Coyote

I was working just south of Huntingburg, Indiana this week. We walked many miles and covered many acres of field and woods. We were coming down a drainage swale on our way back to the vehicle, when I came to a stop. A coyote's body was lying twenty feet or so ahead of us. The grass in the swale was cut shorter than six inches, and I did not expect any wildlife in such sparse cover. The coyote's back was towards us, but we could see that it was breathing. It was pretty amazing how well camouflaged he was.


We circled around the coyote, who tracked us with his ear. We could tell he was watching us, although he made no attempt to move. Then we noticed the blood on his leg. It was strange to be that close to a wild creature. I felt pretty sorry for the poor guy, looking in his eyes. It makes me sick to think of people shooting coyotes for fun or out of a sense of doing everyone a favor. (Granted, there is a time for all things, and keeping your property safe is a admirable pursuit.)