyotes have a bad rap that may or may not be deserved. They have filled the ecological gap vacated by the wolves and cougars and are pushing out the foxes. For the standpoint of wildlife, they have very little effect on rabbits, deer and turkey populations, but they do like an occasional young calf, small dog or housecat for dinner. And, they can carry and spread rabies.

Coyotes are here to stay for a while. As is the case with deer, attempts to reduce their numbers by killing them only cause them to produce more kits the next spring. It's the food supply that ultimately controls their numbers.

So, Suzy Q, you better step lively!