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The Daily Coyote: Story of Love, Survival, and Trust in the Wilds of Wyoming
A lavishly illustrated journal based on the author's experiences of raising an orphaned coyote documents the first year of their relationship, during which the author, the pup, and her cat shared an unusual life in a Wyoming log cabin.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 2008
54 people are currently reading
2245 people want to read
About the author
Shreve Stockton
4 books68 followersI’m 33. I live in a town of 300 people, where it’s a sixty mile trip to the nearest grocery store and not uncommon to swing by the post office or bar on horseback.
In 2005, I had plans to move from San Francisco back to New York City - plans that were derailed when I rode through Wyoming and fell in love with this place. I went on to New York, but a month later turned around, returned to Wyoming, and moved to the area where I had only spent one day.
For more about the "Farmily" and my life in Wyoming, visit my new site HONEY ROCK DAWN !
You can also see more of my writing and photography at Vespa Vagabond , a site recounting my solo ride across the country on a Vespa.
My first book, a health guide and cookbook, was published in 2005.
You can check it out here.
For tidbits, random thoughts, and spontaneous updates on the "Farmily," join me on Twitter or Facebook!
In 2005, I had plans to move from San Francisco back to New York City - plans that were derailed when I rode through Wyoming and fell in love with this place. I went on to New York, but a month later turned around, returned to Wyoming, and moved to the area where I had only spent one day.
For more about the "Farmily" and my life in Wyoming, visit my new site HONEY ROCK DAWN !
You can also see more of my writing and photography at Vespa Vagabond , a site recounting my solo ride across the country on a Vespa.
My first book, a health guide and cookbook, was published in 2005.
You can check it out here.
For tidbits, random thoughts, and spontaneous updates on the "Farmily," join me on Twitter or Facebook!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews
February 27, 2023
Great unknowns were out there to be seen, felt, experienced; this was what life meant to me, this was what life was for.
I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved it. There.
Telling the story of a surviving coyote pup who is adopted by a woman looking for her own life's adventure, this is a beautifully laid-out hardback with arresting photographs (by the author) and text that involves the reader right from the get-go. How many books are there about adopting a coyote? Actually, it's more than an adoption. Charlie the Coyote becomes a valued member of the family, joining Eli the Dominant Cat, who puts Charlie in his place immediately. The woman, the cat, and the coyote form a bond of trust and loyalty, although there are trials and tribulations along the way.
This is not some cutesy tale about a family taking in a stray raccoon or a wounded dog. It is a hard look at the policies currently undertaken by the United States federal government to rid the land of coyotes (in order to protect the sheep and cattle...who are the intruders). It is a hard look at how a man, who becomes involved with the author, has to come to deal with the early accidental death of his little daughter. It is a hard look at the way Charlie starts to misconstrue the relationship with Shreve Stockton. It is a hard look at the boundaries the author decides to tackle in order to save her relationship with this extraordinary coyote.
The baby coyote was darling; defenseless and helpless. The baby coyote was a responsibility, a commitment. The baby coyote was covered with fat, brown fleas.
When I found this book in a little bookshop, I had not heard of "The Daily Coyote" blog and website. Instead, I purchased the book for its quality, the nice paper stock, the beautiful pictures, and the clumsy-looking coyote on the front cover. I found a treasure. Even if you don't get the book, check out the website for updates on Charlie and his ever expanding family (dog, cow, horse). If anything, I finished this book realizing that Charlie has as much a right to a life filled with his family members as any human.
And when we only believe what has been said before, what has been done before, we give our own power away.
Book Season = Spring (share the land)
I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved it. There.
Telling the story of a surviving coyote pup who is adopted by a woman looking for her own life's adventure, this is a beautifully laid-out hardback with arresting photographs (by the author) and text that involves the reader right from the get-go. How many books are there about adopting a coyote? Actually, it's more than an adoption. Charlie the Coyote becomes a valued member of the family, joining Eli the Dominant Cat, who puts Charlie in his place immediately. The woman, the cat, and the coyote form a bond of trust and loyalty, although there are trials and tribulations along the way.
This is not some cutesy tale about a family taking in a stray raccoon or a wounded dog. It is a hard look at the policies currently undertaken by the United States federal government to rid the land of coyotes (in order to protect the sheep and cattle...who are the intruders). It is a hard look at how a man, who becomes involved with the author, has to come to deal with the early accidental death of his little daughter. It is a hard look at the way Charlie starts to misconstrue the relationship with Shreve Stockton. It is a hard look at the boundaries the author decides to tackle in order to save her relationship with this extraordinary coyote.
The baby coyote was darling; defenseless and helpless. The baby coyote was a responsibility, a commitment. The baby coyote was covered with fat, brown fleas.
When I found this book in a little bookshop, I had not heard of "The Daily Coyote" blog and website. Instead, I purchased the book for its quality, the nice paper stock, the beautiful pictures, and the clumsy-looking coyote on the front cover. I found a treasure. Even if you don't get the book, check out the website for updates on Charlie and his ever expanding family (dog, cow, horse). If anything, I finished this book realizing that Charlie has as much a right to a life filled with his family members as any human.
And when we only believe what has been said before, what has been done before, we give our own power away.
Book Season = Spring (share the land)
March 31, 2018
The Daily Coyote: Story of Love, Survival, and Trust in the Wilds of Wyoming by Shreve Stockton. Hardcover. ©2008. 304 pages. Nonfiction.
A great read with stunning photographs about the daily life and learning curve of a lady raising a beautiful coyote pup to adulthood. Highly recommend for canine lovers. Picked this up at the local thrift.
A great read with stunning photographs about the daily life and learning curve of a lady raising a beautiful coyote pup to adulthood. Highly recommend for canine lovers. Picked this up at the local thrift.
December 8, 2008
I delighted in this story of raising a coyote pup and was thoroughly envious of the wonderful photography included. Though Shreve made no bones about the challenges involved in raising little Charlie, I was immediately enamored of the idea. Having long felt an affiliation for the trickster, this story immediately appealed to me, but I was also engaged by Shreve's conversational tone, her musings, and her relations of the Wyoming life in which she found herself. Beyond the heart warming story of Charlie, Shreve left me contemplating the path my own life has taken and has yet to take. Her courage and audacity is inspiring.
January 10, 2012
I read this book and though I did enjoy the theme of the unusual human-animal relationship, I was frequently distracted by the authors overwhelming opinions on how to live life. I felt the author was extremely hypocritical throughout the book, insisting that those leaving negative comments regarding her Charlie(the coyote) had no right to judge because they didn’t know her or Charlie and there for had no basis for comment. However, she had no quams about judging Mike(her boyfriend) and pointing out how he has wrongly handled the death of his daughter. Throughout the book there are many strong opinions on how Shreve feels people should act, not act, think, not think, etc and by the end of the book I was actually a little irritated with her. Her strong beliefs were honestly overbearing and really took away from what the story was actually supposed to be focused on, Charlie and Her.
February 11, 2009
The greatest thing about this book is the photos. Charlie is the star of the show, and Shreve has captured him in all of his moods and stages of development. She has a degree in photography, and the pictures are delightful.
It would be easy enough to nitpick about the flaws in this book, but I won't do it because it seems like too much of a cheap shot. The author never intended to write a book. She was approached by publishers and she gamely stepped up to the challenge, with a six-month deadline. I doubt I could have done as well.
I was surprised that she didn't definitively establish herself as the alpha from day one with Charlie. I sort of thought everyone knew that, but then she did say she'd never had a dog before. She ended up doing a lot of remedial work to deal with some serious and potentially dangerous behavioral and aggression problems when Charlie got to be about nine months old. He certainly showed that he was still a wild animal.
I got a kick out of the way her cat Eli was really the king of the castle. He's the true alpha, over both Shreve and Charlie. Even when Charlie started becoming aggressive, he was always totally obsequious toward the cat. Funny!
It would be easy enough to nitpick about the flaws in this book, but I won't do it because it seems like too much of a cheap shot. The author never intended to write a book. She was approached by publishers and she gamely stepped up to the challenge, with a six-month deadline. I doubt I could have done as well.
I was surprised that she didn't definitively establish herself as the alpha from day one with Charlie. I sort of thought everyone knew that, but then she did say she'd never had a dog before. She ended up doing a lot of remedial work to deal with some serious and potentially dangerous behavioral and aggression problems when Charlie got to be about nine months old. He certainly showed that he was still a wild animal.
I got a kick out of the way her cat Eli was really the king of the castle. He's the true alpha, over both Shreve and Charlie. Even when Charlie started becoming aggressive, he was always totally obsequious toward the cat. Funny!
April 29, 2010
Delightful book! This is a year in the life of Shreve Stockton while struggling to survive in the harsh elements of Ten Sleep, Wyoming. The timeframe is from April to April, and depicts the author's life with a coyote puppy she named Charlie: How they loved and cared for each other. How they reached an understanding; and how she stablished who was boss of the house. Shreve also found love in Wyoming--the human kind. She shares abit about her relationship and struggles with Mike and his job as a controlled hunter, of sorts, with the Bureau of Land Management.
The author incorporated her struggles with the harsh Wyoming elements (wind!), jobs she took, her daily life living with a wild animal that had so much personality. As Charlie grew, he became harder to handle and didn't see Shreve as the boss most of the time. At the flip of a switch Charlie could go from wild to loving. Interesting how she overcame this.
A lot of things happen around Charlie. The amazing instincts Charlie had. Grapes are poisonous to dogs (who knew?) and Shreve was giving Charlie grapes to play with and eat. Charlie began eating a burnt tree. He was ingesting Charcoal. The way Charlie hid his food around the house for later. But, even with his wild nature, he was a very loving animal most of the time. Belly rubs, obedient and a big baby.
I'm smiling as I recall Charlie's relationship with Eli (the cat) and one of Mike's dogs who killed coyote puppies in their dens.
The author didn't state, exactly, how old she was, but I estimate her to be in her late 20's or early 30's at the time of the events in the book. Originally from the Seattle area, then a New York City transplant, Shreve starts her memoir leaving San Francisco after living there two years. She was looking forward to getting back to New York City, where she called home. On her drive home (on a Vespa) she went through Wyoming and fell in love with the nature, but continued "home." On a whim, she searched the Internet for a rental in Wyoming and made her move--no job, just hope and a lot of courage.
She seemed determined to make it on her own even amongst the ridicule from some. Shreve doesn't mention her family directly, but a few friends from her past keep in touch with her via the Internet and what started out as "daily coyote updates" turned into a business.
I cried, laughed and chuckled through much of the book. People have to do what they feel they have to do and Shreve did just that.
Shreve! You should stop into the church and say hi. I feel a sequel....
The author incorporated her struggles with the harsh Wyoming elements (wind!), jobs she took, her daily life living with a wild animal that had so much personality. As Charlie grew, he became harder to handle and didn't see Shreve as the boss most of the time. At the flip of a switch Charlie could go from wild to loving. Interesting how she overcame this.
A lot of things happen around Charlie. The amazing instincts Charlie had. Grapes are poisonous to dogs (who knew?) and Shreve was giving Charlie grapes to play with and eat. Charlie began eating a burnt tree. He was ingesting Charcoal. The way Charlie hid his food around the house for later. But, even with his wild nature, he was a very loving animal most of the time. Belly rubs, obedient and a big baby.
I'm smiling as I recall Charlie's relationship with Eli (the cat) and one of Mike's dogs who killed coyote puppies in their dens.
The author didn't state, exactly, how old she was, but I estimate her to be in her late 20's or early 30's at the time of the events in the book. Originally from the Seattle area, then a New York City transplant, Shreve starts her memoir leaving San Francisco after living there two years. She was looking forward to getting back to New York City, where she called home. On her drive home (on a Vespa) she went through Wyoming and fell in love with the nature, but continued "home." On a whim, she searched the Internet for a rental in Wyoming and made her move--no job, just hope and a lot of courage.
She seemed determined to make it on her own even amongst the ridicule from some. Shreve doesn't mention her family directly, but a few friends from her past keep in touch with her via the Internet and what started out as "daily coyote updates" turned into a business.
I cried, laughed and chuckled through much of the book. People have to do what they feel they have to do and Shreve did just that.
Shreve! You should stop into the church and say hi. I feel a sequel....
August 15, 2011
I loved this book beyond the boundaries of all reason. I think it was a case of the exact right book hitting me at the exact right time.
I picked this up from a Borders going-out-of-business sale. Those are always fun because you never know what you'll find. I'd heard about this book, but I'm not sure I would have read it if I hadn't been able to flip through it and have the photos completely suck me in.
Shreve Stockton is a professional photographer who was, at first, unfathomable to me. Mainly because she was living in San Francisco (fairly close to Heaven, Heaven here defined as "the coast of Monterey Bay") and couldn't wait to get back to New York City (human anthill, smells of feet. I know, I know, center of culture, throbbing commercial heart of the country, city that never sleeps, blah blah blah, still a human anthill, still smells of feet.) To do this, she drove her Vespa across the country and, inevitably, fell in love with Wyoming. She continued on to New York City, thinking it was just infatuation and she'd get over it, but she didn't. You don't get over falling in love with the land out there. So, from NYC, she called and rented a house in Ten Sleeps, Wyoming a city she picked, I suspect, because of its poetic name as well as its location.
She moved out to Wyoming and loved it. She documents her life as she meets the locals, becomes accustomed to the sky and the rhythm of life, and falls in love with the requisite blue-eyed handsome cowboy.
Here's where the book got tricky for me. Her cowboy is employed shooting coyotes. I don't agree with killing predators like that. I understand the sheep have to be protected, but I completely disagree with this method of doing it, and there's something repulsive to me on a very primitive level about deliberately killing any healthy canid. However, that's what Mike (said blue-eyed handsome cowboy) does for a living, and Shreve loves him anyway. But what really wins her heart is the day he kills two coyotes (parents) and brings her the surviving kit, instead of killing it as he'd usually do. Here's where I really need the disclaimer: I don't approve of this behavior. However, I also don't approve of slavery, lying, or stealing your sister's fiance, and I still loved Gone with the Wind. So here I can't condone the actions, but I can love the rest of the story.
Shreve takes the coyote in, names him Charlie (well, actually Mike named him) and raises him. He's eminently photogenic, so she begins taking pictures of him and sending them to her friends and family back east. About the time she noticed she was doing it every day without fail, she began calling the emails "Your Daily Coyote." That lead to a blog and, eventually, a paid subscription (that you can still subscribe to) which helps support Shreve's adventures.
The changes in her behavior and mindset that she had to make when raising Charlie changed Shreve's life. Her internal reflections and the way she thinks are wonderful and charming. She has a knack for writing the humor of everyday life (I loved her adventures with the geese). The small minutiae of her life, and the poetry in the way she narrates, are what make this book a gem.
Also, this book made me think kind thoughts about Cesar Milan, which is really a pretty phenomenal feat.
I picked this up from a Borders going-out-of-business sale. Those are always fun because you never know what you'll find. I'd heard about this book, but I'm not sure I would have read it if I hadn't been able to flip through it and have the photos completely suck me in.
Shreve Stockton is a professional photographer who was, at first, unfathomable to me. Mainly because she was living in San Francisco (fairly close to Heaven, Heaven here defined as "the coast of Monterey Bay") and couldn't wait to get back to New York City (human anthill, smells of feet. I know, I know, center of culture, throbbing commercial heart of the country, city that never sleeps, blah blah blah, still a human anthill, still smells of feet.) To do this, she drove her Vespa across the country and, inevitably, fell in love with Wyoming. She continued on to New York City, thinking it was just infatuation and she'd get over it, but she didn't. You don't get over falling in love with the land out there. So, from NYC, she called and rented a house in Ten Sleeps, Wyoming a city she picked, I suspect, because of its poetic name as well as its location.
She moved out to Wyoming and loved it. She documents her life as she meets the locals, becomes accustomed to the sky and the rhythm of life, and falls in love with the requisite blue-eyed handsome cowboy.
Here's where the book got tricky for me. Her cowboy is employed shooting coyotes. I don't agree with killing predators like that. I understand the sheep have to be protected, but I completely disagree with this method of doing it, and there's something repulsive to me on a very primitive level about deliberately killing any healthy canid. However, that's what Mike (said blue-eyed handsome cowboy) does for a living, and Shreve loves him anyway. But what really wins her heart is the day he kills two coyotes (parents) and brings her the surviving kit, instead of killing it as he'd usually do. Here's where I really need the disclaimer: I don't approve of this behavior. However, I also don't approve of slavery, lying, or stealing your sister's fiance, and I still loved Gone with the Wind. So here I can't condone the actions, but I can love the rest of the story.
Shreve takes the coyote in, names him Charlie (well, actually Mike named him) and raises him. He's eminently photogenic, so she begins taking pictures of him and sending them to her friends and family back east. About the time she noticed she was doing it every day without fail, she began calling the emails "Your Daily Coyote." That lead to a blog and, eventually, a paid subscription (that you can still subscribe to) which helps support Shreve's adventures.
The changes in her behavior and mindset that she had to make when raising Charlie changed Shreve's life. Her internal reflections and the way she thinks are wonderful and charming. She has a knack for writing the humor of everyday life (I loved her adventures with the geese). The small minutiae of her life, and the poetry in the way she narrates, are what make this book a gem.
Also, this book made me think kind thoughts about Cesar Milan, which is really a pretty phenomenal feat.
January 9, 2020
One day, Shreve's boyfriend - who kills coyotes for a living - brings her a tiny coyote pup, the only one he did not kill...
The book recounts a year of living with Charlie, as the coyote was named. The author does not bore us with her entire childhood or life story, as is usually the case with such books. Instead, it's all about Charlie, with a quite welcome romance in the background. It was an effortless & enjoyable read, overall, although it did nothing to expand my knowledge of coyotes.
Unlike most "pet memoirs," this one doesn't end with the animal's tragic death. On the contrary - Charlie is still around even as I write this review, and The Daily Coyote is still up & running.
Goodreads average rating is exactly what I'd give this book: 3.99 stars & a positive-vibe label.
The book recounts a year of living with Charlie, as the coyote was named. The author does not bore us with her entire childhood or life story, as is usually the case with such books. Instead, it's all about Charlie, with a quite welcome romance in the background. It was an effortless & enjoyable read, overall, although it did nothing to expand my knowledge of coyotes.
Unlike most "pet memoirs," this one doesn't end with the animal's tragic death. On the contrary - Charlie is still around even as I write this review, and The Daily Coyote is still up & running.
Goodreads average rating is exactly what I'd give this book: 3.99 stars & a positive-vibe label.
May 9, 2015
When I picked up this book I expected an interesting animal story, and instead found an absolutely engaging page-turner about a wonderful young woman's search for herself in Wyoming. I read it cover to cover in a day-- this is one of the best books I have read in years.
The story of the author's unexpected fork in the road-- the choice to allow a tiny baby coyote to be drowned or to take on its care for life-- and the path she took illuminates so many things about her, and about all of us as human beings. This is a remarkably well-written memoir about a fascinating person and her fascinating animal family. It is a story of about love, both between humans and animals and between a man and a woman-- both stories about figuring out how to be an individual, how to trust, how to overcome fear, and how to accept that we can't always be in control in life. It is also illustrated by some of the most beautiful and compelling wildlife photography I have ever seen. Shreve Stockon is a great photographer.
The characters of her book are all complex and skillfully portrayed. Shreve herself is my new heroine-- a free spirit determined to believe in life and love, despite the knocks and pain she experienced along the way. She is brave, even when terrified. She is wise, even when she is naive or foolish. She takes chances few people would risk, and in the process redefines the boundaries of her own life. It's not at all surprising that a spirit like hers is moving towards a happy ending at the close of the book.
Mike, Shreve's friend and boyfriend, is also a very complex person. Kind, solid, brave, genuine, and also willing to take a chance after enduring a great deal of heartache, he is another person we feel privileged to come to know through this book. I was rooting for Mike throughout the book, just as Shreve seems to be.
Charlie, the coyote Shreve and Mike share their lives with, will be absolutely fascinating to anyone who has ever raised a puppy through adolescence and the accompanying rough patches, as well as anyone who is interested in the unique character of coyotes and wolves. This is both the story of a unique and accidental family and an intriguing account of coyote behavior.
As a person who cares deeply about wildlife, and someone who worked in conservation education for many years, I understand that there are people who will not approve of the choice made by Shreve. I was afraid for her and for Charlie as I read this book, knowing that their fate rested on the edge of a knife, with disaster and heartbreak always looming as very real possibilities. But in the end I believe that Shreve's choice was the right one for her, and I have tremendous respect for her huge heart, toughness, independence, and willingness to take a chance on love. Her willingness to trust in the goodness of strangers has brought a great deal of joy into her life. I sincerely hope that they will be able to continue to find happiness together.
Finally, since I think the author may read our reviews, I just wanted to add a note for her. I feel sure there will be film offers made for this story. If so, don't take the first offer, :), and keep some rights of approval over the script-- don't let them change what is true about Charlie, what is amazing about you, and what is complicated and good about Mike. You really have inspired me to think about what makes a good life. I'll be thinking about your book for a long time, and hope a sequel will follow.
The story of the author's unexpected fork in the road-- the choice to allow a tiny baby coyote to be drowned or to take on its care for life-- and the path she took illuminates so many things about her, and about all of us as human beings. This is a remarkably well-written memoir about a fascinating person and her fascinating animal family. It is a story of about love, both between humans and animals and between a man and a woman-- both stories about figuring out how to be an individual, how to trust, how to overcome fear, and how to accept that we can't always be in control in life. It is also illustrated by some of the most beautiful and compelling wildlife photography I have ever seen. Shreve Stockon is a great photographer.
The characters of her book are all complex and skillfully portrayed. Shreve herself is my new heroine-- a free spirit determined to believe in life and love, despite the knocks and pain she experienced along the way. She is brave, even when terrified. She is wise, even when she is naive or foolish. She takes chances few people would risk, and in the process redefines the boundaries of her own life. It's not at all surprising that a spirit like hers is moving towards a happy ending at the close of the book.
Mike, Shreve's friend and boyfriend, is also a very complex person. Kind, solid, brave, genuine, and also willing to take a chance after enduring a great deal of heartache, he is another person we feel privileged to come to know through this book. I was rooting for Mike throughout the book, just as Shreve seems to be.
Charlie, the coyote Shreve and Mike share their lives with, will be absolutely fascinating to anyone who has ever raised a puppy through adolescence and the accompanying rough patches, as well as anyone who is interested in the unique character of coyotes and wolves. This is both the story of a unique and accidental family and an intriguing account of coyote behavior.
As a person who cares deeply about wildlife, and someone who worked in conservation education for many years, I understand that there are people who will not approve of the choice made by Shreve. I was afraid for her and for Charlie as I read this book, knowing that their fate rested on the edge of a knife, with disaster and heartbreak always looming as very real possibilities. But in the end I believe that Shreve's choice was the right one for her, and I have tremendous respect for her huge heart, toughness, independence, and willingness to take a chance on love. Her willingness to trust in the goodness of strangers has brought a great deal of joy into her life. I sincerely hope that they will be able to continue to find happiness together.
Finally, since I think the author may read our reviews, I just wanted to add a note for her. I feel sure there will be film offers made for this story. If so, don't take the first offer, :), and keep some rights of approval over the script-- don't let them change what is true about Charlie, what is amazing about you, and what is complicated and good about Mike. You really have inspired me to think about what makes a good life. I'll be thinking about your book for a long time, and hope a sequel will follow.
November 25, 2012
The author, Shreve Stockton, is a young woman who was moving from San Francisco to New York and fell in love with Wyoming during that part of the trip. So she moves to a small, rural town in Wyoming and gradually integrates into the rural Wyoming life. Along the way a friend, who is a paid coyote hunter, gives her an infant coyote pup.
Stockton ends up raising the coyote and the book focuses on that but also includes her descriptions of the rural lifestyle, her teaching experience, her rancher/coyote hunter boyfriend, her small cabin etc..
It is a fun, balanced read. She has a nice sense of humor but also addresses the more serious issues in the book. She acknowledges the controversy about raising a wild coyote in rural Wyoming both from anti-coyote ranchers and also from others who do not believe it is ethical or appropriate to essentially domesticate a wild animal. She explains her actions while understanding the different perspectives and also discusses her hurt when receives personal criticism(a lot which comes through a blog she started on Charlie the coyote)
But I want to emphasize that while there are serious discussions, it mainly a fun, balanced enjoyable read
Stockton ends up raising the coyote and the book focuses on that but also includes her descriptions of the rural lifestyle, her teaching experience, her rancher/coyote hunter boyfriend, her small cabin etc..
It is a fun, balanced read. She has a nice sense of humor but also addresses the more serious issues in the book. She acknowledges the controversy about raising a wild coyote in rural Wyoming both from anti-coyote ranchers and also from others who do not believe it is ethical or appropriate to essentially domesticate a wild animal. She explains her actions while understanding the different perspectives and also discusses her hurt when receives personal criticism(a lot which comes through a blog she started on Charlie the coyote)
But I want to emphasize that while there are serious discussions, it mainly a fun, balanced enjoyable read
July 22, 2011
It was a wonderful story. Loved Shreve's writing style, it was done in such a way that you didn't want to put the book down. It was differcult at tines to hear how the friend of Shreve's goes out to cull Coyote on a daily basis. I know some people will be up at arms over her choice of taking in a wild animal. I think she did well in taking in Charlie. His best interest were foremost in Shreve's mind. I think Charlie needed food and shelter. He came away with those plus many other things- joy, sense of belonging, and he touched one person who has the power to inturn touch many others. As humans we need to know and love something to want to save it. Shreve and Charlie helped to teach us that. If Charlie could have had a normal and viable life just living his life as any Coyote does. I can't say which life Charlie would have chosen had he the chance to pick. I so believe we need to learn to live with the animals- not the other way around.
Great read and beautiful pictures.
Will follow on Charlie's and Shreve's website.
Recommend to a friend!
Great read and beautiful pictures.
Will follow on Charlie's and Shreve's website.
Recommend to a friend!
April 26, 2010
This was an excellent book! And yes I know I say that a lot, but this really is an excellent book. Well worth reading.... chock 'o block full of pictures, funny stories about Charlie, the coyote, and yet still reveals personal things about the author, Sherve Stockton.
This book is about Sherve Stockton, and her life from New York city to the small town of Ten Sleep, Wyoming. As she adjusts to life in the far west, she meets Mike, a local small cattle rancher, who works for Wildlife services. Mike kills coyotes around the area, to protect local ranch animals, and to keep people from just going out a shooting around willy nilly. He comes across a coyote den with pups inside, and for the first time ever he decides he just can't kill the one pup that looks right at him. So he brings it home to Shreve. Who decides to raise, the pup, who is later named Charlie.
This book is about Sherve Stockton, and her life from New York city to the small town of Ten Sleep, Wyoming. As she adjusts to life in the far west, she meets Mike, a local small cattle rancher, who works for Wildlife services. Mike kills coyotes around the area, to protect local ranch animals, and to keep people from just going out a shooting around willy nilly. He comes across a coyote den with pups inside, and for the first time ever he decides he just can't kill the one pup that looks right at him. So he brings it home to Shreve. Who decides to raise, the pup, who is later named Charlie.
April 1, 2010
At times Stockton has a gift for the descriptive that borders on the poetic in a way that is not dissimilar to Pat Conroy. Looking at Wyoming sunrises, or Charlie's exuberant zest for life through her eyes was worth the read all on its own. However, at other times the narration breaks down with annoying repetition and confusing lines of thought, making her arguments unconvincing. Her judgement of Mike, for instance, and the trouble she deems he was having over his daughter's death told me more about Stockton's control issues than about that unfortunate man's own state of mind.
At best it is a book about a woman with a coyote. At worst, it's a self-help book written by a woman who preaches much, but practices little.
At best it is a book about a woman with a coyote. At worst, it's a self-help book written by a woman who preaches much, but practices little.
May 28, 2016
I have to agree with a previous poster's view that this book had a tone of emotional immaturity. I also found it to be incredibly self-congratulatory. The author wrote as if she could do no wrong; needed to take responsibility for nothing. In her view, she got fired from her job as a teacher simply for doing the morally right thing. Her troubles with her boyfriend were only because he hadn't dealt with his own issues. She wept over the death of a goose that had "been so evil" to her, which she seems to have put into the book in order to show her great magnanimity. In some instances, the editor should have improved and corrected writing errors, but there isn't much you can do when the sentiments being expressed are the result of a lack of emotional development.
November 11, 2019
I loved this book!!! Shreve is amazing that she not only adopted this sweet guy Charlie but is still caring for him so many years later. I too chose to leave big citydom and find a new life in rural settings so I could relate to her descriptions of the countryside. But Charlie is really captivating and I thank her for taking such great care of him (and viceversa!). And her photos of Charlie are wonderful.
July 5, 2025
that was a fun read! my favorite part was wyoming though, i liked charlie (the coyote) but i’m not really a dog person. :) i desperately want a road trip through the middle-of-nowhere places, for the record. it was a nice, sleepy slice of life type deal, though she could’ve skipped the few weirdly hippie-spiritual parts. 🤨
Read
March 8, 2023This story is incredibly unique. It's not a Disney movie, it's very gritty and personal. You are right there in the wilderness with Shreve as she navigates her relationship - sometimes tender, sometimes rocky, sometimes playful - with a coyote. If you're a dog owner, it will make you look at your relationship with your pets in a whole new light.
May 31, 2016
I bought this book for a friend's Christmas present, but since we still have not been able to visit each other it shall sit on my shelf a while longer, so, why not! (She won't mind.)
I am giving this book one whole extra star just for wish-fulfillment appreciation. I really do appreciate it. I am also recommending that everyone who lives or has lived in New York City read the first chapter or two of this book. It's not that the rest of it isn't interesting too, but I was so surprised by the setup to the main subject of the book. The way she describes her prior life in NYC, deciding to leave it for its opposite on a whim, and what changes it makes to a person, is just really accurate. You can tell she really has been one of us, and has found the other side of the coin that we often wonder about. Her willingness to strike out and perform tasks and jobs and bonds she's never been near before is as much a perfect wish-fulfillment story as when you are having the kind of day where you are saying, "I hate everything, I am going to go live in a cabin with a coyote." (That is all of us, right? We can admit it.)
So you get a little memoir-type picture of who she is and what she's caring about -- the parts about her relationship aren't necessarily riveting, but it's nice knowing what means something to her in the context of all this. The coyote stuff! Because mostly, there's a bunch of stories about what it is like to have a coyote puppy, what she improvises to make this part of her life, and why she loves it and makes it work. I was surprised and interested that this also isn't just wish-fulfillment; the parts about dealing with unexpected aggression and coyote communication errors are intense. (To prove, in fact, we don't all necessarily want this to really happen. Well kind of.)
Some parts of the narrative are dull -- it is boring to me to read a book by a blogger who then has to talk about how they started the blog and found an audience. I guess they're obligated to explain this part of the story, but obviously it's an unsurprising part. Some other parts were unexpectedly strong, though -- in characterizing her setting, it made an impact to learn some of the threads of what it actually meant, in her new environment and society, to accept an animal for a pet that your neighbors expect you to want to kill. The familiarity of animals like coyotes in the places where they actually are makes them an unpopular pest; they are not romanticized when they are actually messing up your life. So her connection both to the wild animal and the meaning of the new place is a good theme, part of the theme in the beginning about her move, crossing boundaries.
It can be nice to see idealism work once in a while.
I am giving this book one whole extra star just for wish-fulfillment appreciation. I really do appreciate it. I am also recommending that everyone who lives or has lived in New York City read the first chapter or two of this book. It's not that the rest of it isn't interesting too, but I was so surprised by the setup to the main subject of the book. The way she describes her prior life in NYC, deciding to leave it for its opposite on a whim, and what changes it makes to a person, is just really accurate. You can tell she really has been one of us, and has found the other side of the coin that we often wonder about. Her willingness to strike out and perform tasks and jobs and bonds she's never been near before is as much a perfect wish-fulfillment story as when you are having the kind of day where you are saying, "I hate everything, I am going to go live in a cabin with a coyote." (That is all of us, right? We can admit it.)
So you get a little memoir-type picture of who she is and what she's caring about -- the parts about her relationship aren't necessarily riveting, but it's nice knowing what means something to her in the context of all this. The coyote stuff! Because mostly, there's a bunch of stories about what it is like to have a coyote puppy, what she improvises to make this part of her life, and why she loves it and makes it work. I was surprised and interested that this also isn't just wish-fulfillment; the parts about dealing with unexpected aggression and coyote communication errors are intense. (To prove, in fact, we don't all necessarily want this to really happen. Well kind of.)
Some parts of the narrative are dull -- it is boring to me to read a book by a blogger who then has to talk about how they started the blog and found an audience. I guess they're obligated to explain this part of the story, but obviously it's an unsurprising part. Some other parts were unexpectedly strong, though -- in characterizing her setting, it made an impact to learn some of the threads of what it actually meant, in her new environment and society, to accept an animal for a pet that your neighbors expect you to want to kill. The familiarity of animals like coyotes in the places where they actually are makes them an unpopular pest; they are not romanticized when they are actually messing up your life. So her connection both to the wild animal and the meaning of the new place is a good theme, part of the theme in the beginning about her move, crossing boundaries.
It can be nice to see idealism work once in a while.
May 5, 2015
An Inspiring Story of Trust and Love in Unlikely Places
I was immediately drawn into this story from page one with a description of Stockton’s free spirit and her experience in crossing paths with a coyote pup before going on to raise Charlie and developing an unbreakable bond. Even when a predatory instinct overcame Charlie causing tension and distrust between the pair, the relationship found a way out of the dark patch and flourished. I found this book to beautifully demonstrate that the boundaries of trust lie within everyone and everything and that it takes full commitment and understanding from all sides to create and stabilize that trust. What I loved the most overall were the pictures of Charlie growing up incorporated throughout the pages tracking his life from a small, naive pup to a mature, strong-willed coyote in the span of a year. It was far more interactive for the reader to not only read about Charlie’s progress but to see it as well. I also greatly appreciated Stockton’s sporadic insight about living life to its fullest, following your dreams, and appreciating what everything has to offer because as random as it was, it just seemed to fit with the story and who Shreve Stockton is. When it comes to what I disliked, there wasn’t much other than an actual piece of content rather than the writing style—I didn’t appreciate her husband Mike’s job killing coyotes. Being an animal lover it was hard to stomach the idea of killing them for a living with snares, foothold traps, and a shotgun even if it is to protect the livestock. Because of this I found it strange that Mike would randomly save one pup from a nest he was fumigating and bring it home. However unsetting that portion was, I still found the rest of the story thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring and would recommend this book for those interested in emotionally invested stories as well as ones revolving around animals and overcoming difficult odds. Along with this book, I would also recommend "Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love" by Larry Levin, "Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale" by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff, and "Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog" by John Grogan for their similar inspirational and touching stories that leave a lasting impression. I found Charlie’s story to be a powerful reminder that nature vs nurture as well as instincts create a thin veil that separates the wild and the tame.
I was immediately drawn into this story from page one with a description of Stockton’s free spirit and her experience in crossing paths with a coyote pup before going on to raise Charlie and developing an unbreakable bond. Even when a predatory instinct overcame Charlie causing tension and distrust between the pair, the relationship found a way out of the dark patch and flourished. I found this book to beautifully demonstrate that the boundaries of trust lie within everyone and everything and that it takes full commitment and understanding from all sides to create and stabilize that trust. What I loved the most overall were the pictures of Charlie growing up incorporated throughout the pages tracking his life from a small, naive pup to a mature, strong-willed coyote in the span of a year. It was far more interactive for the reader to not only read about Charlie’s progress but to see it as well. I also greatly appreciated Stockton’s sporadic insight about living life to its fullest, following your dreams, and appreciating what everything has to offer because as random as it was, it just seemed to fit with the story and who Shreve Stockton is. When it comes to what I disliked, there wasn’t much other than an actual piece of content rather than the writing style—I didn’t appreciate her husband Mike’s job killing coyotes. Being an animal lover it was hard to stomach the idea of killing them for a living with snares, foothold traps, and a shotgun even if it is to protect the livestock. Because of this I found it strange that Mike would randomly save one pup from a nest he was fumigating and bring it home. However unsetting that portion was, I still found the rest of the story thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring and would recommend this book for those interested in emotionally invested stories as well as ones revolving around animals and overcoming difficult odds. Along with this book, I would also recommend "Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love" by Larry Levin, "Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale" by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff, and "Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog" by John Grogan for their similar inspirational and touching stories that leave a lasting impression. I found Charlie’s story to be a powerful reminder that nature vs nurture as well as instincts create a thin veil that separates the wild and the tame.
December 8, 2014
Haydon Glenn
Ms. Peyman
English 1
8 December 2014
Srp,Book Review
The Daily Coyote
The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton is a great story about the incredible life of Shreve Stockton. Shreve decides that she doesn't like how her life in the big city is so she decides to move out into Wyoming. Once she gets to Wyoming she moves into a small cabin and her new boyfriend comes to visit her often. Her boyfriend is a coyote hunter but one day felt compelled to save a baby coyote and decided that Shreve would want to keep it. She named the coyote Charlie and began a life that was completely based on Charlie. One of the main ideas in this story are even when Charlie was mean to Shreve she still loved him unconditionally. While reading this book the point of view is Shreve writing about her journey with this amazing coyote.
Charlie is a loving and obedient coyote but as he gets older he begins to take on the traits of a wild animal. "He snapped at anyone and anything that came near him"(Shreve Stockton 229). Shreve throughout the story would move from job to job but had a hard time finding one that she loved and was good at. With Charlie at the house she could hardly focus on anything but him so she began taking pictures of him and putting them on a website called the Daily Coyote. When none of her jobs were working out she decided that she could start charging people for a subscription to the Daily Coyote pictures. The website and subscriptions blew up and she began making a large profit off of Charlie. Some people were so impressed they gave her a contract to write a book about Charlie and her life. "I told them the details of the deal and how I had six months, starting then and there, to write the book"(Stockton 206). With the book deal she wrote The Daily Coyote and told the unbelievable story about raising a coyote.
This book talks about how Shreve raised a wild coyote as a pet and tamed him. I don't agree with what she did but she was very smart about how she handled Charlie. Shreve never thought that Charlie could ever hurt her but he is a wild animal and that was in his DNA. That's why I don't agree with what she was doing by raising him. I thought that this was a great book but talk enough about Shreves life previous to Wyoming. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes rural and small towns.
Ms. Peyman
English 1
8 December 2014
Srp,Book Review
The Daily Coyote
The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton is a great story about the incredible life of Shreve Stockton. Shreve decides that she doesn't like how her life in the big city is so she decides to move out into Wyoming. Once she gets to Wyoming she moves into a small cabin and her new boyfriend comes to visit her often. Her boyfriend is a coyote hunter but one day felt compelled to save a baby coyote and decided that Shreve would want to keep it. She named the coyote Charlie and began a life that was completely based on Charlie. One of the main ideas in this story are even when Charlie was mean to Shreve she still loved him unconditionally. While reading this book the point of view is Shreve writing about her journey with this amazing coyote.
Charlie is a loving and obedient coyote but as he gets older he begins to take on the traits of a wild animal. "He snapped at anyone and anything that came near him"(Shreve Stockton 229). Shreve throughout the story would move from job to job but had a hard time finding one that she loved and was good at. With Charlie at the house she could hardly focus on anything but him so she began taking pictures of him and putting them on a website called the Daily Coyote. When none of her jobs were working out she decided that she could start charging people for a subscription to the Daily Coyote pictures. The website and subscriptions blew up and she began making a large profit off of Charlie. Some people were so impressed they gave her a contract to write a book about Charlie and her life. "I told them the details of the deal and how I had six months, starting then and there, to write the book"(Stockton 206). With the book deal she wrote The Daily Coyote and told the unbelievable story about raising a coyote.
This book talks about how Shreve raised a wild coyote as a pet and tamed him. I don't agree with what she did but she was very smart about how she handled Charlie. Shreve never thought that Charlie could ever hurt her but he is a wild animal and that was in his DNA. That's why I don't agree with what she was doing by raising him. I thought that this was a great book but talk enough about Shreves life previous to Wyoming. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes rural and small towns.
May 15, 2016
Shreve Stockton, city girl, is on the move – back to New York City after a couple of years living in San Francisco – traveling across the country on her Vespa scooter. To her surprise, she can’t forget her awe as she passed through Wyoming, and she decides to move there, to a little town called Ten Sleep, so named because it situated between two former Indian camps, and was “ten sleeps” away from each of them. The degree of self-sufficiency required to live where there are no nearby grocery stores (let alone takeout places) intrigues, challenges, and stimulates her. She describes the changes: “In moving to Ten Sleep, I felt like I had moved to another planet.” But nothing compares to the challenges she faces raising Charlie, a coyote pup given to her by her friend and lover, Mike. Ironically, Mike’s job involves coyote management, shooting coyotes who interfere with people or livestock, but something moves him to save this pup after he has to destroy the parents for killing sheep. As she raises Charlie, Shreve takes pictures and sends them to friends and family, prompting many to tell her how much they look forward to her daily emails. Eventually, a blog called "The Daily Coyote" draws more and more people into Charlie’s story. I love this kind of book – true story of some kind of journey of self-discovery. (See, recently, A Friend Like Harry; Happily Ever After; Out in the Garden; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; Julie and Julia – to name a few.)
August 26, 2010
I stumbled (almost literally) on the CD at the library when it fell off the shelf I was browsing. It's a fascinating memoir! Former city girl inexplicably is drawn to Wyoming while driving cross country and ends up renting a place almost in the middle of nowhere (Ten Sleep, meaning it was "ten sleeps" from civilization). And wouldn't you know it, she falls in love with a blue-eyed cowboy type (actually, he does coyote management--meaning he kills them for a living) who brings her an orphaned baby coyote. If you've ever trained a dog, you will relate to the difficulty of training a wilder relative. Shreve's diligence in figuring out how to be the "alpha" in the coyote's life makes training puppies look as easy as scratching their bellies. It was not an easy task! Nor was living in a log cabin during a Wyoming winter. The usual animal-story adjectives apply---touching, funny, etc., but fortunately not heart-breaking! YES, the coyote is still alive and well at the end of the book. Great story, great escape--highly recommended.
July 10, 2012
I am often hesitant to review books. My taste and yours may be dramatically different, and I certainly don’t feel that I am the most qualified person around to give others advice what to read, and well, truthfully, I don’t have time to read much—which means I have even less time to sit and write a review. BUT, I have wanted to write a review of this wonderful book for a very long time now.
I’ve done wildlife rehab and have lived with a raccoon in my house and my life for going on five years now, so I think that I formed a special attachment to Charlie the coyote and the feelings surrounding him.
This story is one of day to day challenges, growth, enlightenment, and humor. Hard times in the frigid winter and outdoor naps in the warmth of the Wyoming sun. A rich life full of love, life… and a coyote.
The photographs of Charlie and the Wyoming wilderness are absolutely incredible. From puppy to adult, you won't be able to help falling in love with this book and with Charlie. I know I did.
I’ve done wildlife rehab and have lived with a raccoon in my house and my life for going on five years now, so I think that I formed a special attachment to Charlie the coyote and the feelings surrounding him.
This story is one of day to day challenges, growth, enlightenment, and humor. Hard times in the frigid winter and outdoor naps in the warmth of the Wyoming sun. A rich life full of love, life… and a coyote.
The photographs of Charlie and the Wyoming wilderness are absolutely incredible. From puppy to adult, you won't be able to help falling in love with this book and with Charlie. I know I did.
March 18, 2018
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! If you are an animal lover, please do yourself a favor and read this book!!!
December 11, 2008
I admire the inner strength that she developed during the first year she had Charlie. The book has a strong structure, and I like her voice in general, even if I disagree with some of her "spiritual" ideas. However, I wish she hadn't been in the position that she had to put the book together so quickly (6 months!). The writing just didn't have the polish that makes for a truly great read (I am thinking of Ted Kerasote's "Merle's Door" as an example of great creative nonfiction).
Hopefully there will be another book in another decade or two that will have the advantage of time. Perhaps also some essays in a shorter format to give her a chance to hone her writing skills.
The photographs are probably the true gift of this book.
Hopefully there will be another book in another decade or two that will have the advantage of time. Perhaps also some essays in a shorter format to give her a chance to hone her writing skills.
The photographs are probably the true gift of this book.
January 29, 2009
I am realling enjoying this book by Shreve Stockton. I think the main reason isn't really because of the coyote, but I am enjoying learning about her experience with that.
The main reason is because I can really relate to her relationship with the community and with Mike. I grew up in that environment and have family members just like Mike. I, on the other hand, am more like she is in terms of spirituality and openness to life. I recommend it!
The main reason is because I can really relate to her relationship with the community and with Mike. I grew up in that environment and have family members just like Mike. I, on the other hand, am more like she is in terms of spirituality and openness to life. I recommend it!
November 24, 2014
She reminds me of an updated Dayton Hyde, albeit more sentimental (quite welcome), and her musings about the landscape and rich descriptions of life with an orphaned coyote are a treat to read. The book itself is an absolute work of art, with thick, semi-glossy pages and gorgeous full-page color photos in every chapter.
January 9, 2013
Fabulous book! Stockton in completely in touch with what it is like to live in a rural area amongst wildlife.
October 7, 2012
Meet a canine relative whose complexity will fascinate you; step into another world...the wild of Wyoming.
July 28, 2015
Everyone should read this book! It's so cute and sometimes sad
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