Coyote captured on film near Umstead Park

A Raleigh Eco News reader who lives near Umstead State Park shot this backyard photo a couple of months ago using a motion-triggered trail camera. The person, who shall remain unidentified in order to deter coyote- or camera-hunting trespassers, reports:
The coyote appears a bit larger than it really is because the camera is only two feet off the ground, however this one is obviously well-fed and stout. I've read that coyotes in this part of the state have interbred with wolves, and are thus thicker than the average skin-and-bones type that you usually see.
The other objects in the pic include a mineral block (dark block on ground), a timed feeder hanging from a tree, and a sewer pipe clean-out access (sticking out of ground to the left of the base of the tree).
We have been hearing them every so often at night, and it's really picked up in the last few weeks. Coyotes sound like a cross between a pack of hyenas and a basket full of puppies. We haven't heard any Hollywood-style howling, yet.
Labels: coyotes, Umstead Park, wildlife
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