Call of the Coyote

Behind Tortugas Mountain

Becca and I heard coyotes wailing behind the mountain this morning, and we went in search of them.  Those of you who've heard coyotes communicating in the wild know just how eerie their vocalizations can be.  You may know, too, how elusive the critters can be when they want to stay invisible.  We never saw one.  What we did see, however, were three Mule Deer crossing the foothills high above us.  We haven't seen desert deer in quite a while so it was nice to get a look at them.

Grass in the mountain foothills

Prickly Pear Cactus and the distant Franklin Mountains

The dark shadow in the center is a deep arroyo

The rugged southside

An especially rugged section of the trail

The way out

Scouting the territory

Six or seven miles to the Organ Mountains

Three Mule Deer in the foothills

Mama leads the way