Dog Tale: Rudy Riding Hood and the Prairie Wolf

Something out the dining room window caught my eye.  A canine emerging from the high grass of our fallow meadow.  Giving itself a shake.  I grabbed the camera and headed for the front door.

Just as I thought:  a coyote.  On three legs, dazed, confused and headed for the front door until it heard Jeffie and Rudy going crazy.

We live in a very rural area of the Missouri Ozarks and frequently experience the serenade of coyotes.  In fact, so often that I'm careful about letting the dogs out at night.  Our backyard is large - about 2 acres - and the yard fence means nothing to coyotes.  I know that for a fact.  One snowy winter day a hunting pair searched there for their lunch.

The coyote that came through here Friday morning wasn't looking for food.  It was trying to escape danger.  In fact, it looked as though it's back legs had been hit by buckshot or the ammunition from a pellet gun. 

According to the Missouri Conservation Department, the coyote is also know as the brush wolf or prairie wolf.  Though they sometimes travel in large groups, they primarily hunt in pairs.  Typical coyote packs consist of six closely related adults, yearlings and young.  Primarily nocturnal, they can often be seen during daylight hours.  Their territorial ranges can be as much as 12 miles around their den and travel occurs along fixed trails.

I couldn't help but worry about where this one's hunting partner was and suspect it might not have been so lucky to escape this day.

Rudy, who has been hanging around the refrigerator waiting for more The Dogs Bark Bakery treats had other worries....

 And if you'd like to hear a pack of coyotes...