Following a night of steady rainfall, I headed down to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, on the Missouri River floodplain. The early morning sun, filtered by a gray overcast, lit the crest of the riverside hills and a southwest breeze swept mild, humid air into the valley.
As I was surveying flocks of mallards on a large, transient lake, a trio of white-tailed deer entered my field of vision, running across the soggy grassland and then splashing through the shallow edge of the pool. In their wake was a pair of coyotes, clearly relishing the chase and likely assessing the health and stamina of the deer; more dependent on mice, cottontails and game birds for their sustenance, they would surely welcome a windfall of venison. Watching the drama unfold, I could not help but think of the Yellowstone ecosystem, where wolves keep the elk herds in check.
Indeed, the specter of deadly encounters is universal in nature, as common in our backyards as it is in major wilderness areas. We may choose to ignore this element of the natural world but it is vital to the health of all ecosystems. On this January morning in central Missouri, it certainly held my attention.
As I was surveying flocks of mallards on a large, transient lake, a trio of white-tailed deer entered my field of vision, running across the soggy grassland and then splashing through the shallow edge of the pool. In their wake was a pair of coyotes, clearly relishing the chase and likely assessing the health and stamina of the deer; more dependent on mice, cottontails and game birds for their sustenance, they would surely welcome a windfall of venison. Watching the drama unfold, I could not help but think of the Yellowstone ecosystem, where wolves keep the elk herds in check.
Indeed, the specter of deadly encounters is universal in nature, as common in our backyards as it is in major wilderness areas. We may choose to ignore this element of the natural world but it is vital to the health of all ecosystems. On this January morning in central Missouri, it certainly held my attention.
