Coyote in the Yard

Last night, I took my dogs out for their final pee before bedtime. While they were busy barking at three deer across the street, I happened to look over at my neighbor's yard where a motion-sensor light was triggered. There, scrounging around under the bird feeder, was a coyote. I've seen a few coyotes in the past and always have the same reaction: Whoa. Is that a dog? No. Acts funny. A fox? No. Too tall. A coyote? Yes. My guess is that he was after the small animals that might have been poking around the feeder.

I put my hands on my hips and he immediately took off. (This technique works well with spouses and children too). I was surprised that the coyote and deer didn't seem to care about each other. But then, coyotes go after small rodents. (Although there have been reports of coyotes taking down cats and small dogs.) And we all know that nothing scares off deer.

In any case, I'll be careful not to let my dogs out without their bodyguard (me).