🐾 Raccoon vs Coyote Desert Encounter — Backyard Wildlife Moment

One thing I’ve learned living in the Arizona desert — you never really know who might wander through your backyard after dark.

I set out water for the birds — a simple bird bath and a bowl on the ground. With how dry it is here, it feels like the least I can do for the small desert creatures trying to survive. But as it turns out, my little water station has become a regular hotspot for raccoon vs coyote desert drama.

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A Midnight Standoff in the Desert

Last night, my trail cameras caught one of those moments that remind me how wild this place still is.

A raccoon showed up first, quietly drinking under the cover of night. But soon after, a coyote appeared — lean, sure-footed, curious. You’d expect the raccoon to run, but not this one. He stood tall on his hind legs, hissed, barked — sending a clear message:
“Not tonight.”

The two circled each other around the bush, sizing one another up. It was the classic raccoon vs coyote desert standoff, right in my backyard. Eventually, the raccoon made the smart choice — retreating to a nearby tree, unharmed.

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Desert Rules: More Visitors Arrive

But the night wasn’t done.

A second coyote wandered in… marking the ground water bowl like it belonged to him. Apparently, that’s how things work out here in the desert. The first coyote returned moments later and drank straight from the bowl. Life goes on — desert style.

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Who Really Lives Here?

It’s funny — we live out here thinking it’s our space. But the raccoon vs coyote desert encounters remind me otherwise. Sometimes, all you can do is watch — quietly — and respect the ones who were here long before us.

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