What a way to wake up!

Well, this may be no big deal for some of you, but for this former Long Island boy it was a first.

My 2-job schedule requires that I get out of bed no later than 5:00 AM during the week, allowing just enough time to check in on NPN and email before heading off to the "real job" for the day. I have taken today off because our daughters are coming to visit us here in NH so even though my alarm was off, I began to awaken at the same time any way. As I was slowly awakening, I was greeted with a loud howl from the back of our property. At first, it startled me but as I listened I recognized it as the howl of an eastern coyote. The large pond we live next to no doubt provides good feeding opportunity for the coyote, so I'm hoping that this will happen regularly and perhaps some day even catch a glimpse of this elusive canine.

What a wonderful way to start what will be a great day!

That's a wonderful experience, Jim. When I'm out and the coyotes start howling, usually in the evening, everybody suddenly stops talking and we just stand there and listen, smiling at each other. This happens whether the people involved have heard these howls for years or are just hearing them for the very first time. I guess it's one of those sounds we just evolved to appreciate.

Guy

I love hearing the coyote howls. I hear them quite often in the evenings. Sometimes my dogs try to mimic the calls--its kinda funny!

This morning, not 15 minutes ago, as I was driving to work a coyote ran across the road right in front of me. He sure was a handsome fellow. Then, about 2 minutes later a HUGE bull elk walked across the road! He was missing half of one antler! Must have lost it in battle during the rut which is just ending. We see elk occasionally but not too often so whenever we get to see one that close its a real treat!

You're absolutely right Jim, seeing (and/or hearing) wildlife is a great way to start the day!

What a great way to start a new day, Jim! As Guy said, we evolved to appreciate such things. We appreciate the primal.

-P

Good for you, Jim. We'll have to start calling you "Country Boy Jim Erhardt" from now on.

Seriously, I'm glad you've got that type of wildlife around, and I know you're pretty darn happy with the move. We live right on the edge of Ely, with the woods at our back yard, and there's a coyote pack that uses our area.

We had one trot right down the street in front of the house one morning last month, and in summer they sometimes howl at night right in our back yard. Gets the dogs going, I'll tell you!

The coyotes here hang close to town because of the wolves. Wolves will kill them, so they squeeze into narrow niches between wolves and people. A tremendously successful and wily species.

Even though the wilderness is on my doorstep, I always enjoy the coyote encounters up here on Finn Hill. Cool that you're getting in on it now, too.

It's a tossup whether coyotes or canyon wrens are my favorite sounds of the Southwest. Then there's the lonely plonk of a raven call. The recollections are almost as good as the real thing.

Thanks for the nice "wake-up call" this morning, Jim!

I'm jealous, wish I had an alarm clock like that!

Hey Jim:
You're making me "homesick" for my years in NH. We had a family of coyotes that lived across the road from us.
Glad you had the experience.

Don R. Millbranth
Huntsville, AL

My first encounter with the eastern coyote was a few years ago. I was traveling home on the Taconic Pkwy in NY from dropping Miss Em off at school. It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon and traffic was light, so I was in the zone just cruising along. Suddenly, a canine crossed the highway in front of me. I was moving fast and so was the canine, but I got a good 2 second look at it, not missing it by more than about 50 feet. My heart was pounding trying to decipher what it was I just saw! After going over it again and again in my mind, based on the size of the animal I wondered if I had saw something that shouldn't be there - a grey wolf.

A few days later I got in touch with a state conservation biologist and explained what I saw. The biologist told me that I saw the Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans var.), which is believed to have interbred with the Canadian grey wolf (more info here). The eastern variety is twice the size of the western, which certainly threw me the first time I saw one. Since then, I have encountered the eastern coyote one other time - the exact same way only on a slow-paced back road in NH.

I'm liking this neighborhood more every day!

Wait till spring when their hormones start to flow Jim. They'll move more and talk more, so you'll really be happy with your wild neighbors!

What an amazing wake-up call. I am sure that we will be treated to some fabulous photographs before too long.
May

And that's really what it's all about. Hearing it and seeing it. If we can sometimes manage a photo of it, all the better.

Hey! That's great, Jim! Such a lonely, haunted cry, it always raises the hair on my neck whenever I have heard a coyote. It's wonderful!

We have foxes that come up into our backyard every evening. They have been doing this for several years and have a den down in the woods. Recently they have been eating the ripe pears from our tree but also scavenge under the bird feeders for suet and sunflower seeds. They have a bark that will send chills up your spine--sort of like a baby crying and a woman screaming. They are beautiful critters but are also very skittish and I haven't figured a good way to set up a camera in a manner that will not scare them away--Larry

In Bedford, New Hampshire, eh? That's pretty sweet. (I was born and raised in Manchester)

Nice Jim...Yeah, there are plenty of coyote around, and there is no better way to start the day than connecting with wildlife and nature. Much easier to do in NH than NYC!

Have you seen a moose or bear yet?

I had a bear scale my deck (up a post, scratching all the way) and run off with my birdfeeder the other day. Neighbors are up in arms over the heightened bear activity...but I couldn't be happier!

Jim, no moose or bear yet but I wouldn't mind!

I spent 4 mild, wintry months in a small cabin in south-central Oregon a few years ago, and came to love the evening coyote serenade. Sometimes I could hear the howls of various packs travel up an down the river valley. Awesome way to end or start the day! And watching them forage the field across the river was always fun.

After I left, it didn't feel like home without the evening howls. Enjoy your new neighbor, Jim!

Jim,

Good morning. Was it a coyote or are you going through Long Island withdrawal and thought you heard my dog (well my son's) dog howling at the ambulance going down Woodside Ave?

Coyotes howling in the back yard, a pond (LAKE) in the back yard, moose everywhere, I hate you. Not really, just jealous.

Jim,

I live in Westford Mass, near the NH border. we see coyotes quite often here. Used to see some regularly but then we built a school in the area where they had dens so I think they moved.

My dog used to chase them -- he was 50 pounds but no fighter -- good thing the coyotes ran instinctively!

A few years ago I was out raking leaves and Lad started barking at the woods next to the house across the street. I told him to hush but in about 2 minutes a large coyote came out of the woods (it was early afternoon) he walked between the properties then along the edge of my backyard and disappeared. About 3 hours later he retraced his steps. Very calm but wary. Beautiful animal and we do hear them at night sometimes.

I've heard about the wolf inbreeding too enough times to believe it.

Also heard that there are no wolves in NH but a back woods friend of mine says you always see them at road kill auctions so he guesses there are some live ones too.

Frank

Frank

It is an exhilarating experience when the stillness of nature in silhouette is broken by a chorus of howls from coyotes somewhere nearby. You are fortunate to have such sounds to awaken you in the mornings, Jim.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada