It's Friday so time for this weeks edition of PV Wild Kingdom; the live action show that brings wildlife (and death) right to our own Potter Valley front lawn!

Today's show is Coyote Teamwork; or how 5 coyotes can take down one full grown deer in less that 15 minutes! It all starts with an anguished squeal, and all the horses staring up into the top pasture near the spring. Observation reveals three deer, surrounded by 5 coyotes. The deer are fighting back, leaping at the circling coyotes. One of the coyotes is the large black one that was hunting ground squirrels in the field two weeks ago, another looks like the little ginger-colored one that was helping clean up last week's kill on our front lawn. As the deer jump at one coyote, the others leap in behind and bite at the deer's flanks. Finally, one of the deer goes down, and a coyote begins to drag it toward the trees. The other deer try to attack the fleeing coyote, but the pack defends the retreat. The deer, one in particular, continues to attack and follows the coyotes and their kill out of sight into the trees. A few moments later, a single deer reappears, running, then stopping, then running back the way it came as if confused and lost.

Cue coyote-songs as the pack feeds. Horses get bored and turn away to graze again. Dog-in-house finally quits growling and the sun rises.

What a start to the day. Take care, it's a coyote-eat-deer world out there.