Coyotes, Sasquatch and manic media madness over predators!

COYOTES!  Just say that word and folks get all stirred up.  And sometimes when media gets wind of a coyote on a slow news day they tend to blabber breathlessly with  the kind excitement one might expect if hairy old Sasquatch himself was photographed riding into town on the back of a unicorn to the blare of heavenly trumpets. Get over it! Coyotes live in every county in the State of Michigan. They are one of the best established, mosty highly adaptable and intelligent creatures on our Oakland County landscape. And they have not been "driven out of the woods because of development." Coyotes live among us because predators follow prey and Oakland County is a land of great opportunity with ideal habitat for this often elusive predator.  And of course we have plenty of tasty things: Car killed deer, abundent mice, rats, rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, birds and the occasional carousing cat or off leash fluffy little yippie dog. Come next spring goose eggs and geese become delicious appetizers and entrees.   As for many reported coyote sightings: Misidentifications. This photo from last week - the real thing - photographed at Willow Metropark by Jennifer Reddig - is excellent for making note of three classic coyote charecteristics. 1. Ears pointing up.  2. Bushy tail hanging down. 3. And that 'last look back over the shoulder glance'. A coyote sighting is not news enough for the media to be yipping about. Not ever seeing one would be. I'm happy I have seen coyotes in the wild, but their presence is not a "Breaking News" story with "Details at 11."