Post Your Wild Animals Photos Here

[Bill_Anderson]

Monday I made an early morning bird photo trip to the fish hatchery grounds, then walked up Pine St. to the top of Pt. Edwards followed by a return loop through the condos and along the Pt. Edwards walkway. Before leaving for home, I made one more swing through the fish hatchery.

#1: On my way back up to my pickup I saw a coyote walking up Pine St.

The coyote dodged a car which was pulling into the condo maintence office's parking lot, then ran past the office and two rather surprised maintenance people. It continued running west on the Pt. Edwards walkway and passed about 15 feet from one of the residents who was having coffee on her back porch. She told me the coyote did not even see her as it ran by.

#2: The coyote stopped on the walkway just before it heads down to the retention pond, where I had been earlier. The white poles in the background are masts from the marina down below the bluff.

#3-5: It paused to rest and we watched each other from a safe distance. It was a little disconcerting that the coyote felt so relaxed on the walkway, where people who live in the condos quite often walk their dogs.

#6-10: The coyote eventually took off down the hill towards the retention pond. I cautiously approached the spot where I last saw it, but it was nowhere to be seen.

I have read the sign boards at the marsh that say coyotes are present, but this was the first time I had ever seen one in the area.

[CAlexio]

stupid question, but I'm a southern city slicker. are the coyotes dangerous if you encounter one on a path while walking? what about if you're with your large pissed off but well fed and unacustomed to wild coyotes german shephard... who wins?

[RockingM]

Originally Posted by alexio

stupid question, but I'm a southern city slicker. are the coyotes dangerous if you encounter one on a path while walking? what about if you're with your large pissed off but well fed and unacustomed to wild coyotes german shephard... who wins?

I'll take this one, Coyotes are curious but a bit timid when they come in close.
I was logging a boundary several years ago with my team of horses. When I pulled in with the trailer and horses that morning a pair of Coyotes appeared in the dirt road in front of me. They lope up the road to the spot in the hay field where I unload and kind of hung around on the edge of the woods where the road took off into the woods. I though, damn, must be some city coyotes
picked up and relocated. Anyway, I unload my horses and took off up the edge of the field to the top of the mountain but had left my hard hat. Dropped the lines and turned around to walk back down and one of the Coyotes was about 10 feet behind me. He spooked good then and took off.
I think the reason they were so close was they had some kits (pups) nearby and were a bit protective. I never saw them up close the rest of the summer but heard them run rabbits and such quite often. One went by one day about 100 yards out with a rabbit in his mouth.

Just so you know, I think Coyotes are varmints and with a gun in my had I'd toast them. Foxes on the other hands I consider okay.
At the Dining room window.

[Bill_Anderson]

Info on coyotes:
Coyotes - Living with Wildlife | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

In October 2009, two coyotes killed a young Canadian folk singer:
BBC NEWS | Americas | Coyotes kill Canadian folk singer

I kept my distance from the coyote I was photographing and became a bit concerned when it laid down and looked like it was going to take a nap on the walkway. One symptom of rabies in wild animals is friendliness and a loss of fear of humans. Coyote attacks on humans are rare, but I did not want to take the chance that I was dealing with a sick animal whose behavior might not be predictable.

[DuckMan]

[gragravar]

here is a little of the wildlife that has visited our yard:

fox hanging out in the back yard:


fox hanging out on the kids playset:


coyote wandering through the yard:


bunny in the rose bushes:


Lizard:


and a cool salamander that wandered out in a rainstorm:

[VTGPDUC]

26 lbs, 10 less than my prior tuxedo.

[flynbulldog]

Originally Posted by alexio

stupid question, but I'm a southern city slicker. are the coyotes dangerous if you encounter one on a path while walking? what about if you're with your large pissed off but well fed and unacustomed to wild coyotes german shephard... who wins?

We have a lot of Coyotes where we live. Coyotes are social animals and they hunt and fight in packs.

You may only see a single coyote but be assured more are close by. If a dog attacks the others will come and soon the dog will be in big trouble -
Dogs don't stand a chance really, these animal fight and kill to live and they know how to work together to bring down other animals.

Recently two Coyotes approached a woman walking with her young daughter and started growling and pressing them back.
The Woman was able to scare them off long enough for her to get out of the area but they are nothing to be messed with.

I personally don't consider any animal any less important than any other animal and don't believe I have the right to decide which ones should live and which should not.

I also don't believe that we have the right to move into an area where these animals live and then exterminate them.

But I will defend myself if confronted.

[Bill_Anderson]

I finally photographed an otter. I was standing at the end of the jetty walkway at the underwater dive park when something swam up to the edge of the rocks. It turned out to be a northern river otter which was going after a large, dead fish; possibly a ling cod or bull head.

[Bill_Anderson]

Follow-up on the otter photos. From the injury to its nose, a friend recognized the otter as one he had photographed nearly three years ago to the day. He was glad to see that it had survived.