I saw the pawprints myself while I was wandering about looking for a vantage point at the north end of Torch Lake. Might have been the gigundous dog that goes running with its owner early in the mornings—what is it, anyway, a Croatian Mountain Dog?—but I don’t think so. Although we can always hope, I don’t believe there are any wolves in Antrim County. But coyotes, now . . . We have coyotes. Lots of ’em. They’ve been known to join Louan Lechler in a chorus of I Loved You So Much at Stone Circle. You can hear them yipping on the golf course at A-Ga-Ming. Hunters cuss them for running deer. Farmers cuss them for stealing chickens. And I’m pretty sure one of them was scouting the terrain at the DNR boat launch in Eastport.
Katherine Berst sent me this photo, and I wondered if we’d been channeling each other’s observations again. Doesn’t this look like what the coyote might have seen? And what was that coyote thinking . . . If there are seven fish shanties out there, what are the odds at least one will pull some fish from the frozen lake? Would those fish be left lying about where an enterprising coyote might just make off with one? If I got back here around dusk . . .
Torch Lake Views 
Gerry
February 4, 2009
[Ed.: Bobbie Patterson is a delightful email correspondent but unclear on the concept of comments. I asked her if I could post her email here, and she said I could. Thanks, Bobbie!]
COYOTE SIGHTING –1/27 or 1/28: From my house I spotted a not so coy coyote marching directly across the bay, about 100 yards out, just beyond the”ice castles”. I called my neighbor who verified the “sighting”. What a wonderful surprise to see this creature and in broad daylight!! Then one wonders–just how many of these wild things are “out there”.
S/he was heading “north” right along the Bay. From my vantage point, using binoculars, s/he looked healthy. Reminded me of the folk song about the ” fox went out on a starry night”—except for the broad daylight part.