Footprints in the snow

A couple nights ago Josh and I went out to lock the ducks up and when we stepped outside we were greeted by the chorus of a pack of coyotes somewhere off in the woods. Their howling sounded like the soundtrack to a hunt. 

This morning as I was driving to work after being home for a week and a half with pneumonia, I had to venture out of the warm car to investigate some tracks in the snow. 

They came down from the railroad tracks...

And crisscrossed the front yard...

They were interesting because one was obviously the track of a deer. 

The one next to it looked like a large dog or more likely- a coyote. 

I wonder if it was a chase or if the coyote came thru chasing the scent of the deer. The coyote prints seem to zigzag around the deer further up in the yard so I would guess the coyote was moving through later, sniffing out its prey. 

This is one cool part about the snow: seeing signs of who has been about at night. Last time we got a dusting we saw raccoon hands all around the chicken coop. 

Looks like this cold is here for a while so I don't think the snow is going anywhere soon.  I'll have to keep my eyes out for more signs in the snow.