Track of the Coyote

by Todd Wilkinson, Michael H. Francis (Photographer)

Examines the physical characteristics, behavior, and habitats of coyotes, and discusses ecological and political issues relating to the control of the species.

Genres: Natural History, Animals

138 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

Todd Wilkinson is an American journalist and author proudly trained in the old-school tradition of asking tough questions and pressing for honest answers.
He is the founder of Mountain Journal. Since he began as a violent crime reporter with the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago, Wilkinson’s work has appeared in a wide variety of national publications, ranging from National Geographic and Christian Science Monitor to The Washington Post and many others (on topics of environment, art, culture and business) in-between.

Reviews

[Sher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 75 of Sher's 2012 Reading Challenge. I made my challenge of 75 books yipee! As some of your know coyotes are becoming more and more successful in suburban and urban areas of North America. Like wolves, pigeons, starlings and rats these animals have been maligned and persecuted. They are the survivors though and can't be eradicated unless the very last animal is shot or poisoned. This book is all about the life history of coyotes ; it follows an alpha pair in Yellowstone Park, and traces their amazing life together. The female alpha lived to be 13, which is the second oldest recorded coyote in the wild. Did you know coyotes mate for life? That they co-hunt with badgers? That , mostly, only the alpha pair can have pups? And that they have been incredible successful in Yellowstone, but now face decline since wolves have been reintroduced. Pictures in this book are many and first rate showing coyote in all sorts of life settings and activities. Highly recommended.

[Jennifer Delamarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own a coyote hybrid, so I'm looking for a book that will systematically explain coyote behavior, biology, etc. This book wasn't it, as it was more of an overview of coyotes in general and, woven throughout, the story of a specific pack of coyotes in Yellowstone National Park. That being said, I did enjoy the book very much and learned several things about coyotes that I didn't know. Also, the photographs in the book, of which there were quite a few, were full color and absolutely gorgeous.

[Marcelo Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It reads more like a biography of the Bison Peak pack of Coyotes in Yellowstone and less like a reference book of facts. A lot of information in a concise number of pages and the photos are not the finest quality, but give character to the coyotes and fit the tone of the book perfectly.

If you find yourself with an interest in these Original Americans, I would start here.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful book with beautiful photographs of the highly misunderstood and hated coyote.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the insight into natural coyote behavior. This book should extract anyone's biases toward coyotes. However, I found the speciesist language jarring and unfortunate coming from someone who so clearly respects these clever animals. As one example, the author sometimes calls them he and she, but frequently calls them "it." But they have gender, and they are not things. There is almost always a way to avoid calling animals "it," even if gender is not known, and this author frequently used "it" when gender was known. And the assumption that we need to keep killing coyotes because humans need wool or meat is just plain false. The final solution given, to buy predator friendly wool, is morally inconsistent, unjustifiable hair-splitting. Vegans have no conflict with coyotes or sheep.

If you can ignore that stuff, a very good book, highly recommended.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and informative book on coyotes in Yellowstone.