D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
May 2010
The Fiercest of Beasts
One of the area's most dangerous critters is protected from hunting, even if it's ravaging your homestead.
The ol' homestead is suffering the ravages of intruders — not two-legged villains, mind you, but ones with four feet and a long tail, and as potentially devastating to human tranquility as any drug-addled trespasser.
The domicile's first violation came along about mid-October of last year. I was away from the house in the morning on a squirrel hunt, and upon returning to home, my dogs greeted me in the backyard. I was startled and horrified to see that Buko's face looked like she'd been put through a shredder; deep cuts surrounded her left eye, which was also full of blood.
I jumped to the conclusion that the other dog had done the evil deed, but Misty didn't have one scratch on her.
So I concluded that Buko had somehow gotten her head stuck in a hole in the fence, and upon pulling herself free, had torn her face up. But I checked the entire fence line and found not one errant hole that could have done such damage.
A quick trip to my veterinarian confirmed that Buko would be all right and would not lose her eye; in fact, she wouldn't even need stitches, just an antibiotic shot. After a close exam, the opinion of Dr. Kevin Brown was that her wounds were from claw marks, and he speculated that the damage appeared to be from a badger!
That made sense, except there were no fence holes and I don't believe that a badger could climb my five-foot high fence. So what could have done damage like this?
My first clue came from some tracks in the sand wash below the house.
Then, on Dec. 13, Blue, my big old tomcat, was missing. After darkfall, I walked out onto the back porch and was greeted by a terrible scurrying as something bolted over the chain link right next to me. Strange, I thought, since Blue is quite agile when leaping said apparatus; he takes the fence almost silently. Could this be a rival tomcat?
I called Blue's name to no avail, so I went and fetched a spotlight. There was Blue on the front porch, his eyes big as saucers and his fur standing up. Whatever it was had really put the fear into my cat, and most critters don't scare him easily.
I had my suspicions that the same critter that got Buko had been here again, but how could I be sure? I had yet to see this phantom. The next morning I had my confirmation: There below the house in the sand were two sets of tracks, like those I'd spotted before.
I recalled how, in late August of last year, I had been bear hunting in the southern Burro Mountains when a critter ran across the two-track in front of me; it wasn't my intruder, but another of the same family. When I drew closer, the critter ran up into the lower branches of a juniper, where it sat as I decided to get a better look. I took no more than three steps when the beast ran straight out the low branch towards me, ending my approach and causing me to quickly retreat! Did I mention that it also growled rather menacingly?
The critter retreated also to the juniper's trunk, so I approached again. The critter charged again and in a much more violent manner! That was enough for me; I said my goodbyes and left the area.
That critter-beast certainly had my respect and even admiration — after all, I outweighed it by 10 times!
I heard a second-hand tale of another such beast that a man had caught in a leghold trap. The trapper said it was like having a tornado cornered!
Another friend told me that this critter is the very worst if happened upon by a dog or even several dogs, no matter the canines' size. This mini-monster will lie upon its back and use long, sharp claws to disembowel its attackers!
In my opinion, only the cougar and bear are more formidable and dangerous if surprised and encountered in the wilds of New Mexico at close range. I think this critter is the equal in ferociousness to the north woods' wolverine.
Do not, under any circumstance, allow a child or pet to approach such a critter, nor should you try to capture or pet one, even though they are cute! And don't let Fido near it, unless Fido is trying to save you!
A large male of the species will go about 15 pounds in weight, which ain't all that large, but this beastie makes up for it in intensity and bravado. These critter-beasts have a longish snout, a long prehensile, ringed tail, and a mask on their face. They also have ferocious claws, as my dog can attest — claws that can be a quarter-inch around and nearly two inches long.
Naw, it's not a raccoon, although its tracks look somewhat similar.
This beast is omnivorous, meaning it eats meat and veggies as well as eggs.
It is also my opinion that it is very adept at climbing trees in the middle of the night and killing turkeys on the roost — a prime reason turkey numbers in the Burros have plummeted drastically in the past 10 years. The population of the beast has dramatically increased hereabouts in that span, and it's now quite common around Silver City itself.
What is this critter, you ask? In case you haven't already figgered it out, it is the coatimundi!
In the last 10 years, I personally have encountered the coati several times each year. They seem to be everywhere. Other folks have encountered it in packs miles north of Silver City, and on the Gila and Mimbres rivers and anywhere southward.
And, I've got a conundrum: By New Mexico law, this critter is completely protected from human harm. When that law was passed, the coati was rather rare in New Mexico, but no more!
Trapping is not a sound alternative, in any case. As I said, one caught in a leghold is pure devil, and a live-trap has its drawbacks, too. After all, who is going to try to handle the beast? (Besides, we have the non-target animals to consider: I set out a large live-catch cage, supplied by the city, to catch loose dogs, but all I caught were cats, and other critters too small to snare kept setting it off and eating my bait!)
I believe the amnesty enjoyed by the coatimundi should be lifted and the game commission should allow hunters or homeowners to shoot them. Arizona has a limit of one per hunter per year. We need that, too. At least I should be able to protect my household from the ones invading my property. I can't do that legally right now, and I don't want another dog or cat chewed up again!
But at this point, my only recourse is to pray a lot and hope the beasts will move on, but the latter doesn't seem to be happening. I find their errant spoor in my property about once a month.
As always, keep the sun forever at your back, the wind forever in your face, and may The Forever God bless you too!
When not ramblin' outdoors, Larry Lightner lives in Silver City.