The Observation Deck

As if there weren't enough to cause us concern these days, here's a story worth chewing on your bones. Perhaps we can now add being eaten alive by coy-wolves to our list of potential urban hazards?

Not too long ago, a friend told me about an incident transpiring at another friend's home in Rocky River. Seems that there was a trail of blood leading into the backyard. Following that trail, it ended with a deer carcass that had apparently been brought down by coyotes.

Shortly thereafter, a coyote, peeking around the edge of the car, greeted Dad as he got out of our vehicle. I've also heard of several other sightings and snow tracks around Lakewood, and in fact, was present in Lakewood Park on a Veterans Day when a big and brazen red fox decided to share space with the former men in uniform. (I know that a fox is not a wolf or a coyote, I'm from Pennsylvania, remember?)

A few questions on the part of several people led to learning that there are a good number of pairs of breeding coyotes in this area. They are prolific breeders, and while they normally are quite shy, nocturnal animals, and mainly go after small rodents, there apparently are strains of coyote that have interbred with wolves, and they can and will go after bigger game, and even hunt in packs. There was actually a tragic and well-publicized killing of a Canadian folk singer by coyotes a few years ago.

Normally shy coyotes are apparently made much less so when they interbreed with wolves, and they tend to go wherever they find food, and Lakewood has LOTS of food around.

As if our poor little squirrels didn't have enough to worry about.

And to think that some people once wanted Lakewood to allow outdoor chicken coops.

Just some musings here on a rainy Saturday to cheer you up as you all go off to market with your picnic baskets, while wearing your little red riding hoods.

Anyone else seen these puppies around?

Back to the banjo...

I have to say I'm skeptical. Even if there were coyotes interbred with wolves, I doubt they'd be here, as we have no wolves. There may be some Coydoodles or Labrotes around, but coywolves? I don't know.

I also find it unlikely that coyotes would have killed a deer, let alone dragged one into a suburban backyard.

Coyotes are certainly around, they live in the park and could wander into the city. And while they will poach a farm chicken, I don't think they're food sources are so scarce in the park that they'd come into the city if a few people were raising hens.

I did see a jet black squirrel this morning with a big bushy Gray Squirrel tail, that was kind of odd.

Hi Brad,

First of all, although I did not personally see the deer, I know my sources well enough to trust the veracity of the story. Apparently no one actually witnessed exactly what animal(s) actually brought down the deer, but coyotes seem to have been blamed as having been the culprits.

Secondly, I did some research prior to posting, and if you, or others would like to do so, I think that you'll discover that it would seem that many, if not most of the eastern coyotes may have inbred with Canadian wolves over the years, so I did check that situation out too, before posting this information.

Not only might coyotes wander into a city, one source told me that there seem to be at least a few of them presently hunting in central Lakewood. Dad saw his in west-central Lakewood, and it seemed to exhibit no fear of him at all. It was dark, but there was no doubt about what he saw, as a house side light was on.

You might not see that interesting squirrel again if Mr. Coyote sees him first.

Back to the banjo...

I ran some of these points past my veterinarian father to see what he thought...

He said it's not inconceivable that they would scavenge, and maybe even move, a deer carcass, but they wouldn't have killed it themselves. More likely victims would be rabbits, cats or small dogs. They are extremely shy and very unlikely to attack anything as big as a deer (or human) unless desperate.

They are definitely around (he said every county in Ohio has coyotes) and they do adapt readily to suburban living (if any coyotes are reading this, there are many stray cats around my house). I used to work at a bar in North Royalton near the metroparks, and leaving late at night could often hear them howling.

As far as coyote-wolf hybrids go, he said no way.

On a similar note, he said there has also been a resurgence of red foxes in recent years.

Brad:

When I first heard about the coywolf, I will admit skepticism just like your father expressed.

I certainly would not want to contradict him, either

I did however, put the word "coywolf" into my search engine before I originally posted, and found out quite a bit about them, with the cautionary understanding that internet research may not necessarily always be correct.

I suppose that it all comes down to the relatively recent DNA research and these animals. That seems to be the predication about the existence of coywolves.

I was also surprised to learn, as your father said, that coyotes are indeed in all 88 Ohio counties.

There is apparently some controversy as to how much inter-species mixing has really gone on, but there are some animals out there that are larger than others and that apparently seem to hunt differently than their small-game grabbing cousins.


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