Coyotes Are the New Top Dogs

Scientific American ^ | May 17, 2012 | Sharon Levy

[Grampa Dave]

“I had a collie that weighed about 40 lbs. When we would go walking on this same trail she would always chase deer into the woods and then come running back to me again. She loved that sport. One day she started chasing a doe with a fawn. The fawn took off but the doe started chasing my dog around and around in a circle in the woods and was pawing at her. I watched this for about thirty seconds and then whistled at them both and my dog came to me and the deer found its fawn and took off. My dog never wanted to play that sport again and I’m sure she was quite sore after that episode.”

Neighbors across the street have this huge female great Dane. The dog is very gentle and sweet. A couple of years ago, her female master was walking the big girl. I went over to pet the dog and talk to the lady.

Suddenly the dog broke loose and took off after a female deer with a couple of fawns. They went ripping down the small arroyo for a couple of hundred yards. Then, we heard the dog do a series of yelps.

Next, we saw the dog being chased by the big angry doe.

Not wanting to get into a collision between an angry doe and a cowardly Great Dane, I ran back to my yard and climbed into the bed of my pickup to watch the show.

The lady owner of the GD got into her SUV in the driveway and opened the rear door for the rapidly approaching dog with the chasing doe a few yards behind the doe. The GD got into the back of the SUV, and her owner closed the door.

The deer ran into the SUV, and the doe continued to bang into the door of the SUV. The doe circled the SUV looking for a way to get in the SUV and finish the dog.

The dog was howling, her mistress was yelling and honking the horn. The doe continued to scratch her feet in the driveway while banging her head against the SUV.

I was laughing so hard. I was in danger of falling out and off the bed of my pickup.

After a few minutes of this high comedy, I got out of the truck bed, got in my truck and started the engine. I drove across the street and up to the SUV and DOE. I got about 5’ from the doe, honked the horn and slammed my hand on the outside of the door. The doe left a stool sample on the driveway and went back down the arroyo to her fawns.

The lady got out and thanked me. She couldn’t get her cowering GD out of the SUV for about 2 hours.

Since then, the GD never chases a deer or any other wild critter on her walks.