BROWN COUNTY
501 E. State Road 46 Salt Creek Plaza 812.988.4452
LODGE on the
MOUNTAIN
any
Two Secluded Guest Rooms Overlooking a Private Lake
Convenient to Nashville / Bloomington
SPECIALS
812-988-6429
$ 1 off
Real Fruit Smoothies Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Mocha · Frappe · Latte Hot Chocolate Iced Coffee
Valid at Nashville, Indiana location only beverage
FRI.& SAT.— BUY ONE get 2nd 1 / 2 OFF SUN.– THURS.— BUY ONE get ONE FREE
( Excludes Sept.– Nov.)
www. browncountylogcabins. com
Largest Collection of Bobby Knight Memorabilia
Breakfast 8:30- 11 a. m. Sandwiches & Salads 11 a. m.-?
At the corner of Main & Van Buren Streets( underneath the Nashville House)- 988-2355
52 Our Brown County • July / August 2015
COYOTES continued from 46
for no apparent reason. I could feel courage once again coursing through my veins and I yelled out“ Shuddupp!” I was somewhat surprised when the pack looked up at me and ran off into the woods. It was this little incident that sparked in me the quest for knowledge about Canis Latrans.
It is interesting to know that folks who hit their“ expiration dates” before the 1970s did not have much opportunity to hear or see coyotes in Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources( DNR). Since the seventies they have proliferated and can be found all over the state.
Coyotes are opportunistic and pretty adaptable. They are omnivorous and eat anything and everything from grasshoppers, berries, mice, rabbits, and roadkill, to chickens, small livestock, and even the family poodle.
Coyotes are also extremely fecund and have litters of up to ten pups in the spring of the year. According to the DNR, 30 coyote pelts showed up in the fur market here in 1970 and by 1978 there were 2,500. I have seen estimates as high as 20,000. That’ s a bunch of coyotes. Luckily for us they are pretty shy and stay out of sight most of the time.
The coyote is classified as a nuisance animal, or in academic terms varmints. They are not a protected species, as they appear to be fairly good at protecting themselves. There is no designated hunting season so coyotes can be hunted or trapped year round. My particular way of dealing with my furry, operatic, forest friends is to hire muscle by way of a large Anatolian Shepherd dog.
There are several breeds of livestock guard dogs that have been bred of the centuries to fend off coyotes, wolves, and even bears. Some of the best known of these breeds are the Great Pyrenees, a large fluffy white behemoth; the Kuvasz, a Hungarian breed; and the Kangal or Anatolian Shepherd dog. I find it a lot easier to let old Jasper do the barking now since my bark is about shot and my bite never was all that frightening.
The coyote is here to stay, so we might as well get used to sharing our habitat. In fact, ever since my first introduction, I’ ve been learning to like their occasional opera singing when they are far enough away that I have to strain a little bit to hear’ em.
Life in Brown County is always entertaining if you’ re paying attention. Listen close and you just might hear Senor Coyote lift his voice in an aria just for you. •