you'll probably remember this, I posted about it. Some animals can be dealt with but never domesticated.

MANY years ago I came across 3 coyote pups abandoned and living in a culvert pipe. No doubt the mother had died... no idea how. They were doomed.

Me and a guy that worked for us decided to take them in.... raise them. We captured 2, the third got away and was never heard from again. They were VERY young, probably around 2, maybe 3 weeks old. Our worker had a cage for various critters he raised... chickens, rabbits, etc. We converted one cage for the coyote pups and began to feed them, (bottle at first but not long). We attended to them daily... though it wasn't easy. Even when they knew we were bringing food they would nip at us... but the 'nips' grew less violent as time went by... the nips did NOT end.

We weren't rescuing them to be pets, that was NEVER our intention... we grew up with coyotes, we knew that wasn't really possible. BUT... they did tame, and tamed considerably. NOT like a dog, or even close to that, really... BUT... my friend and I, (NO ONE ELSE), could touch them, pet them (they didn't really give a damn about being petted)... and came to us... and not just for 'food'.

You'll have to excuse me here in this telling...my memory of the 'time line' is poor... I don't remember when full 'release' date came.... maybe at a year, could have been two actually, although I don't think it was THAT long. And it wasn't both, it was mine. My friend who captured them with me tried to keep his. With mine I decided it was time to turn him loose.... (at some point)... and did.

For the next year he would show up... at first often, like every day.... but his visits became more and more rare. I think, can't say for sure, the last time I saw him was about a year after I completely released him. During that entire time he NEVER became a 'pet'... not from capture to release... even though he was treated EXACTLY as a pet dog would be.

Now a second story... this one told before as well but to me absolutely AMAZING. I'll keep it short... a wild coyote, (NOT the one I raised, (although the one I raised DID do a little of this), made friends with the best friend I ever had in life.. "Bonanza", a female German Shepard. At least once a week, more often occasionally, this wild coyote would come into our yard and play with Bonanza. Typical dog play... wrestling, nipping, playing tag. My Dad and I would watch from our living room window... never once did we try to intervene. We were in awe. This went on for.... on geez, I can't remember... a year? Yeah... that long, I would say for sure... and perhaps much longer than that.

What I LOVE about that story is obvious... but it's also: I am not aware of ANYONE with a similar "verified" story akin to that one. - JamesJM