I love coyotes! Of course I don't have chickens, sheep, calves, small dogs, cats, etc., so it's far easier for me to "love" the 'yotes.

One-on-one Sam can hold his own and could easily dispatch one, but still, Wes keeps a close watch they are out on the prairie. We don't go looking for trouble.

Early spring is the worse time since a pack of coyotes will send a young female out to "lure" a dog into following her back to the pack - where the dog is ambushed and can be ripped to pieces.

This happened twice to Harry. Wes saw the yipping, play-bowing, friendly little female making goo-goo eyes at H. She got as close as 20 feet from them!

As soon as Wes heard her he called Harry to heel and snapped the lead on his collar. They back-tracked to the truck and drove to a less inhabited area.

99% of the time the coyotes stay out of sight or leave when they see/hear/smell people and dogs, but when it's time for their pups to be born they don't tolerate dogs around.

As for the prairie dogs...

Thankfully I don't have to deal with them here, but their pestilential cousins, the Richardson's ground squirrels, aka "Dak Rats," were a constant battle on the base. Harry kept them out of our garage and yard so at least my ankles were safe.

In the past few weeks my front yard and garden has been attacked by pocket gophers. He's already killed the clematis and I think the Marquee Moon daylight is going down, too.

His days are numbered.

I'm sorry - coyotes delight and stress me. I forgot the "coordinating" bumblybee photo!

This was my wild sunflower that popped up in it's own. It had about 30 blooms on it before last week's wind storm, with 50 mph winds, pulled it out of the ground.

I have a backyard fox. A pair set up house under my sister's shed. We spent some fun weeks watching the kits grow.

Murraysmom, I do envy you the chance to watch those fox. What fun!. I have no fox, coyotes or leopards today, but I do have flowers and bees. The bumbles love, love the sedums. Click to enlarge.