As part of our Celebrating Coyotes Week tribute, we share stories showing how nature literacy can begin with a single encounter. In “Something Greater,” Robert Hoare reflects on how meeting a coyote led to months of observation and respect for these remarkable animals. To hear Robert's accompanying song “Relocate,” click the audio file just below the photo. To view his video, click the video link within the text titled “Something Greater.” The stunning Eastern coyote photo of "One Paw" was generously provided by seasoned and ethical nature photographer Ann.
Something Greater
My special journey with these remarkable animals began in 2022. It was an unusually long and warm autumn in southern Ontario and first time I had been back in my home town for an extended period in many years.
On October 23, I decided to walk one of the few remaining woodland areas in the neighbourhood. I wanted to see if the hillside field at the southeastern edge of the park was still there. It had been a magical place for me. If the field was still there, I thought I might return the next day with my guitar and play a little in the long golden grass.
As I crossed a creek, I could smell the earthy tones of autumn and see that the small pathway to the field was still there. It was lined by fiery orange-red sumac trees. I froze just as I came up over a small hill before the clearing. Before me, a few meters away, stood an equally surprised coyote. Our eyes locked. There was no fear. I sensed mutual curiosity.
Quite instinctively I muttered something ridiculous like, "Hey, I don't want any trouble." Nothing happened and with a slightly tilted head so common to canids, Coyote gazed back at me with bright yellow eyes. After a brief eternity, Coyote sauntered off into the bushes.
In that moment, I felt more alive and connected to something larger than myself then perhaps at any other time in my life. Three weeks later at dawn while preparing a lecture, I heard a bone chilling cry right outside my bedroom window. I witnessed the same coyote killing a rabbit. I grabbed my iPad, and I was fortunate enough to capture part of what seemed to me like a ritual dance, or was simply the joy of a meal after the first snow fall. I'm sharing this short video short video sequence with readers.
This was the beginning of my journey with coyotes.
Over the next seven months, I read anything about eastern coyotes (coywolves) I could get my hands on, and I had the privilege of speaking at length with Dr. Lauren Van Patter, Science Advisory board member from Coyote Watch Canada.
I also was privileged with seven additional encounters with the female and male pair over the next seven months. I watched patiently, and I learned how they used the system of creeks and adjacent backyards to move through the neighbourhood. I even watched them hunt on two occasions, but it was my last encounter on March 28, 2023 that is perhaps the most memorable.
Although I never actually saw a den, I was certain that they had one on the east side of the creek. Between early February to March, I remained for the most part on the west side of the creek, but on this occasion, my last day before returning back to Europe, I crossed the creek. If in the park, I was hoping they might show themselves one more time.
Suddenly, in close proximity something large was moving along side me in my peripheral vision. It was the female. She trotted beside me leading me. Her fur was caked in mud, and she stopped about ten meters ahead of me in the middle of the path. She looked back directly at me, squatted and urinated. I watched her for a short while and then moved on. It was an astonishing moment. That following year I recorded a few of songs dedicated to these experiences. They are loosely based on Indigenous beliefs and folklore surrounding Coyote, I included the song "Relocate" with this submission. I hope audiences enjoy it.
Coyotes are wonderful animals. We need to respect them and learn to live beside them.
~ Robert Hoare
This tribute is part of our ongoing commitment to nature literacy — learning how wildlife lives, how our actions affect them, and how coexistence grows from knowledge, respect, and responsibility. ~Coyote Watch Canada
