Under Siege

I've mentioned that the coyote situation is pretty intense this winter. They lurk around in broad daylight. Last Saturday afternoon, a coyote strolled by our back patio door. He was so close he could have turned the doorknob. The Wrangler jumped off couch, stormed outside, and chased him away.

We see them in the driveway when we leave for work. We see them in the neighbor's yard when we take the dogs for a stroll. We hear them in the howling just outside the bedroom windows as we tuck into bed.

Yesterday afternoon, right before sunset, the dogs were playing in our enclosed courtyard. Suddenly, they went on high alert and ran to the courtyard doors. They peered through the crack and found themselves eye-to-eye with a coyote. After I lured the pets back into the house with the promise of treats, the Wrangler and I went outside the courtyard to survey the scene. The courtyard doors had deep scratches from claws, and we were greeted with a pile of fresh coyote scat.

I'm not afraid of coyotes, but we're taking extra precautions. Our dogwalker carries a spray bottle. We closely supervise the pets now when they play in the courtyard--so long as the courtyard doors are shut and latched, a coyote can't get in. But I worry that the door could come unlatched. The Wrangler has been researching livestock guardians and is threatening to get a donkey to guard our little pack. Can you picture the donkey vs. coyote showdown?