Do you ever see wild animals?
I love animals—don’t get me wrong. But when they’re on my turf, eyeing my three dogs like they’re sizing up their next meal, it’s a different story. Lately, my backyard has become a wildlife arena, and my poor pups—especially my ten-pound dachshund—are caught in the crossfire.
It all started with the hawk. I kid you not, it was staring me down like we were locked in a staring duel, and spoiler alert: I blinked first. There’s something unnerving about those unblinking eyes, like it was calculating the logistics of a quick snack. My dachshund, oblivious, pranced around the yard like it was a Tuesday parade. Meanwhile, I was out there, ready to wave my arms like a maniac to fend off any aerial attacks. Who knew suburban life could be this wild?
But it doesn’t stop there. One afternoon, out trots a fox. Not skittish or quick—no, this guy was hot to trot, owning the yard like he was auditioning for Dancing with the Foxes. Back and forth he went, just sauntering about, while my dogs were apoplectic inside, barking as if they were the size of Great Danes. And what did Mr. Fox do? Absolutely nothing. Just kept on with his little fox strut, as if to say, “This is my yard now.”
Then there are the deer. If I had a dollar for every time they meandered into my yard, I’d be able to afford a full security system for my dogs. The dogs take it as a personal affront every time a deer appears. Apologies, but I think the deer consider it a regular commute. Their appearance sends my pups into a barking frenzy that probably echoes across the neighborhood. But do the deer care? Nope. They stare with their serene Bambi eyes, as if they’re above all this canine chaos.
But the pièce de résistance was the coyote. One night, there it was, lurking with eyes that pierced the dark. Now that was disquieting. It felt like it saw right through me, and not in a friendly, nature documentary way. I scrambled to get the dogs inside, feeling like I was in the middle of some horror flick. The coyote lingered just long enough to make sure I knew who the boss of the backyard really was.
At this point, I think I’m more comfortable with the wildlife inside my house—the domesticated kind, the ones I feed kibble and let take over my couch. Outside? No thank you. It’s like a scene straight out of The Jungle Book, except it’s my backyard, and my dogs aren’t exactly Mowgli-level fierce. Let’s be honest—if my dachshund took on a hawk or a fox, it would be a very different story. So, here I am, living in constant backyard vigilance, hoping these wild visitors eventually take the hint and find someone else’s yard to claim.
Until then, it’s me, my dogs, and a whole lot of wild encounters.
Categories: identity, mental health, new york, Psychology, society
psychologistmimi 
Wow! That’s kind of scary for your dogs and you. Can you put a fence up to keep the coyotes, fox, and deer out? Good luck.
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Yup. Very scary. I’m going to look into a fence. Thank you!
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Your dogs are too big for the hawk. The ox won’t go after them due to their numbers. And the coyote likely won’t attack if it’s alone. However, if its got a buddy or two behind it, you are definitely in trouble. Can you afford lights? Loud noises are excellent, too. Always go out with them at night, and bring one of those obnoxious horns you can get for sports’ events. If they do get hold of one — pepper spray.
I’m a farm girl. 😉
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I appreciate the advice and suggestions. I will look into getting a loud horn. I have small lights but thinking I need larger ones. Thank you so much!
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“Do you ever see wild animals?”
Hehe It’s True only Similarly Wild
Human Animals Make Direct Eye Contact
With my Shades Dancing Day or Night Dear Miriam
Ah Yes We Live Deep
in A Forest in North Florida
As You Do in the Big State
of New York Too a Bit
Removed From the
City Oh What
Relief From
Living in Tall
Apartment Buildings
Where Braving the Sidewalk
Is a Necessity to Walk all Three Dogs
Unless One Puts it Out For Hire hehe
True Nature is a Place of Prey to Focus
to Hunt to Eat or an Overview of the Horizon
Insuring We Keep Both Small And Big Picture
View to Escape Predator Jaws That Will Surely Eat Us
Like that Oncoming Car Typing Away on ‘Smart Phone’ Details
Oh Dear Lord
WUT! We Don’t
Look Very Much
Like an Apex Predator
Engaging in All the Foolish Behavior
From That to Attempting to Take Away
All the Aid for the Unfortunate to Save 2 Trillion
Bucks to Go
To Mars so
Space Boy
Will Be King
on that Very
Red Dead Planet
WUT! Apex Predator
Who the F (Fun) Are We Kidding About that
Nope We aRe Not Fooling Mother Nature She Has
Huge Jaws and Teeth As Small as Pandemic Creatures
Yet Wait Our Pandemic of Ignorance is What Harms
Rapes Maims and Kills Each Other in Our Species and
All the Other Species the Most
True Dear Miriam i am Human With
Empathy and Compassion Still Attached
Down Here Grounded Now on the Planet Earth
Social
Animal
ThiS Way
i Have Come to Be STiLL
i Do Not Believe Your 10 Pound
Dachshund Deserves to Be Lunch
By The Raptors With Razor Talons
And Beaks Far Above Flying Free the Wind
Yet True It is a Life of Struggle For Wild Life ThiS WaY
Like Herman the Hermit Thrush Bird Perhaps Her or Him
My Sister Doesn’t Know She Just Named Herman that Way
Visiting Her Now For the 8th Year in a Row All the Way Usually
From November thru April Migrating as Far as Canada to Her Home
in Florida
Next Door
She Feeds him
Raisins Each and Every Day
And True There is A Cooper’s Hawk
Spying Him From the Trees if He Doesn’t
Watch His Flight to Become an Afternoon Snack
Yet This is Nature Just Imagine all the Dangers Herman’s Avoided
Making the Way Down For Free Raisins Each and Every Day
As Human and
Bird Become
FRiEnDS
With Mutual
Respect ThiS WaY
i Suppose what i’m Saying
Yes Dancing Singing Free Here
is the Danger is Worth the Price of Remaining Born Free
Other than that i Suggest a Tall Fence to Keep the Coyotes Out
of Your
Yard
And i Checked With
Google’s Artificial Intelligence
That True There is One Example
of a Hawk Stalking and Attacking
A Dachsund on Tik Tok Yet Hawks only Carry
Off Their Weight about 5 Pounds Yet Do Be
Even More
Cautious
About Much
Larger Golden Eagles
Personally i’d Be More Worried
About Neighbor Dogs with Children in their
Yard Viciously
Attacking a
Pedestrian
in Protection
of the Small
Children if
Escaping from
Their close Territory Like that
Yep Happened in Our Neighborhood
Not Long ago a Trip to the Hospital
For the Victim and ‘No More’ for the
Black Lab…
We No Longer House
Domesticated Pets
These Days Feeding
And Watching Wild
Life is Enjoyment
enough it Seems for Now…
i Surely Enjoy All that my Wife Feeds me hehe..:)
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No, I never watched wild animals show. Should I?
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Foxes are usuallly not dangerous, are they? And deer definitely aren’t, only for the flowers 😉
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