A tail of two critters

TAIL is not a typo. It's yet another Time Killer animal blog entry. Just when I felt Larry the boxer had quieted down and the deer have started to get ready for winter, another animal appears on the radar screen.

I was on my way out today when I eye-balled the back yard and saw this hyena-like creature sunning itself on the ramp going into our shed. The shed is a hang out for multiple critters - ground hog & skunk live underneath and there is always a family of mice living in my leaf blower.. I always check before starting up as one year I made a rodent salsa out of a mousekafamily. And, let's not forget the squirrel who entered our INSIDE through the fireplace.

Back to the latest ... My first impression was that this new creature was a fox but it didn't meet all those criteria (as IF I'd know)..The face was pointy but the tail was bare-ish, like a rat. That bothered me. A fox tail would have been nicer. It also didn't have a red hue. I think that perhaps this was a coyote. It got up and walked across the yard and it had a bounce in its step as if to say "screw you, bub...this is MY yard." I then went into the yard - with baseball bat in hand - just in case it attacked.. I saw no evidence of him but I did hear some rustling in the woods.

I was unable to get a picture so I went to the trusty internet (YOU TUBE) and saw some pictures that led me to believe this was a coyote. I've seen them on the news many times since being home. Town officials seem to always be killing them (that ain't good) so I didn't feel too bad holding a baseball bat. I doubt I'd engage in battle.

Meanwhile as the coyote/fox hybrid entered the woods I see my new-found friend in the yard next door - LARRY the Boxer. Old Larry was poised still like a hunting dog (mmmmm, fox?)..I could tell he sensed something but couldn't chase because his owner put up an invisible fence .. These are very popular and stop dogs from straying off the property (I guess it's electrical or audio). The culprit never appeared again but I think Larry saw it. I guess the fence that keeps Larry in place may keep Wil E Coyote off their property as well..