A silent communion
Not the Coyote we saw yesterday, but a Coyote from Yellowstone. Photo credit: Jim Peaco
My Borders, Bossy and Bark, normally sound off when an off-leash dog approaches us. But not yesterday.
Yesterday at Hilton Falls we met one of our resident Coyotes as we crested a hilltop. It’s the second time in the last six months we’ve been lucky like this. Last time we were coming around a corner on a forest path and I thought I was seeing the hind end of a young deer.
This time, the Coyote was out in the open. At first I thought I was seeing an off-leash German Sheppard running towards us. Expecting a vocal explosion from my terriers I stopped and looked around, preparing to ask the owner to recall his dog.
But when we stopped, the ‘dog’ stopped. And for a few seconds of suspended time we all gazed at each other, the ‘dog’ looking straight at us without a hint of confrontation in his body or attitude. No owner in sight. Certainly not a Sheppard. A handsome Coyote instead.
Far too quickly he turned and vanished into the hillside woods behind him, running through a carpet of fall leaves without making a sound. Bossy and Bark didn’t make a peep either. Just like when we met the Deer-Coyote in the woods in the summertime. A silent communion. Some amazing grace.
Terrier Logic 
I think this would help just ad if it barks or not but this really helped me thank you
Hi there, just wanted to mention, I enjoyed this blog post.
It was funny. Keep on posting!
Thanks for your comment and appreciation. I’ve been underground myself. coming back up for air.
Wow! It must have been fascinating to see a coyote up close. Were you scared at all? Or rather just surprised?
Not scared at all. Just intrigued. Different from the Coyote spotings we’ve had on the driveway at home when we’re about to let the dogs out for their Last Business of the day off-leash in the pitch dark. That is an altogether different scenario. That’s scary. Know of another neighbourhood Border Terrier who was let out at night and tangled with a Coyote. Made it home dead tired, covered with bites all over his body and Coyote saliva. But he came home alive. Lucky, plucky dog.
What an incredible experience and so interesting that they didn’t bark.
Perhaps I was so calm they didn’t feel the need to defend me.