The coyote-wolf-dog

I am accepted into 3 herds of deer in 3 different NJ townships.
They don't mind my presence. I've earned their trust,
just by keeping up with them, never getting too close (according to their reactions)
and never attacking them, nor making sudden fast movements, nor talking loudly.
I've never fed them. They just learned to slowly trust me.
Once the matriarch accepts you, the rest of the herd will too.

That doesn't mean they will trust other humans. They can distinguish individuals.
I've been with a herd and someone else would see it and walk towards me,
and before that person got within 80 yards, the deer would run away.
Regardless, 3 herds is a tiny amount of the herds in New Jersey.
There are literally tons if deer in New Jersey.

A couple of weeks ago I was taking pictures of a deer herd,
that does not know me at all.
I had snuck up on them using some tall grass as a blind.

That worked fairly well and I got some good photos of several of the deer.
However, eventually one of them saw me move. She signaled the others
and the matriarch came over to check things out. I got one photo of her.
She snorted and they were off running away to an adjoining field about
80 yards from me.

I moved to a tree row that bordered the 2 fields and kneeled down and watched.
About 15 minutes later, something spooked the deer and they ran off again.
This time it wasn't me. After a few minutes, I saw an animal walking along
the opposite side of that field about 150 yards away.
It was just about sunset time. Indeed, the sun was about 1/2 down.
The 4 legged animal got closer as he angled across the field.
I could see through my large lens, that it was a coyote. Or was it.
It seemed larger than a coyote, a bit smaller than a wolf.

It looked a lot like this one (not my picture);
Embedded image from another site


I had heard on the news last year, that there had been coywolves, a cross-breed between wolves and coyote there. Was this one similar. So recently, I did some research. Indeed, research has been done on the genetic make-up of the eastern USA coyotes. .From this research it was found out that the coyotes here in the eastern USA are all crossbreeds in various combinations.
The mixture within a modern day eastern USA coyote is mostly coyote (about 64%) and about 13% Eastern wolf, about 13% grey wolf and about 10% dog. The exact mix in any coyote can be as low as 8% for any
of the above, except coyote. The further south you travel the more dog and the less wolf. The further north, the less dog and the more wolf.

It seems the wolves aren't that choosy when & where mates are scarce.
While part dog, I highly doubt any of the eastern USA coyotes is Chihuahua. laugh
But hey, you never know what a wolf or coyote will do for some Taco Bell. cool

Federal law allows wolfdogs as pets. That's where a wolf is intentionally bred with a dog, as long as the original wolf was at least 5 generations ago. However, different states and even different counties within states regulate it somewhat differently. In some states or counties it is illegal to own one.

If you try it in those areas, I suppose you're barking up the wrong tree. grin

Embedded image from another site
Post Comment

Comments (2)

I have been welcome into the herds of squirrels.

If you feed them they will trust you and even greet you at the door for a treat.
Sounds like, it was lucky, something worse didn't happen. laugh
Post Comment - Let others know what you think about this Blog.

About this Blog

by JimNastics
created May 2021
535 Views
Last Viewed: Mar 24
Last Commented: May 2021
JimNastics has 1,965 other Blogs

Like this Blog?

Do you like this Blog? Why not let the Author know. Click the button to like the Blog. And your like will be added. Likes are anonymous.

Feeling Creative?