Song Dog or Trickster?

Pic by Member Greta Elizabeth Hurst

So what is a Song Dog? It turns out researchers have identifed 11 distinct vocalizations for the coyote, including howls, barks, yips, and whines. These long-distance calls are used to communicate with family members, defend territory, and confuse rivals by making a small group sound much larger. So, coyote's are not only know for their songs, but as "Tricksters." A mythological character common to many Native American cultures, Coyote stories gave them human traits, "shape" or "form," and have been told and retold for centuries to teach children survival techniques and how to live with their families among other lessons. The stories certainly made for great entertainment in the days before video games and phone screens. Imagine gathering around an evening fire listening to whimsical tales. One of the most valuable lessons we learned about coyote's is they are totally misunderstood which is why they are discriminated upon by modern society. A great book to learn more about their story is Coyote America by Dan Flores.

On this mid-February hike we found several signs of coyote including a perfect specimin of coyote poop and an animal trail headfirst into the brush with recognizable cotoye prints prfectly preserved in the snow. We found an abundance of deer tracks following the woodland hiking trail and several large deer "dig sights" created as the deer searched for food. We crossed some u-shaped snow trails which may have been used by otter, skunk or even oppossom. It was difficult to find detailed prints due to recent snow activty but the trail patterns gave them away.

We hiked past some excellent examples of less common trees including sycamore, shagbark hickory, ironwood and muscle woods. Some very large oaks, hickories and maples were found in the upland areas. It was definately picturesque to look up at the treetops and see patches of deep blue sky. The sun found some of the cloud holes and gave us short but welcomed sunbaths.

The hike was slow due to the many stops to keep the group together. The trail tread was packed snow (made by previous hikers) which made it a challenge to keep our balance. It was tough, but we all stayed upright and certainly had a much needed winter workout!