A Rout of Coyotes (Canis latrans)

We usually only hear them at night. One howls out in the darkness and for a moment you think that a child is laughing or screaming, then several more add their yips, yelps, and barks and their calls fill the night, somehow eerie and lonely at the same time.

This morning three coyotes came trotting across our horse field, they were not going to down a horse, but they may have been eying our sheep. These animals are omnivores eating small mammals (mice, voles, rabbits, squirrels, and domestic pets) birds, snakes, deer, livestock, insects, and fruit and vegetables. The part about livestock is why we have a Great Pyrenees – a dog bred to protect sheep and goats from such predators.

There are 19 subspecies of coyote ranging in various sizes, the ones in our area tend to be small, going around 50 pounds. They roam in small single-sexed groups called a band, a pack, or a rout. Since they are primarily nocturnal, it is a rare gift to see one during daylight hours.