After seeing coyotes show up often on my cell camera near the tank, I decided to sit by it this morning. I hadn't been there any more than five minutes when this one showed up. Very poor looking, probably from not finding much to eat in this heat. I also have to believe they've been hanging around the tank to see what they might be able to catch. Looked bigger when I shot him. Savage Axis Series II 243 with Busnell Banner 3X9, 95-grain Federal Fusion. I call it my "Super Combo" rifle. Got the rifle, scope, and a Super Combo License several years ago as a package offering at Academy for $350.

Fur looks to be in good shape. Nothing seems terribly amiss. It appears to simply be a young coyote, maybe a little thin which would fit its age, but far from starving.

Coyotes are predators and scavengers, carnivores, insectivores, and in a pinch, will some plant materials, especially fruits and berries. Given that other species with more narrow diets are having a harder time (deer, for example), my guess is that the coyotes generally have more pickings of sick, weak, slow game. I watched a coyote eating grasshoppers this evening and then he went back to mousing.

I think that you will find, as in Africa, as the water holes dry up, you will see more and more animals congregating closer to the remaining water holes. We are too bad off just yet, but tanks (at least in north Texas) are drying up, but there are plenty of tanks still holding water from what I can see. None of my landowners are in need of trucking in water for their cattle or anything like that.

Went to my der lease Monday morning. I have only killed 2 coyotes in 5 seasons we have been there and never seen any rabbits at all. I saw 2 cottontails when I was there Monday and told my wife the coyote population must be down if I'm seeing rabbits.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits with cell cameras is the ability to react relatively quickly to what they show you.

The drop in the tank's water level is quite noticeable in this photo.

Anyone other than me happen to miss the 4th coyote hiding behind the pine at the rear?

I believe the coyote is young, coyotes in my opinion are the most adaptable predators in north America. On Fort Sam in San Antonio, they have a coyote problem. They even spill into close neighborhoods and kill dogs and cats. I typically snare year around and start blasting at them anytime I see. This year we have plenty of cotton tails, and quail.

We are fortunate enough to still have water, but on some cattle leases I have, we are struggling.

I wish a whole bunch of the coyotes around here would get heat stressed.

Just as a comparison, here's a photo of an older coyote taken in early September of last year. Camera was just a couple hundred yards away from the location of the earlier photo.

He’s not poor looking he’s just a pup.

he was a youngster but I would take him out too - they do lots of damage to quail, deer, etc

And livestock.

I am thinking that first photo is a near grown pup trying to make it.