Coyotes

Coyotes are a recurring part of the valley’s wild life, shown both as scavengers at the edge of the ranch landscape and as watchful animals in the hills Peter explores. Their brief appearances register the land’s seasonal conditions and place human activity within a wider animal world.

Seasonal Presence

In a mild spring, few calves are born dead, leaving slim pickings for the gaunt Coyotes prowling along the fringe of the willows. Their presence connects the rhythms of ranch life—calving and the survival of young cattle—to the food available for animals living beyond the herd.

An Encounter in the Hills

While searching the hills, Peter finds a horse skeleton and notices a lean coyote watching him from a nearby rise. The animal remains at a distance, a quiet presence in the landscape Peter is learning to read. In this moment, Coyotes are not merely part of the ranch’s seasonal tally: one shares the terrain with Peter as he searches it.