Duncan's Cove

coastal
My latest excursion was to a place that I had heard good things about but never been.  With a new camera begging to be taken on a tour. I decided to check it out.

 The trail, like many throughout the province, is not marked or signed very well. Once you pull onto Duncan's Cove Road, there is no hint of where the trail is other than a small gravel parking area on the side of the road near a private access road entrance. I guessed that this was where we enter even though it looked a bit sketchy.


 Right away as you walk down the main road toward the private road you get to see a glimpse of the great views you are about to encounter. The unique community of houses are also blend of classic nova Scotia coastal communities and modern architecture. The first few hundred meters might seem as though you are trespassing but once you reach the top of the hill, the beautiful rugged coastline and the rest of the trail become visible. It is a great example of some of the hidden gems that are everywhere in the province. The coastal views are as good as it gets. For a short day hike which isn't a far drive from Halifax, you'd be hard pressed to find a better spot than this.

 It was late august and the blueberry bushes which saturate the coastal Barrens were in full bloom. A few seconds of foraging bore a handful of delicious Huckleberries. My sister in law later visited here with my nephews and I received some fantastic arctic blueberry jam! (Recommended reading: "Field Guide to Edible Plants in Eastern and Central North America")

 There are a couple of world war one era lookouts which mark roughly the mid point and end point of the trail. When I reached the first lookout which only took about 30 minutes I felt like there was no need to go any further, as the views here were spectacular. My stop here probably added 20 minutes to the trip but I would advise others to do the same. I'm sure that spotting whales from here can be achieved with the proper amount of dedication and daydreaming.

 The second leg of the journey includes some really great rock climbing opportunities and great spots to watch the powerful surf up close (caution strongly advised). The trail gets more rugged toward the end and there is potential for a catastrophic fall in a couple of places if you aren't paying attention. These dangers are to be considered if you bring kids along but otherwise add to the character of the trail.

 The second lookout marks the end of the trail and again the views are spectacular. Green rocky barrens stretch as far as the eye can see to the west, blue skies and ocean as far as you can see to the east. Another great example of modern architecture lies further down the coast on what has to be one of the nicest dwellings in the province. I'm not sure which aspect of this place is the most impressive: the house, the pool, the property, or the immense rock wall surrounding the property.




 After this point the trail ends and you must turn back around and head back the same way you came. Usually I'm not a big fan of linear pathways and prefer looped trails but in this case there is so much scenery to take in, that doubling back isn't a chore.

 All in all this was another unexpectedly spectacular day trip even to someone who was born and raised in Halifax but had never been.  I recommend it to anyone who wants to see one of Nova Scotia's greatest coastal landscapes. You can snap some great photos, get back to your childhood rock climbing days, breathe in some fresh ocean air while getting top quality exercise....and end up with some fresh blueberry jam! 


For more detailed info on Duncan's Cove, visit my website.

The Fuss Over Coyotes

blue mountain
     Based on the tragic incident that occured in Cape Breton 3 years ago, there has been much attention and discussion paid to coyotes in Nova Scotia.  I often dismiss many of the stories I read in the local news about coyotes, as a topic that the media has jumped on-board with to grab people's attention whether warranted or not.  To me, one very tragic incident throughout the coyote's history of living in Nova Scotia, doesn't seem to warrant all of the negative press they now receive.  Or is it warranted?  I decided to delve into the topic more deeply.

     Recently I went on a hike with my brother and nephews (age 5 and 4) to Blue Mountain.  I figured the hike wasn't too lengthy or difficult for small children to do, and most of the path is well-travelled.  Our Sunday outing was quickly brought to an end as we encountered a sign that said DO NOT ENTER warned of coyote traps ahead.  Disapointed, we headed back for the car, as we weren't going to take any chances with young children.  From previous trips to the Blue Mountain trail, I saw that it is a very popular area for locals to walk their dogs, and I imagine that coyote traps have got to be a pretty bad thing to put in an area frequented by dogs.  So why the frenzy over coyotes? Are they really that dangerous? What exactly is being done about them? And why are they now such a concern? 

History: The Eastern Coyote was first recorded in Nova Scotia in 1977 and is the newest large mammal on the scene.  Their migration to Nova Scotia was the result of habitat change, forcing them to find new territory.  It didn't take very long for coyotes to be wide-spread in the province due to their diverse diet and ability to adapt. 

Eastern Coyote Bio:  Average  Male= 34 pounds, Female=24 pounds. Typically larger than western coyotes due to their distinct genetics from past inter-breeding with wolves. Average litter: 5-6 pups. They hunt in family units or packs. Diet consists of deer, mice, squirrels, snowshoe hare, fruit, and excellent at scavenging. Can live in urban areas. 
Facts: There are no reported cases of Coyotes carrying rabies in Nova Scotia.  There has been one fatal attack on a human by a Coyote in Nova Scotia, the only other incident was recorded in California in 1981.  There are 3 records since 1995 of people bitten or attacked in Nova Scotia.  Since 1994 there have been 24 recorded human-coyote interactions resulting in injury (14% of all reported human-coyote incidents). Coyotes, like most other wild animals in Nova Scotia, prefer to avoid human contact. 

     Given this info, why the uproar about coyotes? Was that one tragedy a completely isolated, freak incident, or is there a real issue here?  The government quickly responded by hunting down and shooting the coyotes responsible for the attack, and examining them for evidence of rabies or other reasons as to why these coyotes would be particularly aggressive.  Rabies was not found, and it is thought that the coyotes may have just been very desperate for food, causing the out of character behaviour. 

     The result of the incident was widespread coverage in the media about coyotes in Nova Scotia.  Whether it was possible sitings of the animals in rural areas, incidents being reported much more readily, or discussion about a cull, the coyote had earned an infamous spotlight. After the widespread media coverage and pressure from the public, the government of Nova Scotia instituted a cull  in 2010 and again in 2011.  The cull was part of a new 4 step plan to control aggressive coyotes which also includes a biologist to study human-wildlife conflict, training more trappers, providing a pelt incentive, and increasing education about the animal.

     It is yet to be determined what effect the government's new approach towards coyotes has had, but that doesn't stop media from covering reports of sitings that otherwise wouldn't have been news, and for people to question the merits of instituting a bounty on the animal.   

     From my experience in the woods (4 summers of tree planting in Nova Scotia, and many years spent enjoying the outdoors) I have only seen or heard coyotes  from a distance.  To me,  there is nothing like being in the remote areas of Kejimkujik National Park, at night, watching the sun set over a lake, listening to the loons call, the frogs peep, the owls hoot and the coyotes howl.  It is nature functioning as it should.  Only when human encroachment is put into the mix does the balance get disrupted and problems arise.  I think following the usual rules of entering into the wilderness are all you need: Try not to travel alone, make some noise, carry pepper spray, a knife, or a stick, be aware of your surroundings, treat animals with healthy respect, but realize most of them want to avoid humans as long as they are aware of your presence.

What are your thoughts? Is the uproar about coyotes warranted? Has something changed to make them more agressive? Is the cull necessary? What other approaches could we take? Is this just hypervigilance resulting from one very tragic freak-incident? Please leave your comments below.






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