Coyote Bags a Partridge
More Articles Related to BlogLearn from the Wilderness Survival Experts
You can learn a great deal about wilderness survival from the native survival experts; the wild animals who have lived for thousands of years in the environment you find yourself in at the moment.
As a student of survival, I am always learning more and refining that which I thought I already knew. The wild animals are my best teachers. The fact that these animals are here is proof of their enduring survival abilities.
This morning began with it being minus 5° F (-15° C) with a fresh inch or two of dry powdery snow that fell overnight on top of what was already there; the very fluffy stuff that falls when the temperatures are cold.
I decided to do some snowshoeing up into the local mountains to look for moose antlers and perhaps meet with an unexpected adventure or two. And though finding moose antlers where they have dropped is a combination of knowing where to look and luck, some sort of adventure in the wilderness is never lacking.
Hunter and Prey
Early in the morning during the hike in I came upon the very fresh remains of a partridge (Ruffed Grouse), dispatched by an eastern coyote just before I arrived. A roughly circular area in the snow contained scattered feathers and portions of internal organs. A trail of downy feathers and coyote tracks lead away further into the forest.
As is often the case, the predator did not choose to take the stomach contents. As shown in the picture I am pointing to the partridge’s last meal, catkins from an alder or birch tree. A pile of warm, downy feathers, a few blood stains, coyote tacks and the yellow snow of the coyote’s calling card also remained to help tell the story.
Following the trail of coyote tacks and feathers away from the site, I came upon the area where the coyote jumped the partridge, who had settled in at the base of the tree. There were no partridge tacks in the area, indicating this is where the bird had spent the night during the snowfall.
The coyote had come up unseen from the side of the tree to surprise the bird, which then flew down a short embankment to where the coyote caught it. The coyote then brought the partridge back up to where the partridge had been roosting. Here I found another batch of feathers and one leg of the bird.
Think of the skill and cunning required to run down and capture a partridge using tooth and claw. Man with his weapons that can reach out at a distance has a difficult enough time obtaining food for the table. The wild coyote lives from day to day by wit, its grocery store the unforgiving mountains where starvation is always a possibility. Today the coyote eats.
As I continued the hike I followed coyote tracks that were made yesterday, the coyote and I naturally taking the easiest route through the thick forest. Several times we crossed tracks of the partridge.
It seemed to me the coyote had learned of the partridges whereabouts yesterday. Perhaps it had flushed it out and came back this morning to surprise it for a quick meal.
Survivors are Good Scavengers
Scavenger that I am, I obtained some useful items from the remains of the partridge. Successful survivors are great scavengers, able to repurpose that which others have left behind.
I collected clean feathers and down, which can be handy for a variety of improvised survival gear including arrow fletching, fishing flys and lures, and making warm clothing. The small bits of frozen flesh can be used as bait to lure predators into traps or close enough for a shot. The flesh can also be used as fish bait or to catch crayfish, or even as a survival food snack in a pinch.
As a wilderness survivor it pays to watch the wild predators and scavengers closely. When you least expect it you may stumble upon something you can use be it physical objects or knowledge.
From survival food to items you can use to improvise survival gear, the animals of the forest will often provide you with the means to survive as they go about their daily lives.
You are welcome to share this Survival Topic with others. I only request that you use a short blurb (not the entire survival content) and this code to
link to the origional:
Colorado Rockies
Love your survival site, I always find useful items left behind either by man or animals that can be used for survival. Some may have even saved my life.