Sunday, June 20, 2010

Pronghorn and Coyotes

Saturday morning near Reese Creek, I stood unseen and motionless as two pronghorn does walked towards me from 50 yards away. They focused intently on a coyote moving swiftly through the two-feet-high sage along the creek. The coyote didn't spot me until it entered a gap in the brush about 25 feet away. In a split second, it darted off, and the does soon wandered away over a hill. Until their fawns grow stronger and can outpace predators, they'll remain super vigilant--and for good reason, as coyotes can take a heavy toll on their young.

Sunday morning not far from Tower Junction, an agitated doe huffed repeatedly at a coyote who appeared to be only mousing. Innocent or not, the coyote was hunting too close to the doe's hidden fawn or fawns, and she took no chances. Twice, she charged the coyote, who soon crossed the road to escape. The doe eventually wandered uphill, stopping several times to scan for the coyote. She disappeared over the hill, possibly to nurse her young, and the coyote eventually crossed again and resumed mousing in the small meadow.

Coyote on the move

Pronghorn doe chasing coyote

Pronghorn doe chasing coyote