Our family recently had to get a wildlife camera because our neighborhood was experiencing a substantial amount of wild pig damage from a very large sounder of pigs, approximately about thirty last fall and has continued to be invasive on neighbors property this winter. We unfortunately sustained the most damage out of all of our neighbors which is the main reason we decided to get a wildlife camera and set it up in our backyard. The day we set up the camera was the first day of a huge ice storm coming in that week. It turned out there were three ice storms throughout the week and we were all home. The pictures I'm sharing are coming from the first day we set the wildlife camera on a tree. I've always assumed that we had a pack of coyotes that lived in the wooded area and creek behind our house. I also assumed that I wouldn't ever see a coyote during the day. To my surprise, a coyote appeared after my husband and I left the far backyard. It was about 18 degrees outside, very cold and sleet coming in when this coyote decided to see why humans were in his playground. I think wildlife close up like this is an amazing technology and such a treat to see. I hope you appreciate these moments captured in time from a very curious coyote.

A very curious coyote

(All of these pictures are the same coyote during the same time period).

Grazing coyote.

Same coyote checking out what the humans did to the coyotes playground.

I love watching the various critters in our yard. Though I don't like coyotes getting that close. :)

PengieMom said: I love watching the various critters in our yard. Though I don't like coyotes getting that close. :)
We presumed we had larger wildlife because we can hear the coyotes and obvious wild pig damage, but I never dreamed they were so close and even listening to what we are doing in our backyard. This coyote in the first picture was obviously hearing us in our backyard that day or at lease hearing the dogs outside. I was so amazed at how close this coyote was and the only barrier of safety is our fence.

I'm with you, that coyote is a little too close to be comfortable. When we put the wildlife camera back, my daughter grabbed her practice sword (all heavy duty plastic; not sharp) and had it in hand just in case we needed a barrier for defense.

I was unfortunately greeted by a copperhead snake in my garage. This just hasn't been my day. We just let in a lizard by mistake when we opened the front door to get packages too. I used my push broom and swooshed this snake back outside. I just hope it doesn't find it's way back in. Copperheads are venomous snakes; very dangerous.

After doing some research on copperheads, I learned that the junior copperheads are actually more dangerous then the senior copperheads.

https://www.livescience.com/43641-copperhead-snake.html

I can't walk into my garage like I used too. Now it's all out armed and ready with a broom. I'm scared to death of meeting another venomous snake. Too close for comfort.

This has been snake summer and all sorts of critters that we don't normally see in abundance.