This Is The Most Arizona Sound You'll Ever Hear, And We Can't Stop Listening To It
By Melissa Mahoney|Published April 26, 2024
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Some sounds are associated with places. Perhaps it’s a song you’ve heard that reminds you of home or even the sound of a bird or an animal. In a place like the Grand Canyon State, there’s one animal sound that always makes me nostalgic — the sound of a coyote. I remember the time my partner and I went hiking in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and, as the sun started to set, we could hear one coyote then another then a whole lot more. It was eerie to hear their howls echoing through the preserve! And, maybe like me, you find the sound of coyotes to be a nostalgic Arizona sound.
The sound of a coyote echoing through a canyon or the desert is a hauntingly beautiful sound and one that's most associated with the state of Arizona.
Coyotes are natural predators who will eat animals like rabbits, birds, or rodents. While they generally avoid human contact, they are territorial and have been known to show aggression towards dogs, especially ones that are off-leash.
Small dogs and cats that are left unattended in a backyard may also become a food source for a coyote, so make sure you supervise any of your pets outside if you live in Arizona.
While coyotes tend to live in the mountain preserves, they can often be found roaming through neighborhoods and golf courses. While they are wild, they are a part of our community here in the Grand Canyon State.
A coyote's howl has to be the most Arizona sound there is. They howl to communicate with other coyotes in their families or to warn other coyotes that encroach on their territory.