I know, so much for New Years resolution # 1 [going off line...] but this was most unexpected.

Today, as I do every Sunday - I took my mother out on a short hike on some trails in a nature center one town over, she just passed 77 years old so I make it a point to take my mother out every Sunday weather permitting.

Ok, so we came across a person who was with his kid, who was checking out this coyote pup, who is dead.

I looked at it and felt that this pup might have died due to a combination of mange and starvation, but I am not saying that based on anything other than an initial guess.
I though it was odd that this person found it, and I thought it was even odder that he found it before I did, as I'm always on the lookout for these kinds of things, but I do miss sightings from time to time as well I suppose.

Anyhow, what's even weirder is there is bear scat close by [not in the picture] and again, I can't say which occurred first]

So, I took a picture - and this guy was asking me - no - telling me all kinds of things which was making my mother uncomfortable, like how he clubbed a raccoon to death - said with immense joy - after luring it into his garage, and also how he wants to bait the raptors with raw chicken, and then - how he wants the skull of this small dog.

So, I started asking him some questions - as if I was on the side of law enforcement, and I could tell he was not happy with that.
It just got weirder and I was looking for a way to get rid of this person.

I felt bad for his kid... as I got the impression that his dad likes doing bad things to animals, like he gets off on it.

So finally, I shut him up when I just looked at him and said "you got all the answers don't you"...........

I took a picture - which is posted here [Paul, I hope that's ok...] because I'm interested from a forensics standpoint cause and manner of death.
In the picture is the case for my Samsung Active 8 so we have an idea of size, and the phone fits snug in this case.

After I took the picture, he asked who I was going to send it to - as my mother now spoke for the first time mentioned to me that I should send it out tonight.

I turned and told him in a calm voice while looking at him right in the eyes "you do not have a need to know" and he grabbed his kid and split.

Now, this area is lots of woods, but in an area that's a mixture of rural and suburban sprawl.

There's definately coyotes in the area, along with deer - and it seems to me that the ratio between predator and prey is balanced, so this caught me off guard.

Then, when I looked the the picture just now on my lap-top, I looked at it's right ear - on top - and I said to my self, gosh, is this a domestic dog pup ??

Because the ear looked like a floppy dog ear, like my dog's ear almost.

So I suppose I am asking if anyone could ID this for me.

Tomorrow I will go back and do some more poking around.

Of interest, the man's kid found a dead mouse near by - I also found a dead mouse the week before - which makes me wonder if this pup was poisoned and if what it eating it is dying as well.

There's an abundance of owls, hawks, the occasional eagle, and the last thing I want to see is what ever feeds off this dies too.

Is it possible to tell if this is mange, or could be be from exposure to the elements that the hair is gone over most of it's body.

Again, I can't say how long it's been there - and when I asked this guy, he could not answer either.

"But you found, in an area which could have been easily missed" I asked after inquiring if he knew how long it had been there, meaning I felt he must have known about it already.

Silence................

I know for sure, he was not happy about me asking him questions.

So, I suppose I'm interested in an ID of what we are looking at, and also if any clue to cause and manner of death could be ascertained.

I'll take better pictures tomorrow.

I've never seen a coyote this small, if it is a coyote.
Is it possible that it might be a kit fox ??

Thanks friends, and Happy New Year !!

I'd say it is a small coyote,with a very bad case of mange.I base this on the colour of the ears,shape of the head and the appearance of the remaining guard hair.I don't know if it just laid down there and died,or if it was put there.There seems to be not much disturbance around the site,so it may have just laid down there and died recently from exposure.
Most animals wont die in the open,they go for very thick cover to die.

It looks like a red fox that wondered into the barn a couple years ago and had to be put down. It was ate up with mange.

Regardless, it surely suffered

Thanks Boco , and that was my first instinct too - severe mange, leading to death by exposure.

*Funny thing is the man kinda got cross with me for suggesting that........... how unusual is it to see such young coyotes with such mange ??
I know I've seen adult coyotes with mange, but never such a small one - which I am assuming is from last years litter, I mean this guy is like a domestic house cat in size.

This area is actually kinda in the open, it's a wooded area that boarders wetlands which normally has very high reeds in place, but here they are leveled for some reason.

I also felt this coyote laid down and passed at this location, but now that you mention that it might have been placed there, I'm wondering not if that's a possibility too.

I'm definately going back there tomorrow and will do some more poking around and take some more pictures.

Would a bear consider this a free meal if hungry enough ??
Only asking because there was what looked to be fresh bear scat close by.

Thanks again Boco, Happy New Year.

cathryn, I agree.

What a horrible slow way to die.

I mentioned to the man that when mankind does not help Mother Nature keep the fur bearing populations in balance through proper wildlife management, than Mother Nature takes care of it on her own, which ends up being very very cruel.

A bear may not eat that if there is other food available.

A big old grinner wouldn't have a problem getting Into that.
Nature can be a cruel mother.

I have to say I find it a little odd you are so suspicious of a dead mangy coyote but maybe I'm missing something. Maybe the guy that was looking at it felt the same way.

You are right, I am making more of a deal than I ought to be - I guess It's only because of the location and the circumstances involving the other person.

I'm pretty confident that if i found it on my own, I'd be just chalking it up to nature taking it's course and maybe would have asked here just for a positive ID

I was also surprised - out of ignorance I suppose - that such a young pup could get mange and die of exposure, I could see starvation - but not like this, but again.... this is a new one on me.

I guess you could say I'll always wish I became a wildlife biologist [*which was a childhood interest, but one viewed as completely unattainable... especially when growing up in Brooklyn NY !!] instead of someone who has worked in the defense industry for over 32 years now - although working for the defense industry allows me to take a real interest in wildlife biology on my own thanks to a generous benefits package, to the point where I hope to trap as a volunteer for the studies the State Wildlife Biologists here are involved with, unfortunately this year - it's pinched nerves in my back that have shut me down [last two years was bad knees....]

Yes, it sucks getting old - especially when there's things you wish you could have done - but now physically can't.

Not sure. but isn't a bit early for a pup that young /small this time of year?
Dennis

I wondered about that too - and I was too ashamed to admit here that I have completely forgotten about their breeding season, but I also felt this pup's timing was off.
Going out now to see if he's still there, as I want to take some additional pictures - as I'm very interested in this from a forensics standpoint.

Even possums and bears have morals...