By David E. Stephens, Concord resident. This piece of writing originally came from a post to the Concord Discussion List, and is used by permission of the author.
I still recall hearing, as a small child, the sound of the old REO truck
transmissions as they whined on the descent from Apex, north of Vegas, and
the mournful howl of the coyote playing counterpoint to that melody.
Sometimes a steam engine whistle on the Union Pacific, a few hundred yards
from my house, would join the chorus as, in concert, they filled the
moonlit night and the clear desert air with their melancholy harmony. A
vivid memory of years past.
I grew up in Las Vegas and was born there when the town was only 5000
people and the coyotes' howl was a commonplace.
More recently here in Concord, our backyard became a regular passageway for a large, bold coyote in transit from here to there. Nothing fazed him and he even crossed the yard between my wife on a lawnmower and our house. A bit too bold for safety, and childhood recollections not withstanding, I warned Dan Monahan of my hostile intentions toward the beast should his boldness persist or increase. The coyote may have read my mind and has not been seen for a long while, although on occasions I hear him (?) and his relatives having a big family reunion on a fair night's occasion.
We sometimes flatter ourselves with presumptions of sophistication, but all
it takes is the sharp "yip" of a coyote or the scream of a bobcat to call
forth those primal instincts resident within us and remind us that we are
not far removed from the basics of our existence.
Coyote links (compiled by list member Ron P., with thanks)
Coyote Stories/Poems
Urban Bestiary: Coyote
Alternatives To Coyote Control
Info from Nova Scotia's Community Net
See your message here! More info
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Menacing or Harmless?
Do coyotes pose a threat so close to our homes? Some say the reports of coyotes attacking people are urban myths and are to be discounted. They maintain that humans are far more dangerous to coyotes than vise versa.
The February, 1999 issue of Outdoor Life Magazine would beg to differ. They quote authors from the Univeristy of California as identifying a troubling behavioral progression to watch for. First, evidence of nocturnal activity is found: knocked over trash cans, etc. Then, pets may disappear overnight. Next, a serious turning point can occur: coyotes are seen during the day, acting oblivious to and unfraid of people. They said this often preceeds attacks on people, children in particular.
They recommended keeping coyotes scared of people. To scream at them, throw rocks when you see them during the day or in human-populated spots. Break the association between humans = trouble-free food source. They give instances where this righted the balance and while coyotes remained in the area, they stopped threatening humans.
Menace to humans? Fairly harmless? Some of both? Readers will have to make up their own minds.
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Coyote drawing coutresy of Art Today
All other art Ann Stretton
