I could hear them before I even left the house. Coyotes, a small pack that treks about our land, yipping and howling away at the night somewhere in the long grass at the south-east corner of our property. I was walking Jasper out to the kennel for the night and save for a few barks back in reply, he was more focused on playing with me than the visitors lurking in the darkness.

“That’s enough, you guys!” I yelled out in their general direction.“Git!.” There was some rustling and then silence. They were gone.

Coyotes. They’re a fact of life on the farm. I think they’re attracted to the horses but they don’t dare come too close because of the dogs. The joke’s on them though, those horses wouldn’t stand for their nonsense any more than they put up with the dogs. I understand why people worry about them – they’re wild predators. Any time I go hiking in the back woods I’m reminded to take Jasper with me (Not that I ever go without him anyway) just to be on the safe side.

As far as I’m concerned, there are far worse predators out there to be worried about than coyotes (People being my number one concern, followed by the possibility of running into mama black bear. Living in the Rockies taught me not to underestimate Winnie the Pooh). I remember a couple of young coyotes jumping out of the grass at me a year ago. Standing maybe 5 feet away I was pretty much at a loss of what to do. They didn’t seem to know what they were doing either because for a few seemingly eternal moments we all stood there unmoving. This, of course, was also the first time that Jasper proved to me that he was not, in fact, the big sissy dog everyone accused him of being. Hackles up, ears back and a few well-executed snarls and those coyotes were gone before I finished blinking. I laugh to remember it now because even though I know he can handle himself I still worry more about him than myself when we’re out exploring the wilderness.

I know they’re there but I rarely think too much about them. You just know they’re a part of life and you co-exist accordingly. These wild dogs are, as recent public discourse has come to highlight, exceptionally common and now apparently becoming increasingly problematic out in the rural (and sometimes urban) areas of Hastings County. So the municipalities are considering a bounty, $100 per dog, to help control the “burgeoning” populations. Farmers are said to be concerned about their livestock (Although I’ve heard some conflicting reports on this one). People in more populated areas are worried that their pets will become prey to the wild dogs as natural game become scarce and human populations continue to encroach on their territory, pushing them to find alternatives.

I get why people are concerned, but this bounty is a terrible idea.

Maybe it’s because I’m big on harmonious cohabitation. Maybe it’s because coyotes are a species of animal that easily adapts to the restrictions placed on them by human populations. Maybe it’s because people have proven, given the opportunity, that they will push the limits in situations like this (I’m sorry, does anyone else remember the Minnie the Deer incident?)

I’m worried about our dogs. I can’t count how many times people have mistaken our Shilohs for something wild. Imagine if you didn’t know any better:

One of our girls, Matheja


A wolf


A coyote

See what I’m getting at? When they’re darting about the woods, they really don’t look that different.

There are geographical restrictions on the bounty but I don’t believe for a moment that the prospect of an easy $100 is going to stop someone from opening fire outside of those boundaries. Do I have to worry about walking my dogs off-lead along the trails now? Do I have to be worried about them running loose on our property (Between the Minnie the Deer incident and the fact that we’re no strangers to trespassers as is, I’m going to say yes).

I do not doubt that there is a problem here but I feel as though the bounty is a rushed and sloppy response. If local councils feel they must do something then at the very least I would appreciate them taking a more holistic approach to the issue. This article from the Belleville Intelligencer, written by Jason Miller, does an excellent job of outlining why I feel the way I do about all of this. It’s a far deeper issue than a simple bounty can address.

What do you think? Even if you don’t live in the Hastings/PEC area, what are your thoughts on dealing with coyote populations? Do you think the bounty is a good idea or would you opt for a more holistic solution? I’d love to hear your opinion on the matter

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