i BOUGHT SEVERAL COPIES OF JON'S BOOK WHEN IT CAME OUT AND SHARED THOSE COPIES WITH FRIENDS WHO WERE ALREADY KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT THE EAST'S "NEW TOP DOG" AS WELL AS THOSE WHO WERE WAY OUTSIDE THE ENVELOPE AS IT RELATES TO THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND THEM.
BOTH OF THESE TYPE PERSONS ENTHUSIASTICALLY TOLD ME THAT THEY FOUND JON'S BOOK CLEAR, UNDERSTANDABLE AND PACKED FULL OF INFORMATION REGARDINGTHE LIFE AND BEHAVIOUR OF NATURES FASTEST EVOLVING CANID HYBRID(PART WESTERN COYOTE/PART EASTERN WOLF).
AVAILABLE BOTH ON AMAZON AND ON JON'S http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/ website...............IT HAS MY VOTE AND HOPE YOU WILL INVEST IN IT AS WELL!
Suburban Howls: Tracking the Eastern Coyote in Urban Massachusetts
By Jonathan Way. 2007. Dog Ear Publishing, 4010 W. 86th Street, Ste. H, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268, USA. US $23.99 plus
shipping and handling via www.easterncoyoteresearch. com.
Here is a fabulous journey into the life of the eastern
Coyote in the northeastern United States. If you've
ever wanted to know these canine inhabitants of
wildlands and rural and suburban zones better, this
book is for you.
Author JonathanWay started studying Coyotes when
he was in high school.
his life and studies beginning then, and continuing
through his university years to the present. He is a
scientist who loves his subject, loves the very beings
of his subject.
Way's presentation of his studies, largely through
radio collar tracking and observations, is densely
packed with different kinds of information. He takes
the reader into the field to watch Coyotes leading
their lives, then through the trials of trapping, measuring,
collaring and tracking. We experience the very
frustrating process of trying to get study permits from
government agencies, and confront the challenges of
loving and studying an animal that others would happily
shoot in numbers.We share the author's grief and
consternation when a whole group of his wild study
animals are poisoned to death by rodenticide. We're
invited to wonder how his grandmother felt when he
temporarily moved five Coyote pups into his basement
apartment in her home.
A large section of the book is devoted toWay's experience
creating and studying a group of captive Coyote
siblings in a zoo. Here we learn more about observed
Coyote behaviour through the author's intense bonding
with his subjects.We are given cause for reflection both
about the ethics of this project, and on the poignancy
of his eventual, permanent separation from the group.
The book is brimming with observations not only
about Coyote ecology and behaviour, but also about
wildlife management and politics, humans' perception
of wildlife, and human behaviour. It includes blackand-
white and colour photos showing both the coyotes
and the author, often together.
Way treats his study Coyotes as individuals, taking
great care to show their distinct personalities. He has
a fierce and obvious commitment to helping people
appreciate, rather than fear and revile, Coyotes. I completely
respect his determination to include his own
emotions as he presents his work, as an intentional
means to deliver a message. If I have one, tiny reservation
about the book, it is that the author is perhaps too
present, making it too emotionally rich for me. I found
it difficult to read for that reason.
But that is a trivial complaint, related to a reader's
taste rather than the quality of the book. The work is
remarkable, thorough and heartfelt. It is a lively read.
On the occasional attempts I made to skim through
some parts, the author's story telling instead drew me
in to read voraciously in spite of myself. I also admire
Way's candour. He tells a straightforward story, not
making apologies or excuses where other authors
might. My favourite example is when he describes
watching a Coyote contemplate making a meal of
somebody's pet cat. The cat is at large in Coyote-land,
taking its chances on the rough edge of town, but still
— it's obvious Way doesn't intend to intervene. That
is simply stated, with no rationalization offered. (The
cat gets away, no doubt to make its own meal of
some smaller wildlife.)
Suburban Howls
complete with a table of contents, tables, maps and
several appendices. The author includes a bibliography
of his journal publications, and a thorough glossary
and index. The book will be of interest to students of
wildlife biology, wildlife management, and of humanwildlife
interactions and ethics. It is definitely readable
for a general audience with an appreciation for
adventure and a curiosity for wildlife. If you know
someone (cat owner or otherwise) who could benefit
from feeling more at home with their neighbouring
Coyotes, you might sneak this book onto their coffee
table. FollowWay's work into the future via his Internet
574 Tweedsmuir Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 5P2 Canada
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