Desert Hunter

God's Dog - A Celebration of the North American Coyote

by Hope Ryden
Viking Press (1979)

Hope Ryden's book, God's Dog, is one woman's very personal view of the coyote. The author spent two years uncomfortably camped in the field observing before writing this thoroughly sourced and controversial book. In it, she makes her dislike of hunters, government bureaucrats, wildlife managers, vested business interests, or anyone else who doesn't totally agree with her animal rights agenda, well known. Not everyone will agree with her campaign to "save" the coyote, and while her sentiment is noble, many would argue exactly how much "saving" the coyote can tolerate. The harshest animal damage control methods have already been sidelined, and the rest have failed miserably. She seems to revel in the coyote's survival and territorial expansion. Whether or not you agree with her (you probably won't), her book contains some amazing insight into coyote behavior and is well worth the read. On the other hand, it may just piss you off. Her work cites almost 200 sources and the book's indexing is excellent.

Hope Ryden is a naturalist, photographer, writer, film maker, and radical animal rights activist.