And So it Begins

Mr. H and I used to practice these drills while living in Arizona, because it was necessary on an almost daily basis. Keeping the Littles safe from all of the wild animals (and plants!) in the desert environment was a constant. Since moving back to Cheeseland, we've relaxed a bit. A safer environment for us all, but still "wild" in terms of what walks through the fields and forests--though usually much less devastating.

There is one commonality though, that Arizona and Wisconsin both possess: coyotes. When Mr. H and I lived in western arizona the coyotes were small and thin and would sometimes greet me in the parking lot of the hospital at 6am as I skidded into work. Harmless --almost--but an odd sight in the middle of town. In Tucson, the coyotes were everywhere, because we lived far out of the city with hardly any neighbors around. BUT, Pima county coyotes are huge in comparison to the ones back in Mohave county. These boys were as big as greyhounds, so we said.

In the same spot that I was eating my breakfast last week where I spotted the deer outside our window, I saw a huge beast. The only reason that my brain was able to convince the rest of me that this was a coyote and not a wolf, is that empirically speaking, we are just under the southern border of the Wisconsin wolf pack habitat. They almost always run further north than we are, but, we aren't very far from sightings of some of their recent activity.

Now, theoretically, that coyote was traveling alone and I know that he's probably afraid of humans. So, instead of grabbing a gun, I grabbed my cell phone. Bill had just left for work and come to find out was still in the driveway. As I ran to the door to throw boots on though, and dial, my coordination took a turn for the worse and I was not able to unlock the side door, keep an eye on the coyote, call Mr. H and get out the door. I inadvertently dialed one of our senior pre-sales executives ont he East coast before getting hold of my husband, who was just driving away as I unlocked the door!

I ran down the side stairs and crept around the house. The coyote was out of sight for a moment but I knew he was there--and I had a baby goat less than 100 feet from him. By the time I snapped three photos of this jerk, he was 50 feet from my baby!

They're not great photos, but you can see what I was up against...I have to go check on my kid again!

Check this guy out! The orange tarp in the photo is our woodpile.
He walked right behind the woodburner and was typically no further than
50 feet from the house.

I'd like to kick this rear end. He's smelling my goats!