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<\/p>\nFur instead of feathers today. And a question about predator and “pest” control at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.<\/p>\n
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Despite my intentions to stay home for the entire Labor Day weekend to avoid the crowds I ended up going to the mountains again yesterday where I photographed this coyote near a stream oxbow. “His” coat was a lighter color than I’m used to seeing on Antelope Island and he looked lean but healthy. I wasn’t particularly close to him but in this area coyotes are fairly spooky and for good reason. It’s cattle country, ranchers generally aren’t fond of coyotes and Utah has even placed a $50 bounty on them.<\/p>\n
Just having to type the last part of that last sentence makes me angry.<\/p>\n
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At one point he spotted something interesting in the grass some distance in front of him but there was a small rise between him and the potential prey so he jumped it. This is the beginning of the jump.<\/p>\n
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I wish my shutter had fired at the apex of the jump but I still got him with three feet off the ground…<\/p>\n
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twice.<\/p>\n
When he landed he took several quick steps toward the spot that had caught his interest but apparently it was a false alarm so he continued to hunt in the grass. Soon he disappeared behind the willows so I went on my way.<\/p>\n
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Several days earlier I made the long trip to Bear River MBR but it turned out to be cloudy up there so the light was poor and I was bird-skunked anyway. The only subject I found of interest was this raccoon feeding on a huge carp in very shallow water. The light was so poor it was never my intention to post any of these shots (I took way too many of them) but looking at them again reminded me of a question I wish I’d asked Bear River MBR Manager Erin Holmes when I interviewed her<\/a> a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n I had many questions on my list for Erin and one of them was “Do you practice predator control on the refuge?” She said that the mission of the refuge was to nurture and protect all native wildlife and that includes predators but I pressed the issue asking “What about red foxes?” She pointed out something I already knew saying that both red foxes and raccoons are sort of in a gray area as far as being native, especially to Utah where neither is truly native. I wish I’d pressed her further but the implication of her response was that they do practice predator control on both species (which I already knew about red foxes.)<\/p>\n But the question I wish<\/em> I’d asked her is “Do you control\/kill muskrats on the refuge?” Muskrats aren’t predators but they’re native to Utah and I know they cause considerable damage to refuge dikes with their burrowing activities so if<\/em> they control them I’m curious to know how they square that with their mission to protect “all native wildlife”.<\/p>\n I’ll be asking Erin that question next time I see her.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fur instead of feathers today. And a question about predator and “pest” control at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.<\/p>\n