who the hell in Detroit is reading this dumb blog?

As morning light creeps across this pasture, 
the garrison all but disappears
into the High Plains landscape.

Motionless and covered in blood,
the garrison reclines on a cushion
next to a sagebrush.

With a shotgun in hand,
the garrison plays the role of DJ,
spinning some of the coyote calling world’s greatest hits — from “cottontail distress” to “coyote yip duet.”

From Kismet, Kansas,
to Detroit, Kentucky, and Florida,
the garrison see who can call in
and shoot the most coyotes from dawn till dusk.

Calling contests mark just the latest chapter in a centuries-long war between humans and coyotes as both species expand their range across the continent.

Once limited to high deserts and prairies,
coyotes have colonized nearly all of North America
over the past two centuries;
a feat made even more amazing by the fact that people have been trying to wipe them out just about that whole time.

They have crossed rail lines and bridges
to make it to New York’s Central Park.

With me, in downtown Chicago,
they’ve learned how to navigate crosswalk signals
and cool off in a Quiznos soda fridge.

The coyote is winning,
but how?