Dealing with coyotes on your property

[upsscott]

I want to apologize. He's not a biologist, rather a historian specializing in the American west. He's studied coyotes very extensively however. At any rate it may be a good read. Here's the link.
https://www.amazon.com/Coyote-America-Natural-Supernatural-History/dp/0465052991

[oldE]

When coyotes first showed up here, about 20 years ago, we tended to ignore them. Then about 5 years ago we watched a young one hunting field mice in the new mown field in front of our house.
I felt they were becoming too used to us. Since then we have a policy if a coyote is spotted, it is chased. They caught on very quickly the humans in that house were a threat and tend to give us a wide berth.
They are still around. We see the scat on our walks. But they have a flight response because of our behavior towards them.
Best
Les

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

Of course he said that. He's some PETA scientist most likely.

In NYS it is legal to shoot them if you have a license. With dogs and kids playing in the yard I don't want them prowling or stalking or whatever the scientist says they will do.

If you have to get shots for rabies, the tune will turn quickly.

The picture was taken this morning quite close to the house. They come right up to the doors at night, have killed their chickens and rundown deer in the winter. They serve no useful purpose in a populated neighborhood.

A pack of coyote can not take down a healthy deer, fawn or old sick deer yes. IMO sucks for a fawn but big picture this is good.
Pen your chickens properly and you won't lose any, IMO this loss is 100% keepers fault.
I never left my babies out at night.

You are encroaching on their environment, to me urban coyotes are humans fault, because idiots feed them and leave food (garbage) lying around. Not to mention meals on wheels running around, man up and get a real dog.

I realize California has hybreads and yes they should be destroyed, but again a largely man-made problem from irresponsible pet owners.

[Hugh R]

I have several packs of them on my property. Just an 8 foot fence with ease. I use a wrist rocket and steel slugs to discourage them from coming inside the fence. A big dog is helpful, but they will try and distract him in front and another will try and sneak up behind to tear his Achilles Heel to hobble him.

[unclebilly]

I use a 6.5x65 Swedish Mauser. I have shot them out of our ensuite window over 1/4 mile (they were picking at a dead cow carcass) and have got one about 400 yards shooting off my kids playground.

[love911]

I live near foothills of The Angeles Crest forest,and we have lots of coyotes in our area even sometimes we see them walking during the day.
Two years ago they tore apart my neighbors golden retriever to the pieces in the middle of the day when everyone is out and working,the only thing left was just the back legs.
According to my neighbor they lured him in, first to the edge of the property and then attacked him full force he had no chance,poor dog.

[pwd72s]

In Portland, Coyotes are becoming problematic. Here in more rural Linn County, where there are sheep, not so many coyotes about. Farmers pack mini 14's or AR's...

Dog? Once Evren emailed that he'd be dog sitting for his mom when she was visiting her relatives in the USA...and he was worried about the safety or his two German Shepherds. I asked what kind of dog would have him worried? Uh, Anatolian Shepherd, used in Turkey to guard, not herd, flocks. Sight hunters...they track down and kill wolves.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t-s&p=kangal+dog#id=37&vid=95f6faa70490ffd40bb81ba73181f1c6&action=view

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

They serve no useful purpose in a populated neighborhood.

They help keep the deer population down, something that is sorely needed around here.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

They help keep the deer population down, something that is sorely needed around here.

Around here the coyotes don't take deer. They seem to be solitary hunters.
Motor vehicles kill more deer and the population is increasing.
Best
Les

[upsscott]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

I have several packs of them on my property. Just an 8 foot fence with ease. I use a wrist rocket and steel slugs to discourage them from coming inside the fence. A big dog is helpful, but they will try and distract him in front and another will try and sneak up behind to tear his Achilles Heel to hobble him.

Yep. I've seen this tactic before.

[upsscott]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

They help keep the deer population down, something that is sorely needed around here.

Do they hunt Mtn lions in Oregon? It's rare to see a coyote take a deer.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by upsscott

Do they hunt Mtn lions in Oregon? It's rare to see a coyote take a deer.

Technically, you can still buy a cougar tag...but it's become illegal to hunt them with dogs. It used to be, but the PETA folks passed an initiative to ban. So, now Cougars have been spotted lurking around school playgrounds.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

.... So, now Cougars have been spotted lurking around school playgrounds.

Some of them 18 year old boyz need to be taught a lesson or three

[pwd72s]

One scary thing happened several years back, reported in a local paper. School bus driver (grade school kids) spotter a cougar hiding in the brush at one of her stops. Managed to slam the door on the 6 year old who was about to depart. Then she took a pic of the cougar through a window...made the front page.

I remember the look on Ron Madaio's face when he told me of seeing Cougar tracks in the damp river sand when he camped out at trout creek here...asked me what a cougar track looked like. I just pointed to the wet track of our housecat on the front porch concrete..."Just like that, Ron, only a LOT bigger. Hoot! Kind of phreaked the NY City guy...but hell, he was in more mortal danger in NYC than he was at Trout Creek..

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

A pack of coyote can not take down a healthy deer, fawn or old sick deer yes. IMO sucks for a fawn but big picture this is good.
Pen your chickens properly and you won't lose any, IMO this loss is 100% keepers fault.
I never left my babies out at night.

You are encroaching on their environment, to me urban coyotes are humans fault, because idiots feed them and leave food (garbage) lying around. Not to mention meals on wheels running around, man up and get a real dog.

I realize California has hybreads and yes they should be destroyed, but again a largely man-made problem from irresponsible pet owners.

I saw a video of just TWO coyotes kill a healthy deer.

Coyotes may have been here prior to my house being built back in the 1960's but I will tell you that there are more per acre in most house areas than in the woods

I have chased 6-8 out of my yard in 5 years I'm 5 miles from Disney land One of my dogs was bit twice and survived. If I could shoot them I would in a heartbeat

[LakeCleElum]

Haven't had a problem with coyotes since I took this photo from my bathroom window last year:

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Haven't had a problem with coyotes since I took this photo from my bathroom window last year:

We have those as well. Garbage scavengers, they run from people unless cubs are threatened.

Nice pic.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by upsscott

I just listened to the Joe Rogan podcast where he interviewed a biologist who specialized in coyote behavior. One thing I took away from it is that it really does no good to kill them unless you are threatened immediately. Apparently when you hear them bark and yip in the evening they are doing a roll call. When one comes up missing it prompts the females to produce more pups. How this is? I have no clue. This is just what the guy said

Coyotes do indeed have a unique ability to adapt litter size as required. The major determining factor is food supply; in abundant years they can have litters of over a dozen, while in lean years litters will be as small as two. It all has to do with the mother's general health, which is most affected by food supply.

I've never heard of this adaptive strategy being used to replace missing members of the local population. When looked at from a food supply angle, however, it makes sense in that once less mouth is dipping into the larder, so to speak.

What to do about coyotes? Shoot 'em on sight, any time, anywhere. That's been my policy for decades. I used to actively hunt them when the pelts were getting over a hundred bucks apiece (a lot of people did), but then they dropped to under ten bucks and most everyone quit. Not sure what they are worth today. There are way too many of them, though, so just kill them.

As previously mentioned, .223's work great. I used a .220 Swift on most I shot, but it's essentially just a .223 on steroids. Don't use mil surplus FMJ ammo - I like Nosler Ballistic Tips or Hornady V-Maxes, both plastic tipped bullets that provide violent expansion. Get something like that in a .223 and let 'er rip. If you don't have a .223, just get the lightest bullet, highest velocity ammo you can in whatever caliber you do own. 110 grain varmint bullets from the '06 work great.

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

I have several packs of them on my property. Just an 8 foot fence with ease. I use a wrist rocket and steel slugs to discourage them from coming inside the fence. A big dog is helpful, but they will try and distract him in front and another will try and sneak up behind to tear his Achilles Heel to hobble him.

That's why you have more than one...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by upsscott

Do they hunt Mtn lions in Oregon? It's rare to see a coyote take a deer.

I don't know about Oregon, but coyotes take fawns around here. They can smell a birth from a mile away. An afterbirth dinner and a newborn fawn for desert. Helps keep the vermin population down.