Suggested Summer Reading: Coyote America by Dan Flores

I have been enthralled, horrified, and awed by Dan Flores’ book, Coyote America. Dan Flores explores the coyote in relation to our own history in north America from initial mythology and reverence to the to the extermination campaigns of the 1950’s and 60’s.  The “song dogs of the desert” are resilient and adaptable beyond any other creature and despite nearly constant persecution, have expanded their numbers to the remotest places as well as most of our urban centers. Coyote America is a history of science and conservation in north America, that blends in anthropology, folklore, and biology in surprising ways. 

Dan Flores provides detailed descriptions about the extermination campaigns of the 1950’s and 60’s that are not for the faint of heart, and I found myself horrified by the methods we used, what we were learning about chemical warfare during WWII and adapting that to attempt to exterminate coyotes. But in the end, this book leaves you with a sense of hope, and shows how our coexistence with coyotes is an essential lesson.

I hope you enjoy Coyote America as much as I have. Suggested by Sarah Davies Tilt