Coyotes

[Ky hills]

We have all descriptions of coyotes here most are average sized but not uncommon to see a real big one. Last fall there was a good sized one around and the neighbors saw it at a distance and thought at first it might have been their German shepherd that is a huge dog. The craziest experience I've had with a coyote was when I still had sheep. One evening I was calling the sheep up to the barn for night, and I noticed a small to medium sized coyote following them. It came right up behind them with me standing there calling them. One the sheep got in the barn lot I closed the gate and just barely did before it went through too. It was within a few feet of me and with me trying to run it off it wasn't. It would maybe circle back a few feet and come right back. My mother happened to hear the commotion and I literally begged her to get the 22 but she had an aversion to guns and was reluctant to touch it. I was literally throwing rocks at this coyote to keep him out of the lot he was that fixated on the sheep and lambs that rocks didn't hardly phase him. Finally by the time she brought me the gun he had gone. It was a ten or more minute standoff with that coyote. Never had anymore encounters like that. One day last fall or early winter we were checking cows on another farm with the utv and one was out in the middle of the field watching the cows. Of course didn't have a gun that day either and we literally ran the utv up to within a few feet of it before it ran and then it would look back like it didn't want to leave. The utv is pretty fast so we finally got it to realize it better run away. Saw it in the woods across the fence a couple times afterwards but thankfully it didn't bother any of young calves.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Interesting and well timed post. I'm located in south central New Hampshire. The farm is remote, in the middle of a fairly sizable piece (New Hampshire standards) of 140 acres. I hear the coyotes most nights. Some nights they are very close. We have been cow/calvin' it for 15 years now and I have never lost a calf... yet. Although as they say, "It's never a problem, until it is".

I let the cows into a small pasture right off the barn/corral to birth during mid/late April. They all give birth right up against the windward tree line.

Just recently , one of my beef customers, who is an avid hunter, has started to hunt the coyotes with calls and starting this week, night hunting. I had some mixed emotions since they haven't taken any calves, but they did take two chickens and my cat disappeared last fall. He was a good cat too..

They way I look at it, he's only going to take a coyote or two and having a predator (my customer) out there is good to keep them at bay. Unless the neighbors start jumping up and down, I'm going to let him have at it.

In the meantime, if I hear the coyotes really whooping it up and they are close and it is birthin' season, I will yell and they usually shut up. If that doesn't work, a rifle shot seems to shut em up for sure. I'm a deer hunter, so whackin' one if he gets to close is not an issue at all. But to answer the OP's original question, I've never been confronted by one. Maybe they know better....

 

[farmguy]

Some things I know. As a rule the farther north the larger coyotes and other animals tend to be. Second: coyotes will lure a dog off, surround and kill it, even large dogs. Third: coyotes will kill new born calves, especially those hid by their mother the first few days.

 

[WFfarm]

Ridgefarmer63

Researches at SUNY Stony Brook looked at the genetic makeup of coyotes in New York and the Northeast. They determined that what we have is a hybrid of approximately 65% coyote, 25% wolf and 10% domestic dog. That is why they are larger on average that western coyotes.They can easily top 55 lbs here. Coyotes are considered an invasive species in New York state. They came into the state at the turn of the century from Canada to fill the predator void when farmers killed off the native wolf and mountain lion populations.

We have not had a problem with them, yet. But they are all around us and neighbors have lost calves to them or had a dead calf that they got to first. They still have a decent amount of fear of humans thanks to local hunting and trapping pressure. Most deer hunters will shoot any and all on sight. Farmers are legally allowed to shoot them if they are around or harassing livestock, but you are not allowed to bait or call them if it's outside the season.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Ridgefarmer63

Researches at SUNY Stony Brook looked at the genetic makeup of coyotes in New York and the Northeast. They determined that what we have is a hybrid of approximately 65% coyote, 25% wolf and 10% domestic dog. That is why they are larger on average that western coyotes.They can easily top 55 lbs here. Coyotes are considered an invasive species in New York state. They came into the state at the turn of the century from Canada to fill the predator void when farmers killed off the native wolf and mountain lion populations.

We have not had a problem with them, yet. But they are all around us and neighbors have lost calves to them or had a dead calf that they got to first. They still have a decent amount of fear of humans thanks to local hunting and trapping pressure. Most deer hunters will shoot any and all on sight. Farmers are legally allowed to shoot them if they are around or harassing livestock, but you are not allowed to bait or call them if it's outside the season.

WFfarm, Interesting. I didn't know about the genetic breakdown, particularly the wolf part. I saw the coyote who took the chicken. Caught him red handed. Good looking animal. He was brown. His coat looked like a chessapeke a bit. We've been lucky so far, I guess, but it is always on my mind during calving time. Not so sure what the season is in NH to be honest. I am relying on my buddy hunting. We did have to file an "Intent to night hunt" form with county for the night hunting just recently. He hasn't got one yet. If/when I start having problems, I may have to re-evaluate how we do things. The barn is about 80 yards from the house and I have some nice lighting out there (pays when your son in law is a line man. Got some flood lights on telephone poles. Could leave those on during calving season...

 

[Caustic Burno]

We have these.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Some things I know. As a rule the farther north the larger coyotes and other animals tend to be. Second: coyotes will lure a dog off, surround and kill it, even large dogs. Third: coyotes will kill new born calves, especially those hid by their mother the first few days.

Yup. I have had a few cows that would hide their calves in the woods. Usually for three or four days before introducing them to the herd. First time it happened I thought we lost the calf, but then he showed up. The mother would call him out of the woods back into the pasture every night, right around dusk, then hid him again in the am. Most cows give birth next to the upwind stonewall so they can see where they can't smell and vice versa..

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Those look like 55 pounders to me...

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Coyotes do more good than harm on my place. I could be wrong but don't think one has ever killed a calf. One of the neighbors went on a coyote killing spree several years ago and ended up with a big skunk problem. Buzzards are what I hate. The white winged ones have gotten 2 calves this year and try to get nearly everyone born.

Agreed. Buzzards are a much larger problem.

 

[Chevy]

I want to hike the Appalachian Trail one day. Ya'll talking about coyotes, bears, rattlesnakes, cougars, etc makes me want to lock myself inside and throw away the key. 🕷

 

[Chevy]

https://www.wymt.com/content/news/Teenager-killed-in-Knott-County-animal-attack-567988171.html

My heart breaks for this family. What do ya'll think the animal was? Coyotes, Cougar, etc.? I couldn't even imagine that happening to one of my children. I've read about coyotes killing small children before. Than also read stories where it turned out people killed their children trying to say it was coyotes. I can't understand people that would do something like that to a child or anybody for that matter.

 

[Chevy]

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/coyotes-people-encounters

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Keen_coyote_attack

 

[SBMF 2015]

Coyotes are a problem every where. We don't see a lot, but I see tracks all the time. I carry a rifle in the chore tractor. I've shot two while haying cows in the past year. The polar vortex last winter kind of put the hammer on them.
A local hunting club holds a coyote hunt every January. They killed 75 in a weekend.
There is a saying that "you don't argue with the neighbors dog" stray dogs that chase livestock seem to have a problem going home.
A rimfire will work. Any 22 center fire or deer rifle makes a great coyote stopper.

 

[kenny thomas]

The dangers on the Appalachian trail are human not wildlife.

 

[BigBear56]

Some things I know. As a rule the farther north the larger coyotes and other animals tend to be. Second: coyotes will lure a dog off, surround and kill it, even large dogs. Third: coyotes will kill new born calves, especially those hid by their mother the first few days.

On your second point, I personally watched our farm dog run with yotes hundreds of times while we bailed hay. She would always follow us to the fields and she would more often than not run with coyotes while we stacked. When she saw the tractor leave the field she would turn back and follow us home. On the flip side, we would occasionally have a still born calf and not have enough time to get it buried that same day. The yotes would come right up in the barnyard and tear those carcasses up and our farm dog never left the doghouse.
I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule in most cases but the size of the coyotes I see are far above the average size of a typical coyotes. To some of the others points, they literally are the size of/look like German shepherds

 

[SBMF 2015]

Some things I know. As a rule the farther north the larger coyotes and other animals tend to be. Second: coyotes will lure a dog off, surround and kill it, even large dogs. Third: coyotes will kill new born calves, especially those hid by their mother the first few days.

On your second point, I personally watched our farm dog run with yotes hundreds of times while we bailed hay. She would always follow us to the fields and she would more often than not run with coyotes while we stacked. When she saw the tractor leave the field she would turn back and follow us home. On the flip side, we would occasionally have a still born calf and not have enough time to get it buried that same day. The yotes would come right up in the barnyard and tear those carcasses up and our farm dog never left the doghouse.
I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule in most cases but the size of the coyotes I see are far above the average size of a typical coyotes. To some of the others points, they literally are the size of/look like German shepherds

Your coyote are probably coy dogs. 1/2 blood coyote dogs.
If your dog has "made friends" with them she probably doesn't see them as a threat.
I think probably more male dogs are killed by coyotes because they are perceived as an intruding male in the coyotes territory.

 

[chaded]

I've seen a lot of coyotes in Ohio but never saw any that big. :shock:

 

[WinterSpringsFarm]

I've seen a lot of coyotes in Ohio but never saw any that big. :shock:

I saw one last spring planting corn and it was so big I figured it was a German Shepard. When I got closer to it I realized it was a coyote......I about crapped my pants.

 

[BigBear56]

I've seen a lot of coyotes in Ohio but never saw any that big. :shock:

I've been within 50 yds of 2 that size in the last 2 hunting seasons. Missed one on the trot and the other came in too fast for me to pull back.

I wonder if it's my proximity to Columbus ie more stray dogs? I grew up in north central Ohio and I never saw one larger than 40-45 lbs. but that was 25 years ago....