JB
Honorary Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2001
- Messages
- 45,907
Years ago (8 to 10) I was out playing with my tractor when I noticed a coyote sitting watching me from about 50 yards. I drove over toward her and when I was about 20 yards away she got up and trotted out to 50 yards and sat down to watch again. She trotted funny so I did it again and got a careful look at why.
She was missing the lower half of her aft starboard leg. "That is one tough little critter," I mused, and went on with my fun.
A few (maybe 2) years later I saw her again, this time at a dead run away from something I didn't see. She was fast. "Wow, what a survivor!" I thought.
This has been a terrible season for wildlife in my area. A late frost killed all blooms on everything and there are almost no wild fruits, nuts, acorns, berries, etc. to fatten up on for winter. I have been "corning" the resident whitetails just to keep them alive. Well, I lie. In truth, I do it to make at least one of them fat and juicy.
Even worse, some disease got into my persimmon grove and killed all but about five trees. There is a sparse crop of persimmons on them, but maybe 10% of the crop from a good year.
I went out there on Big Orange to mow under those trees so that the coyotes, raccoons, deer and other critters would have an easier time finding the windfalls. While I was mowing I noticed a coyote sitting about 50 yards away watching me.
I stopped the tractor and watched. She got up and trotted toward me on three legs! Clearly the same little coyote momma. She policed the area like a Marine Boot picking up cigarette butts, then trotted off.
I am going to watch and see if I can get a good pic of her to post. That critter is really something special. She shall be known as Tripod.
She was missing the lower half of her aft starboard leg. "That is one tough little critter," I mused, and went on with my fun.
A few (maybe 2) years later I saw her again, this time at a dead run away from something I didn't see. She was fast. "Wow, what a survivor!" I thought.
This has been a terrible season for wildlife in my area. A late frost killed all blooms on everything and there are almost no wild fruits, nuts, acorns, berries, etc. to fatten up on for winter. I have been "corning" the resident whitetails just to keep them alive. Well, I lie. In truth, I do it to make at least one of them fat and juicy.
Even worse, some disease got into my persimmon grove and killed all but about five trees. There is a sparse crop of persimmons on them, but maybe 10% of the crop from a good year.
I went out there on Big Orange to mow under those trees so that the coyotes, raccoons, deer and other critters would have an easier time finding the windfalls. While I was mowing I noticed a coyote sitting about 50 yards away watching me.
I stopped the tractor and watched. She got up and trotted toward me on three legs! Clearly the same little coyote momma. She policed the area like a Marine Boot picking up cigarette butts, then trotted off.
I am going to watch and see if I can get a good pic of her to post. That critter is really something special. She shall be known as Tripod.
