River Coyote - British Columbia

This coyote was one of three we came across while speeding down the river this morning, with a total of five spotted all day. We slowed down so I could grab a photo of this one as it trotted away from our encroaching boat. They may be considered vermin by most, myself included, but they are beautiful nonetheless.

I once read a newspaper article that stated that a couple had found a coyote den with a littler pups in it. They set up a trail camera to monitor the parents' activity. Within a 48 hour period, the adults had brought back 25 white-tailed deer fawns to the den. That is some serious culling of a local deer population by a veracious wild dog.

comments (6)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

25....that's an incredible and disturbing number. Are they such easy prey? Posted 7 years ago
1. travismorhardt
  
  Lion
  
  At the time of the noted incident, the fawns would have been only days to a week old. Often the mother will leave the fawn in a hidden bed, such as tall grass or downed brush, while she goes to graze. The coyotes use their great sense of smell to sniff them out. In an area with a dense deer population, the numbers can be, as you said, disturbing. Posted 7 years ago

cle van G

Bull Frog

wow what a great shot excellent Posted 7 years ago
1. travismorhardt
  
  Lion
  
  Thank you! Posted 7 years ago

morpheme

Lion

That's impressive. I always thought coyote mainly ate rodents. (well I suppose when there aren't fawns they probably do…) Posted 7 years ago
1. travismorhardt
  
  Lion
  
  They are pretty opportunistic. Like you suggested, I think they usually eat rodents and whatever else they can get their paws on when the deer populations are birthing. When I was a kid, my mom would sometimes throw dinner scraps and such out the back door and we would sometimes see coyotes actually come into the yard to eat them...Our dogs would freak and chase them off. Posted 7 years ago

The Mountain coyote

The Mountain coyote (Canis latrans lestes), also known as the Great Basin coyote, is a subspecies of coyote native to British Columbia and southeastern Alberta south to Utah and Nevada. It is similar to ''C. l. latrans'', but has lighter-colored upper parts.

Info 17 0

Similar species: Carnivorans

Species identified by travismorhardt