Coyote in the yard

[Jim_Rogers]

This morning I was looking out the window from my shop/office, I saw a coyote running down my driveway away from the shop.

This is the first one I've seen here.

There has been several sitings in town nearby that I've heard about on TV news.

Should I be concerned?

I do have a gun that I could use to defend myself if needed, but it's only a 22 cal for shooting squirrels, and other small rodents.

Will it take down a coyote?

Jim Rogers

[Texas Ranger]

It will make the coyote unhappy, in the least.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Defend yourself? From a coyote?  :D

I would "dispose" of it somehow to defend the neighborhood rabbits, cats, etc.

I've taken down more than a few yotes with a .22LR.

[giant splinter]

Jim
Coyotes are difficult to shoot with a camera much less a gun and they really don't want to be confronted,unless he has been getting into chicken coops or helping manage the cat population I would not be concerned, he was just checking out your trash cans for a free meal. In my area if you hear them at night the wolves are out there somewhere as well, not being the highest thing on the food chain I let them all do their job.

[Jim_Rogers]

Coyote's have been known in our area to be rabid, so that's why I said I wanted to defend myself. They have attacked people in their own yards due to the fact that they (the coyotes) are sick with rabies.

Thanks for your comments.

Jim Rogers

[doctorb]

You might get a shot at one if you're in a deer stand.  Unless they are acting aggressively from disease, they don't want anything to do with you.  If you provide a food source (pets, chickens, etc.), you'll see him again.  If they can find an easier food source elsewhere, just consider yourself lucky to have seen him for the last time.

I have seen three in the last 5 years.  All were in situations that I would have had no time to get a shot off, even if I was armed and ready.  I think, at least in my area, they are very nocturnal.  I might suggest a game cam if you think they are lurking around your place.  Then you can at least get an idea of the frequency of their visits.

[Cypressstump]

Where there is one, there are others. Do you have small pets? If so, keep them inside at nights. Yotes are notorious for grabbing house cats and smaller dogs. Those things multiply quickly where food sources are abundant.

[Jim_Rogers]

I have seen, recently, baby woodchucks, rabbits, cats and of course squirrels and chipmunks in my yard.

So, I would say that there is plenty of food around for this one.

Jim Rogers

[Cypressstump]

Sounds like that Yote needs a lead diet, and the .22 in a long rifle cartridge will do the deed out to 50 yards easily on a well placed shot,

I lived out west many years, used to hunt them for population control for some ranchers. One of the very few animals that I will kill not for food. They are one of them most wiley creatures I have ever seen in the wild.Second only to the mountian lion.

[Jim_Rogers]

I do have a scope on my 22 long rifle.

And just a few minutes ago, a wild turkey nearly walked into the shop. I had to chase him off down the driveway....

Jim Rogers

So there is plenty of wild life around here...

[bill m]

Back in Feb. late on night I let my lab out just before bedtime. Just as he got out the door I saw a coyote under the apple tree on the back lawn. The dog didn't see him but he saw the dog. As my dog was going about doing his business the coyote started approaching him. At about 30 yards I stepped out of the house and yelled and he headed for the woods. About 2 weeks later he was back again. I now keep my 22 by the back door.

[doctorb]

Hate the thought of watching that confrontation, but I'll bet it would never happen.  Eastern coyotes can get slightly bigger than their Western relatives, up to 45-50 pounds.  Most are not that big, probably 35-40 pounds.

They may be considered predators, which they are, but they are also thoughtful opportunists, not killers.  They will weigh the risk/reward ratio carefully before attacking something their size or larger.  They tend to live on rodents, not deer.  So I thnk your lab is pretty safe.  Now, a smaller dog.......

Most farms around me have one or more dogs.  They never see the coyotes, who avoid this unnecessary confrontation.

[clww]

They are opportunistic eaters/hunters. If they think they can get an easy meal, they will try and go for it. As written earlier, if you've seen one then chances are there are others.
I know a guy that trapped one last winter that weighed in at 52 LBS! I was at the taxidermist picking mine up when he brought that one in. Mine looked like a puppy beside it.

[Al_Smith]

They can get rather large in this area .Occasional after a new fallen snow I see tracks around my wood piles evidently from a 'yote looking for a mouse or chipmonk during the night .Fox tracks also but not during the same night .Fox leave a track with a trailing foot .Yotes more like dogs only smaller .

The fox I see on occasion ,the 'yotes only rarely and fleeting and never on my property although they obviously visit from time to time .

To have predators of any kind there has to be prey .As such says a lot for the eco system .

[MHineman]

  I hear them when they have a meal ready and calling everybody in for dinner frequently.  A neighbor across the back fence (~1200 ft from the house) hunts them and apparently gets quite a few.

  I've only seen any one time on my place.  I have chickens, and outdoor cats and so far have not had any lost to coyotes.

  I also have a stupid dog that runs all over the place with no particular purpose.  My guess is his scent is left all over and the coyotes decide to got elsewhere for dinner.

  I do have skunks that visit often.  They do not bother the chickens or cats either, but I do keep the dog in at night to avoid a smelly dog.

  Does anybody know if coyotes will bypass your place if you have skunks around?  When I have skunks roam through, I have little to no racoons.

  I have had several interactions with the skunks personally and so far no bad results.  Now the stupid dog is different.  The skunk felt threatened when the dog approached.

  A flashlight waved at the skunk was all it took to "chase" him out of the chicken pen, and since they prefer to not have interaction with people, he didn't come back to the chickens again.  He didn't seem to be interested in hurting the chickens, but thought the broken egg on the gound might be good.

[clww]

We have everything on our property-from chipmunks to bears. I have seen a few skunks, and have seen one coyote. At night, I've heard a group of several get together and "sing". I don't think they'd stay away because of a skunk, IMO.
Incidentally, we were having our coffee Sunday morning on the deck I built in front of the tent. Had the radio on with a CD playing and our two dogs were there with us. This doe walks up the driveway to within 40 feet of everything. Then the dogs took off chasing her, until I called them back home.

[Jim_Rogers]

I have deer walk right out and down the driveway all the time. Sometimes while I'm out sawing, in the middle of the day.

Jim Rogers

[Ironwood]

I had a female here, and many of my dump truck drivers saw her lingering in my fiel when they were bringing loads of fill in, I too have had local stories of rabid ones, so have a .270 Win waiting for her, nothing lately now that I am prepared ??? perhaps she fouund better grounds.

Ironwood

[jpmorris98]

As far as close-quarters medicine, I'd prefer a reputable 12 gauge to a .22lr.  Modified or full choke loaded w/ No. 4 shot or larger.  I follow the Elmer Keith philosophy of "use enough gun".  Granted the .270 is a great choice, the shotgun may provide a little safety cushion if you have neighbors in close proximity and limited earthen back stops to catch the projectile after it exits the animal.

Just my 2-cents.
jpm

[Cypressstump]

Out in New Mexico we used to have Coyote Hunts that turned into tournments. The team with the most dead dogs won. We pair up with one man with a 12 ga. or 10ga. shotgun with either 3 1/2" BB shot or #1 buckshot rounds, and the other with something that would reach out and touch em' at 5-600 yards, usually a .220 Swift or Ruger .22-250 or heavier depending on wind conditions.

The majority of the Yotes were shot within 50 yards, they are that elusive and sneaky. My partner once shot a large male at the end of his 10 gauge, it came in that quick and competely unseen. He took us by total surprise because he busted in on us , up out of an arroyo  and into the sagebrush flat that we had sat up our 'sniper nest', was not even done with the first single call when the shotgun w/ 3 1/2" number 1 buckshot went off. Bout made me stink up the place..... the yote folded and rolled right past my feet, as me and my friend were facing off at a 45 degree angle from each other scanning out to the distance. The Yote came straight in to him at a full on run and flared off as he noticed us. There were't much of that dog left to tote to the truck....

[Crappiekeith]

...and here I was gonna say .22-.250...nice fast accurate round.

[Ironwood]

my shot would likely be 100 yards+ and into wooded acreage, upslope houses are 1/4 minimum and thru thick woods.

[Activgurl]

Charleston, WV, has a hunting/fishing show every January.  A guy has done a seminar on coyote hunting for several years.  I've sat thru the show several times, and like his tips & stories.  Here's his website. http://www.tombechdel.com/

And a quote from him... "During any three year period I have harvested 257 coyotes in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The largest was 72 pounds, and the most I have harvested in one day is eight."

[chain]

Charleston, WV, has a hunting/fishing show every January.  A guy has done a seminar on coyote hunting for several years.  I've sat thru the show several times, and like his tips & stories.  Here's his website. http://www.tombechdel.com/

And a quote from him... "During any three year period I have harvested 257 coyotes in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The largest was 72 pounds, and the most I have harvested in one day is eight."

That's interesting about the 'yote that weighed 72lb. I was on a National trapping website once, the owner had a contest and I believe he bet noone could document a 'yote weighing over 50lbs. This guy writes for several trapping publications, so far as I know noone ever documented a 'yote over fifty. There are 'coydogs' a mixed species that I've heard of and I have seen black 'yotes.

[Cypressstump]

During some of the Yote roundups we used to have in New Mexico, there were several that went over 50 lbs, the largest I saw my self weighed was 61 lbs a huge non-pregnant female. That Yote came from the Bosque area, a wooded area longside the Rio Grande river , which holds lots of wildlife, more so that the mesa's and deserts.

[chain]

Wish i had kept up with the thread just to see if the owner had to eat crow. ;D

But I think most the larger 'yotes came out of the northeast, some, I think were 'pen-raised' 'yotes. Most furbearers grow larger in the northern U.S. and Canada; fur much thicker and of excellent quality and command highest prices.

The only time we had great prices for fur was when the American river otter fur was in demand. Furs exported to China-Tibet, even Russia. Our otter became very prolific...guess where they came from when the MDC re-stocked....Louisana. The biologists never dreamed the otter could reproduce so fast...from a highly protected novelty species ...to a nuisance in less than twenty years..no limit on otter in many areas of Missouri now.

[Jim_Rogers]

So, the day I originally posted this, I also wrote an email to the local police department in my town to ask them if I should be reporting it to them, that I saw one in my yard.
This morning I got an email reply from them.

Here is what they said:

Jim,

It is not uncommon to see a coyote especially in an area that is surrounded by woods. However, if you see one certainly do not approach it. The Georgetown Animal Control handles domestic animal issues only. If you have a concern you can contact the Environmental Police. The State of Mass. Website also has valuable information regarding all types of wildlife. Hope this helps.

Officer D

15 days to get a response..... at least they did respond....

Jim Rogers

[Jim_Rogers]

Coyote in my yard again today.

I had my camera on my desk and completely forgot to pick it up when I walked outside to scare him off.

I had a customer on the way over to pick up some oak and didn't want them two to meet up in the driveway.

I'll try next time to grab it.....

Jim Rogers

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Jim, I learned from another thread, that if you will get a sign that says, "COYOTE CROSSING", move it down the road about a mile, you will have NO MORE trouble with Coyotes coming across your property.

See the things you learn on the Forum. 

[clww]

I cannot put into words how much knowledge I have absorbed reading David's posts! :D

[Jim_Rogers]

I cannot put into words how much knowledge I have absorbed reading David's posts! :D

Amen to that.....

[sandhills]

I guess I wasn't aware that coyotes could read as good as deer can  :P   say_what

[Kansas]

The redbone hound dog that I inherited confronted two yotes the other evening. As in about 10 ft apart. I grabbed the .22 and managed to get a shot off. I don't know if I hit one of them, but they took off like a rocket. Now the dog acts depressed. Either he had made friends with them, or he feels like I don't think he can do the job. He is 13 years old. If dogs had SS, he would be on it.

[Norm]

A couple of weeks ago we had a target shooting get together and put some old watermelons about 15 yards off the back deck for pistols. A couple days later in the last light I looked out to see a coyote eating on one of them. I grab my A3 and snuck out the east patio door to see him broadside, he won't do that again.

I do not tolerate them close to my house.

[Chuck White]

I agree with Norm.

I don't tollerate yotes either!

One thing I've learned about yotes over the years is that their transmission has unlimited gears.

If you shoot and miss, they'll shift up a gear, miss again and they'll shift again, I do think that they'll keep shifting as long as you keep missing!

Don't ask me how I know! 

At 3 - 4 hundred yards a yote is a small target, but if you don't shoot, you know you will not get him, so at least you do have a chance if you shoot!

[clww]

He's still not as fast as Roadrunner, though! :D

[fishpharmer]

This morning, not long after I read this thread, I looked over the pasture with the cows and caught these two.....



Also, this is the first reply where I uploaded and posted a pic with iCab browser on my iphone. 8)

[clww]

NICE!
How big is your Golden?

[fishpharmer]

Maybe 75-80 lbs, not real big for a female golden. The bigger coyote is a male, the other a female.  I got lucky on these two, they disappeared into some weeds.  Then one popped out in an opening, got it. Then the other appeared about ten yards away. Its last appearance.

[clww]

The female is about the size of the one I had mounted a couple years ago.

Our 10 year old female GR is at 90 lbs. Tallest GR I've ever seen.

[Mooseherder]

Mighty fine shooting there Mr. Fishpharmer.

[fishpharmer]

Thank you, I got lucky.

[doctorb]

Lucky, my a--, that's good shooting.

[Norm]

Nice shooting!

I have a story that no one should try unless they live at least a mile from their nearest neighbor...I do. A few days after I got the one in the back yard late in the evening I was sitting in my office when a pack of coyotes started howling up a storm right outside the window in a corn field just a few yards away. I grabbed my A3 and snuck out the same patio door and unloaded a 30 round clip into the corn field to show them what I thought of being so close to the house. The next morning when I went for my walk here's what I found.



I couldn't believe how unlucky this yote was.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

How early did you go for your walk Norm? Looks like he may have just been sleeping in. 

[clww]

Our Bernese Mountain Dog took up the same pose an hour ago in front of the fireplace.

[doctorb]

Norm-

I truly find that amazing.  How many times do you try to hit one and miss, and then......

I've got to admit, he looks comfortable! :D

[fishpharmer]

Norm, that is amazing!  8)  I would guess you haven't heard coyotes near there lately?

[Chuck White]

Some say it's better to be lucky that good!

A little of both don't hurt!

[Jeff]

While preparing a camera this morning, I found some photos that were on the internal memory I didn't know were there. Its from bear season year before last when I was baiting just behind the cabin for Pete's brother-in-law.



  

  

  

  

 

[red oaks lumber]

norm
i love ya shootin at sound :D earlier this fall my wife and i were out checking cattle and we spotted a coyote maybe 50 yrds. ahead off to the side. we kept walking and got up even with him now a distance of maybe 30 yrds. the darn thing sat down and started barking at us just like a dog. honest truth! he wasnt mangy or anything after a couple of minutes he started walking away stopping and looking back every few feet or so.
i don't worry about a pack of coyotes. its the darn pack of wolves we have close by that keeps me watching my back trail
dont get me wrong the gun is loaded for the just out of reach opportuities ;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Jeff......those Coyotes look real healthy. The ones around here seem to be starving.

[Jeff]

Feed them deer fawns. They thrive on those.  :-\ 

[Polly]

 8) so the story goes ky  fish and game turned them loose in ky to help control the deer population ,which they deni, they sound like apack of wolves alot of nites i would be afraid to go out at nite without protection my son has a small dog and almost caught it in daylite

[MJD]

A couple weeks ago I went to the wood pile so I could fill the owf and see a coyote maybee 10 yards away and just glareing at me and then slowly walks away keeping his eyes on me, I load the furnace and walk back to the wood pile and he is on my trail going out to the woods again only 10- 15 yards away just staring at me, thats all I could stand I went back to the house and grabed the rifle and walked back to where I saw him last and see him laying down on the side of the hill in some long grass watching me for his last time. This was a very brave large male coyote that if he would of came across a small child I believe could of been a ugly scene, never seen one so brave.

[Cypressstump]

Good thing you took that one out.

Usually when a wild animal loses it's caution of humans, bad things soon happen. He could have been old and lost some normal hunting abilities, looking for easy prey as you fear, or else sick/diseased.

[mburrow]

here is one I shot some time back, it was about 80 yards out of my back yard.

  

  

 

[LOGDOG]

Our akita and basset hound started barking in the kitchen this morning. The blinds were closed on the patio door and I didn't see anyone out in the side yard. I thought maybe it was a false alarm. The akita's bark was her "alarm/warning bark" though. It's usually spot on. So I part the vertical blinds to look at the patio door toward the bottom/pasture and coming up our levy/road is a fat female coyote. I told my wife to come in the kitchen quick. The thing came right up to the edge of the yard and that's when I made the decision to try to take it. I grabbed the only gun I had handy which was my .300 mag, came back and just then the coyote decided to drop down the far side of the levy and head toward the tree line. I thought "dang!". But then it started to do a fast walk/lope down the tree line and got clear of some trees that were blocking it before. I already had the gun out the door with a leaning aim and rolled her right there. I put one more in just to finish it off quickly. I wish I would have had a smaller caliber rifle handy because that .300 mag absolutely destroyed the exit side of that coyote.... as in 40% of the exit side was missing. I looked at my ammo when I got back in. Here I had 150 grain protected hollow point ammo in there. No wonder.

The coat was nice and thick. Would have liked to have mounted that coyote but not now. It had quite a set of teeth on it that's for sure.

[Shotgun]

How do you sex a coyote coming up the levy/road?  Just wondering.

Norm

[LOGDOG]

A few pictures of the coyote ...







...and by the way Shotgun ... she wasn't sexed until after.  ;) She won't be making any more pups.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

How do you sex a coyote coming up the levy/road?  Just wondering.

Norm

Shhhhhhhhhhh.......you sneak up on it.


Good shot LogDog.

[LOGDOG]

Thanks Poston.  ;)

[JuniperBoss]

A 22 cal. is WAY PLENTY for coyote hunting or defending from a coyote. Never be afraid of one, though. I have said before, there is a greater risk of injury caring a knife or gun around the woods to protect yourself from a coyote than the coyote itself attacking you. But small livestock, pets, and very small children (maybe?) could be a different story. My sister's dog was nearly killed in the middle of the night by a coyote(s). It limped into the house bloody and with a puncture wound on the top of it's head. It made it, but in areas where coyotes are very prevalent I would take extreme caution with fairly small animals, and maybe even small children, if they're walking around the wilderness in the night . Still, unlikely.

[fishpharmer]

There was a story in National Geograghic years ago, late eighties or early nineties, that highlighted the illegal transportation of live coyotes from state to state.  The coyotes were sold  to provide hunting opportunities either in a pen situation or the "wild."   Coyotes may have spread over a larger range more rapidly due to this.  I've never heard anyone say "there aren't enough coyotes around here."   Mburrow, logdog and all...keep up the good shooting! 8)