I had some good friends, who are no longer with us, who used to live in rural Spencer County. Back in the day, when I'd visit them, I could hear the coyotes howling.

Since they had Rottweilers, I asked about the concerns they might have had about letting the dogs out at night to go to the bathroom. Well, Nick told me that Tex and then, later, Beau would stay in the yard. And he said that was a good thing because a coyote would "tear 'em up."

I'm not a dog owner, although I love 'em, but that makes me no expert. And I took his word for it because it made since that a wild animal--even one that might be of smaller stature than his Rottweilers--might still have an advantage because of its nature.

On the other hand, I've recently heard from big dog owners that certain large breeds can handle themselves against coyotes. I know my aunt and uncle out in New Mexico don't ever worry about mountain lions on their property because of their two Great Pyrenees, which are, yes, larger in stature than American lions.

But it IS coyote breeding season, or at least it has just begun and that could paint a different portrait, since they'll likely be roaming a lot more and maybe be a little more aggressive, according to an AP story from a year ago.

There's also the "sprawl" which seems to have driven coyote wandering closer to more suburban areas. I see a lot more dead ones on the sides of roads than I ever have before. And it was a little over three years ago that this Facebook post appeared my feed about a coyote spotted in an Owensboro neighborhood:

They also must be big fans of golf:

A story on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife's website indicates that coyotes tend to become "less tolerant" of us humans during the time when they are tending to their pups. And that can last into the summer.

So be careful. Coyotes want as little to do with us as possible and, as far as I'm concerned, the feeling is mutual.

But I don't have a dog.

And if you do, you're probably already way ahead of me on this matter.

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