coyotes – Page 2 – For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue

The Coyote’s Violet Gland

If you’ve been lucky enough to see wild coyotes up-close, you might have noticed that many have a prominent dark spot on their tails. Just under this spot is a nifty organ called the supracaudal gland or violet gland! It gets its name because it produces a musky oil that smells very strongly like violets.Continue reading “The Coyote’s Violet Gland”

Prevent Pandemics: Don’t Feed Wildlife

For years, raccoons have been suffering through a catastrophic pandemic introduced to them by domestic dogs. Canine distemper is a highly contagious, horrifically painful, and invariably fatal disease that infects large numbers of raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes in Tennessee. As many as half of the calls we receive are related to cases of canineContinue reading “Prevent Pandemics: Don’t Feed Wildlife”

Do Coyotes Howl When Hunting?

Many people panic when they hear the howls and yips of their coyote neighbors. They often believe these sounds mean that they, or their pets, are in danger. Don’t worry! Although it’s always best to keep small pets properly contained, a coyote who is howling isn’t trying to announce that it’s about to eat youContinue reading “Do Coyotes Howl When Hunting?”

Let Livestock Guardians Do Their Jobs!

One of our most important goals as an organization is to promote peaceful coexistence with wild animals. We strive to make sure that owners of livestock seek effective, nonlethal methods of protecting their herds. Instead of killing native predators— a futile, cruel, ineffective approach— many ranchers make the excellent decision to employ livestock guardian dogs.Continue reading “Let Livestock Guardians Do Their Jobs!”

Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?

We humans have a strange urge to create monsters. For many, it’s not enough for believe in predators that hunt prey. We have to also project strange, sinister, and even supernatural forces onto the creatures who share our planet. Since the beginning of time, we’ve created and exaggerated stories of dragons that abduct maidens, giantContinue reading “Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?”

Treating a Wild Animal With Mange Yourself? Not So Fast!

We get tons of messages from people asking us for advice on treating wild animals with mange. It’s wonderful that so many people care! Mange is extremely common in wildlife, particularly foxes and coyotes, and rates have skyrocketed in recent years due to human causes. When left untreated, mange causes infections, starvation, hypothermia, and eventuallyContinue reading “Treating a Wild Animal With Mange Yourself? Not So Fast!”

A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote

A fed coyote is a dead coyote. Coyotes are naturally fearful of humans and other large predators, since they evolved in ecosystems where bears, pumas, and wolves ruled the landscape. We average five times their size and they know we’re boss! When you see a coyote that is overly confident around humans, that’s a learnedContinue reading “A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote”

Killing Coyotes Makes More Pups

Coyotes are among the most persecuted wild animals of North America. Have you ever wondered why they’re still very common, despite being heavily hunted? When an adult coyote is killed, the social structure of its family, and nearby families, will fall apart. Its pups will be forced to disperse sooner, its territory will become wide-open,Continue reading “Killing Coyotes Makes More Pups”

Rabies in coyotes? Rare and unlikely.

You might have read the very alarming news articles about a father in New Hampshire who strangled a coyote to death when it attacked his two-year-old. For Fox Sake commends this incredible dad for his strength and bravery in the face of such a terrifying incident. Preying on humans is not normal behavior for aContinue reading “Rabies in coyotes? Rare and unlikely.”

There is no such thing as a humane leghold trap!

For Fox Sake has treated several wild animals with horrible injuries caused by leghold traps. In every case we have seen, the traps had been set by people who believed a common industry lie— that modern leghold traps are nothing like those of the past, and that they safely and humanely restrain animals without harm.Continue reading “There is no such thing as a humane leghold trap!”