abigail414's diaryland diary
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Varmints
Coyotes were 'discovered' by Lewis and Clark once they hit the Dakotas. They were originally grassland animals, but the disappearance of forestland and eradication of wolves (their chief predators) helped expand their range. Despite farmer, rancher, and government efforts to exterminate them, coyotes now reside in every state except Hawaii. Their infiltration into cities and suburbs in recent decades is a side effect of their overall range expansion. It is unknown how many there are in the U.S. - anywhere from one to ten million.
I come from sturdy pioneer stock that ended up settling in the Dakotas. They lived in sod huts and caves and eventually wood frame houses. They were farmers who undoubtedly battled coyotes for their livestock. As an LA native, I see them from the car and admire their beauty, agility, aloofness, adaptability. I hear them howling at night and have found it almost comforting to know there is still something wild. Like many, I have romanticized and secretly root for them (and have a U of So. Dakota �Coyotes� sweatshirt).
Of course, I know they aren�t harmless. One recently snatched a little dog right out of its owner�s arms just down the street. My aging mother was stalked by one in her neighborhood while walking her little dog. They lure their larger domestic cousins back to the pack and eat them for dinner. This was driven home while walking in my gated condo complex with Nelly, my 75 lb German Shepherd.
It was night, and I saw movement in the shadows. Perhaps Orlando my cat had gotten out, but on closer inspection it was a coyote watching us. I felt a surge of protectiveness � I wanted it away from my home, my cats, and to understand that my dog and I were not prey. I also wanted Nelly to understand that they are the enemy, so I loosened her expandable leash and ran after the coyote and snarled and shouted like a crazy person. Even though I�ve got three degrees, and Nelly is a smart dog, that coyote was smarter. Yes, it ran, but then hid next to a bush as we continued on like a couple of cartoon buffoons. Seriously winded, I turned around to head home, and saw it watching us before skittering off as if it was all a game.
A few minutes later, the outline of a coyote head again appeared. Then another one - about 40 feet away and closing in slowly. Yes, we were being stalked. This was now getting a little scary, and when I�m scared, I get mad. I�ve kicked down bigger dogs than these, have a big dog with me, and I wasn�t going to slink home with my tail between my legs. Plus, I was pissed off at being made a fool (they don�t call him �Wiley Coyote� or �The Trickster� for nothing). So I yelled and chased, and one stayed 20 feet ahead of us while the other circled and got 15 feet behind. Even though we were even in number, they clearly had better tactics.
Chasing coyotes with Nelly was bizarre. She was barking and growling and wagging her tail at the same time. I think coyotes give off the dog vibe of �let�s play�. At one point Nelly pulled the leash out of my hand and I yelled �No!� and she stopped - that seemed to scare them more than anything. Perhaps they thought she was in charge since I was slower and she was in front. Regardless, they never ran off entirely, and if a third one was in the shadows, we�d be in trouble.
A direct assault was obviously ineffective, so I tried guerilla warfare. I carefully walked towards a neighboring building - stopping to growl and snarl every ten feet. I wanted to catch them by surprise. Plus, I needed a tool, and pulled a metal �Do not feed the ducks� sign out of the ground. Then I hid in a courtyard and waited for them to follow our scent � which they clearly did by trotting purposefully towards my unit. I burst out screaming and banging the sign, which yes, scared them a little. Scared me, too. I could feel the pioneer blood pumping wildly through my veins, wanting to �destroy the varmints who are killing my chickens�. I ended up throwing the sign at them.
While they were distracted, I made a fast beeline home, checked on the cats, and locked the doors. They most likely know I live here, have smelled my cats in the courtyard, have seen Nelly waiting for me. Perhaps they have promised her a wondrous wild life if she would run off with them, and bring a cat along with her. Instead, she is lying at my feet and panting with satisfaction over a fun game with her feral friends. I think they were too persistent for it to be fun � I think they were hungry.
I�m walking during the daylight now, and carrying pepper spray. I�ll leave them alone if I see them again, but if they stalk me or my dog, I don�t want to feel that irrational primal fear and genetic rage. I want to stay calm and know that I have a better tactic than they do - opposable thumbs and a projectile weapon. It took a lot for my ancestors to survive, and clearly, some of their DNA is still dictating my reactions. When the coyotes were facing me down I could almost feel a shotgun in my hands.
Hard to reconcile this entry when you�re a veterinarian.
8:37 p.m. - 2007-05-19
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