Don’t Pet Spot~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, Coyotes, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Wild Life
Coyote walking through a grassy field, with its tongue out and alert expression.

He bites,

A coyote sitting in tall grass, with greenery in the background.

he’s hungry,

A coyote standing in a dry, grassy field with a curious expression.

and he’s wild.

A coyote sniffing the ground in a grassy field.

Spot probably got kicked out of the coyote pack which sometimes happens.

A coyote walking through a grassy field, with its tongue out, showcasing its natural habitat.

Loner’s like Spot have a tougher time hunting and surviving.

A coyote lying on the grass with a stick in its mouth, surrounded by sparse vegetation and flowers.

Don’t try to take his bone, he wouldn’t like that…..

A coyote lying on the ground in a grassy field, looking toward the camera with a relaxed expression.

But Spot looks quite healthy and curious!

A coyote standing in a field of dry grasses, looking towards the camera with a slight smile.

The loners let humans get closer,

A coyote standing in a natural habitat with tall grass and wildflowers.

but I keep my distance.

A soaring hawk with outstretched wings against a clear blue sky.

The Red Tailed Hawks came closer too, curious about the brave coyote and the cautious human.

A golden eagle with outstretched wings perched against a blue sky.

Cheers to you & Hope All is Well from The Holler’s wild ones~

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159 thoughts on “Don’t Pet Spot~”

  1. What a handsome fella! I love coyotes and these photos. I don’t like my sleep disturbed and the only exceptions I make are for coyotes serenading or the various species of owls calling. Oh, and whippoor-wills, too. I don’t mind them waking me up either. 😉

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  3. Wow. What a wonderful series of photos, Cindy! I had not appreciated how large their ears are with a very triangularly shaped face (nose plus two ears) overall. And I love that a curious hawk came to check out what was happening between you and the coyote. I appreciate how challenging it can be to photograph a bird in the sky — having been completely unsuccessful capturing a decent photo of THREE bald eagles who were circling over the train station in Syracuse yesterday morning. THANK YOU for your beautiful and skillful documentation of the other beings with whom we share this extraordinary planet.

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    1. This lovely, thoughtful comment touches my heart Will. Thank you sincerely for your kindness and for appreciating the wild ones. Cheers to you & thank youㅤꨄ︎

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      1. Yay! All is well, Cindy! I just had my first art show. It was a blast. I’ll do a post on it next week!
        I have a post on Friday, but it’s about the pics Paul took during the Beatlemania tour to America in 1963-64.
        Best Pop Culture art show, ever!
        Hope you and yours are all healthy! ꨄ︎

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  6. Amazing captures, Cindy. Poor things are losing their habitats. My last visual encounter was in Cave Creek, AZ outside a restaurant. He was lurking in the brush but making his presence known. But we hear them in the hills yipping all night. Its whelping season and they are out and feeding pups! Beautiful pics of both predators!

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    1. Great to hear from you Terri! It is wonderful to live with their nightly symphonies isn’t it. The frogs, the great horned owls and the yotes make beautiful music together! Take good care and thanks for stopping by ꨄ︎

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  8. His ribs don’t show … yet, but he’s not fat. I hope he finds something to eat that I won’t miss. Maybe a rattlesnake or a rat? Great photos, Cindy. I assume that you have a good zoom lens so you don’t have to get very close.

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    1. Yes. I noticed just what you did, he is not at all emaciated like lone coyotes can sometimes be. There is quite a lot for him to eat out here, so I am hopeful he will survive. Thank you for stopping by & take good care ꨄ︎

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  9. It’s too bad that he’s been ejected from his pack but he seems to be doing well. My understanding is that these loner coyotes (and wolves, too) were often interbred with domesticated dogs (in the Canadian north) to produce a very hardy type of sled dog. Great pictures, Cindy.

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    1. Good point Lynette. We do have coy dogs and this could very well be one. They tend to have more irregular coats as this one does. We did have a large white dog that was part of the pack for several years. Coy dogs do tend to be less timid and thus more dangerous to humans. Very interesting. Thank you Lynette. Hope all is well with you ꨄ︎

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  10. Great photos, Cindy! You have captured his beauty and “personality” in your shots. Encountering a coyote holds deep spiritual significance in Native American culture. Depending on the tribe, context of the encounter, and geographical location, coyotes symbolize intelligence, adaptability, and often a lesson in disguise. And like our pet dogs, and all members of the Canidae family, he appears to be smiling, so charismatic and friendly-looking, yet he would bite the hand that feeds him. Good reason not to. But, still, such a gorgeous guy…I hope he makes it on his own, and believe he will.

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    1. I didn’t know all this about coyotes Susan. Fascinating. Thank you for enlightening me. Red Tailed Hawks also have spiritual significance in Native American culture. Close visits like this are considered messages from the spiritual world. Whenever we come back from a long trip, a hawk will greet us as we drive down the driveway. I always pay attention to them. especially when they pay attention to me. ꨄ︎

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  13. This is such a vivid and quietly captivating piece—it feels like stepping into a wild, breathing landscape.

    What makes it special is the way you’ve given “Spot” a presence beyond just observation. There’s a subtle story unfolding—of solitude, resilience, and survival—without ever forcing it. The small details, like the stick in his mouth or the curious expression, make him feel real and almost familiar.

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  14. I’ve never noticed that black and white stripe across the top of the shoulders before, these images highlighted it well. Plus I think he can feel your safe Cindy. Even the eagle felt comfortable to come have a look to see if you were going to give the coyote something he might steal 🤣 Great pictures kind lady, thank you for the share 🤗❤️🙏

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    1. Smiling. You are most kind Mark. Thank you. I was very struck that both the coyote and the hawk came in for closer views. Unusual. Take good care my friend ꨄ︎

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  26. We had both at our old house, I have a soft spot for both. David would see coyotes while walking the dogs early in the morning. We were also lucky that for several years, generations of red tails would hang out at our birdbath, the greatest joy for me. Great photos.

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    1. Lucky indeed! Generations of red tails at your birdbath would be utterly amazing. The hawks come close when I water. I shoot the water in the sky to them but they are too timid. I would have loved to see the hawks on your bath. Take good care & thank you Melinda ꨄ︎

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    1. Hi Liz. I suspect we will see more of him so I will keeep you posted. Hawks are formidable but the ravens are the rulers here. We have hundreds of them! Hope all is well with you my friend ꨄ︎

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  30. Anonymous

    Hi Cindy, we actually have the occasional coyote that wanders down our street. They are very clever and pretend to be just another dog minus an owner. The know they shouldn’t be there.
    Leslie

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    1. Hi Leslie! Great to hear from you. Sometimes individual coyotes can be quite brave. They are an incredibly clever and adaptive species. Amazing they pretend to be dogs! ꨄ︎

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  36. We have both of those in the regional park behind our house. Sometimes at night we can hear the pack howling. So far I’ve not seen a solo coyote wandering the neighbourhood.

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    1. Hi Rosaliene. Interesting. If you want to see them, you could set up a critter cam. They do rule the nights and it is fascinating to see what they are up to! ꨄ︎

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  44. Those are great coyote photos. We have a lot of coyotes in our neighborhood and they are dangerous to small dogs and cats. However, life as coyote is hard. Like you say they are hungry. They have to fight for survival.

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    1. This guy also has a bit of mange making his survival even harder. His immune system may be able to fight it off over the summer months if he has enough to eat, if not it can take a terrible toll. I have seen this in both bears and coyotes in California ꨄ︎

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  45. That coyote looks like he would have gone home with you quite easily. You just needed a bit of food to lure him in with a soft bed chaser. The hawk is beautiful. Too sad we are making such a mess out of their world.

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    1. Hi Marlene. So happy to hear from you! He does look deceptively cuddly doesn’t he, but he is quite formidable actually. Yes. It is awful how we continue to disrespect our Mother Earth. Be well my friend ꨄ︎

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  46. He looks healthy! May he be well and meet a new friend along the way. Thanks for introducing him Cindy 💐
    (You dropped off my WP feed for a while. Glad we are connected again) x

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    1. Hi Val! Wonderful to hear from you my friend. He does look healthy, but has a bit of mange which may hopefully resolve over the summer months if he has plenty to eat. I will check and make sure I am still following you. I think I am ꨄ︎

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  49. The coyote has a struggle to survive around our neighborhood except when he snags a feral cat. Your photos are beautiful and show clearly where dogs came from…thanks so much, Cindy.

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    1. Hi Shiela! I was just at your blog catching up with all you are up to. Quite a lot. Good for you! Yes. Coyotes have a hard time surviving, but they are incredibly adaptable. This guy has some mange. Which I am going to try and keep my eye on. Mange is a miserable conition if it gets worse. Give my best to Pretty & take good care ꨄ︎

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      1. When I was growing up, our dogs used to get mange. My daddy put a salve on them that my granddaddy used on his. As I recall, it cleared it up, or maybe that’s what I’d like to think. No vets in rural Texas for dogs back then. Be careful with your coyote…

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        1. It must be awful to have mange. Your relatives were nice. There is an oral medicine that will clear mange up in 24-48 hours expressly for wild coyotes and foxes.

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          1. Oh, wow, Cindy – that’s amazing!!
            Our granddaughters are going with their cousin and another little girl to stay in the Grey Wolves Lodge in Charlotte, NC tomorrow and Monday!!

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              1. They did have a magical time at the Grey Wolf Lodge!!
                Six-year-old Ella has now figured out how to call Nana from her Ipad and called us Sunday night to tell us they were all going to a pajama party at the Lodge…Can you imagine the fun?? I will give them a hug this week when we see them…

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