Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue

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Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue, Inc is a non-profit organization licensed by the State of VT.

Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue is licensed by the State of Vermont.

10/03/2026

After Red was gone, life returned to normal for the other pups. They filled the early days of August with chair battles, daily swims in the pond, and general coyote pup mischief.

Wild animals are extremely good at hiding illness or injury. This ability to push on through pain protects them from app...
09/27/2026

Wild animals are extremely good at hiding illness or injury. This ability to push on through pain protects them from appearing weak and being taken by predators or from being ostracized by a family group. Towards the end of July, I noticed that one of the pups I called “Red” (for her resemblance to a Red Wolf) was slowing down. She had always been calmer and less playful than the other pups, but I had attributed this to her place in the pack hierarchy or simple personality differences. But when she started to stay behind on our daily outings, I knew something was amiss. She was still eating well, so I was a bit confused by this subtle shift in behavior. One day I was able to get close enough to check her gums. The color of a canines gums can be very telling. Pale gums can indicate anemia, or a decrease in oxygen rich red blood cells. Her gums were ghost white. No color at all. I brought her to the emergency vet and the prognosis was poor. As they were drawing her blood, it looked like pink water: she was not producing red blood cells. Blood work revealed no obvious causes (parasites or infections) and thoughts turned towards a genetic abnormality where her bone marrow was not producing enough red blood cells. We discussed all the options including blood transfusions where she would need to spend days at the Vet, locked in a cage in the ICU, away from her pack. Then there would be many weeks of potential recovery at home, again, isolated from her pack and that was IF she was even able to recover. After weighing all the options, I made the extremely difficult decision to euthanize: to end her suffering which she hid so well, for so long, like all wild animals do. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but it was the right one for Red.

09/25/2026

Soon after I started the daily hikes with the pups, they discovered the tubing from the maple sugaring operation on my property. These dangling plastic pieces were irresistible, and became a game almost instantly. Fortunately, the sugarmaker who taps these trees is aware that I am a wildlife rehabilitator and is well versed in coyote behavior from past pups I have raised. He has learned to place the lines and taps just out of reach of curious coyote puppies who if given the opportunity, will gnaw on the tubing just for fun.

09/23/2026

In mid July, I decided to take the pups on their first outing. They had been showing signs of wanting to explore outside of the enclosure, and at this age (3 months) in the wild they would’ve been traveling farther and farther from the den under the watchful eye of their family. I knew giving them a taste of freedom was a gamble because as soon as they realized there was a world outside of their enclosure, they would want more of it. But I was willing to take the risk because the more opportunities for them to be immersed in their future habitat and potential territory the better. Since that first outing, and even after they were officially released, we have hiked or ran together in the woods surrounding my house every day. It has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

THE CHAIR! Continued….Here are a few still shots of the continuing chair saga….I am not paid by REI to say this, but hon...
09/20/2026

THE CHAIR! Continued….

Here are a few still shots of the continuing chair saga….I am not paid by REI to say this, but honestly this chair has withstood a pack of coyotes fighting over it for months and it’s still in great shape. I would highly recommend it! 🤣

09/19/2026

THE CHAIR!

In early July, I pulled this old chair out into the coyote enclosure so I would have a place to sit off the ground to observe their behavior. From the moment I put it in the enclosure, they were obsessed with it. As soon as I would get up, it was a battle over who could sit in it next. At times, as many as 3 of the pups would be in the chair at once. I’ve noticed this territorial behavior about any coveted spot from rocky outcroppings and sandy mounds in the forest, to the top of the den in their enclosure. They especially like to fight over these spots if I happen to have sat there first. I can only imagine they are vying for my spot since I represent the temporary leader of their pack, their provider and protector. They are practicing how to establish their place in the world when their hormones kick in and they decide to go off on their own.

09/17/2026

At the beginning of July, the coyotes were moved into the large outdoor enclosure full time. One of their favorite activities, especially on hot days, was to swim in the pond. Swimming came naturally to them, and they transitioned easily from experimenting in the baby pool to swimming in the deeper water. In the wild, coyotes have been known to swim long distances searching for new territories. Recently a coyote in California swam over 2 miles through the ocean to reach the island of Alcatraz. After watching these pups swim, I have no doubt they too could travel long distances in open water if it was necessary to ensure their survival.

09/14/2026

It turns out that coyotes love the water. Late June was hot, so I decided to pull out a baby pool. The pups took to it immediately and spent many hours playing in and around the pool. Their favorite game was biting at the running hose and fighting over a coveted spot directly in the pool. It wasn’t long after introduction to the baby pool before they learned to swim in the pond. (More swimming videos to follow).

09/09/2026

A coyotes sense of smell is their superpower. They have over 250 million scent receptors compared to humans who only have 50 million. Their amazing sense of smell (olfaction) leads them to prey, alerts them to danger, and tells a story of who was in a specific area even as long as days before. When the wind is blowing just right, coyotes can smell a strong scent from over a mile away.

In this video, the wind was blowing. The pups smelled something new in the wind, and it was obvious from their behavior it was not a familiar smell. They cautiously raised their noses into the air to really soak it all in. One of the more timid pups retreated into the den under the porch for safety.

In fact, their sense of smell is so acute, they will hide even from me, their trusted provider if I change laundry detergents, use a different skin lotion, or change hand soaps. This heightened awareness will be key to their future survival and ability to decipher danger in their environment. And to a coyote, everything new is dangerous until proven otherwise.

09/05/2026

I hate keeping wild animals confined. I am fortunate to live in a remote location where I can have large, species specific enclosures that give animals the opportunity to be immersed in a relatively natural habitat. The coyote enclosure is 2 acres with 8 foot fencing, a large den, and a pond. In early June, the pups were still too small to be out there overnight, but they spent their days exploring what would eventually be their full time home until they were ready for release. A Game Warden once asked during a site inspection “won’t they be able to jump out eventually?” My response was “I guess if they’re able to escape, then they’re ready to go”. He was satisfied with that answer.

Wild animals always let me know when they are ready for the next step, and many times they are the ones who ultimately make that final release decision.

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Starksboro, VT

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802-355-1590

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