Hi, Rae -- I am not sure about the timing in coyotes (this is the first I have seen), but Peggy, who runs our Facebook page, probably knows.  Would you be willing to post there for an answer?

In the squirrels and raccoons we see so often, it's between 8 and 12 weeks, I think -- you can tell the moment it happens because they go from eagerly taking the food from their friendly caretaker to snatching food and running away, getting away from the human whose touch they used to welcome.

A beginning volunteer is saddened by this, but in the end, we know that it's best for the animals if they learn to avoid people.

Critter updates (some happy, some sad; sad ones at the end, plus various pleadings--cats indoors; no cow milk to critters, no lead ammo or tackle!):

Yoti the coyote is doing great, and getting lots of playtime with volunteers and with Shawna's gentle giant of a dog Mabel. Just like the trickster coyote of legends, Yoti is mischievous. A few days ago, he hid Ian's shoes. And yesterday, as Farzad was bending down, Yoti snatched off Farzad's hat and took it away to chew (now one of his favorite toys). 

When Yoti and Mabel play, Yoti prefers the "stalk and ambush" style of play. He cannot resist the huge, proud (and powerful) plume of Mabel's tail, which almost knocked him over the first time he encountered it. Perhaps he does the stalk and ambush technique because Mabel is huge, and he's a bit intimidated by a dog the size of a pony. So he hides behind something, then slips around behind her, ambushes her, and hides again. Goodnatured Mabel just smiles and wags. 

We have a raft of young robins at the moment, and most are fledged and learning to forage. The most recent arrival came in yesterday, rescued from the jaws of a cat. Though we started him on antibiotics immediately, he's now very hot and lethargic, and we don't expect him to make it. Remember, just one tiny tooth puncture from a cat is enough to kill most wild animals, regardless of their size. We haven't had one cat-attacked animal survive this year, despite antibiotics, and despite the fact that none had visible injuries. Please--for the sake of wildlife and for the sake of cats (indoor cats live far longer, on average), keep your cats indoors. Thanks!

The flickers have fledged, but are still not foraging. We put them outside in a portable enclosure placed over an anthill, as flickers eat a lot of ants. One flicker was interested and ate a few. He also took a nice dust bath! The other was a bit freaked out by the outdoors. If the weather is nice, we'll try again tomorrow. 

Two more young mice are on deck for release.

We have a few baby squirrels (red, grey, and Franklin's). The juveniles have all graduated.

We got 4 more baby raccoons yesterday, and Matt and Regina are now full (36 raccoons, if you can imagine that!). So these 4 plus the 2 who came in a few days ago are with us for the summer and early fall. They're all doing well so far. 

We got a call from folks up in Brookston who found 2 little merganser ducklings under their boat, with no sign of mom or siblings. We asked them to get a feather duster for the babies to snuggle under, and to give them wax worms and mealworms. Well, they didn't have a feather duster, but they did have a pink feather boa, which the little ducks loved. We've got the ducklings now, and are on the lookout for a merganser family for them to join. Anyone?

We also got a GINORMOUS snapping turtle who was hit by a car, but is not in too bad of shape. We would like to send her to WRC for repair. 

6 baby bunnies today! We got 1 baby bunny who was brought in by a family dog, and then fed cow milk (an almost certain death sentence). 4 more baby bunnies were brought in by a baby sitter, who found them in the care of the kids she was baby-sitting. Amazingly, they are in ok shape. And one was found in the middle of the road, possibly dropped by a crow. Please never feed cow milk to anything except calves and kids. Cow milk for anyone else almost always causes fatal diarrhea. 

We finally got the loon we posted about a few days ago. He's is not acting normally, but not terrible. Maybe he has a mild case of lead poisoning, but despite that, he ate 4 dozen minnows! We are still looking for a ride to the Cities for him and for the snapper. Anyone?

And speaking of the evils of lead, we got an update on the lead-poisoned mature eagle from Hibbing that we sent south 2 weeks ago. Not only did he have lead poisoning; he also had a terrible joint infection in one of his legs. The Raptor Center had no choice but euthanasia. Lead is not only poison, but also depresses the immune system. Please urge all family members who fish or hunt to use only non-lead tackle and non-lead ammo. You'll be saving the lives of loons, eagles, and trumpeter swans. Also, your family won't be ingesting tiny lead fragments from ammo that gets in the meat, and is too small to sense. Lead is poison. Please, for everyone's sake, don't use it. Thanks!!

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Today, Yoti hops a plane for the coast, and we say good bye. Yoti is a coyote pup raised around people since he was 3-4 weeks old. Though he can never be released to the wild, he has a big job to do. Yoti will serve as an ambassador for his species at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Massachusetts. There, Yoti will help people learn that coyotes have a place in our world.

In our dog-loving culture, we look down on places where dogs are food, or where strays are despised, rounded up, and killed. Yet, in the US, it's open season on coyotes year 'round, and wolves are now trophy animals to be trapped and shot.

Here is Yoti, playing with Pat. Do you see an animal to hate or fear? Do you see a being without worth, who deserves to suffer and die in a snare, or linger miserable and terrified in a foothold trap until bludgeoned or shot?

Yoti runs and plays, he mock-growls in a game of tug-of-war with you, he loves a good belly scratch. When we watch Yoti, we see an animal not much different from our two beloved dogs. Who do you see?

Are we recommending coyotes replace golden retrievers as family pets? Certainly not. Yoti is a wild animal, deserving our respect, always with his natural instincts and wild personality.

But Yoti and his kind have a place and a purpose in our world. Thank you, Yoti, for helping us re-learn that lesson. Farewell, and good luck in your new life!

--Wildwoods