Coyotes

[CalumetFarms]

What's everyones strategy on coyotes? I've got fall calves on the ground. I've got some mama's that will chase down and try to trample anything especially dogs. But a friend told me he spotted a coyote in one of my fields the other day (around 5pm)
I had a 7 weight steer killed by them years ago, we did some night hunting that winter right after that happened we didn't call in much but foxes. But I'm gonna try the old game call early in the morning.

Foot holds? Calls? Poison?
I've just got a feeling this winter its going to be a problem again.

 

[kenny thomas]

Are you sure that the yotes will cause a problem? Killing off all of them will be extremely difficult.

 

[CalumetFarms]

Are you sure that the yotes will cause a problem? Killing off all of them will be extremely difficult.

Hopefully they don't cause a problem but they certainly have in the past. they're around here a lot of the time most noticeably in the winter. Some years they're more detrimental than others.

 

[kenny thomas]

I ask because I have never seen them bother live cattle. I'm sure some would but I have never seen it. Especially a 7wt calf.
I have seen them catch mice in a field of 50 cows with young calves and the cows never stop grazing.

 

[Rancher]

I have coyotes around like kenny says, they never bother the calves here prolly cuz they have plenty of easier food sources. They will clean up afterbirth if the mom or I don't get it first.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

My cousin watched my little 7 wt. Dexter cow chase a coyote out of her pasture.

 

[tex452]

I shoot everyone I see. We have lost calves and they are especially hard on the fawn crop.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I worry more about Mexican buzzards than coyotes.

 

[Atimm693]

We don't worry too much about Coyotes. I have seen them around quite a bit during calving, I think they're interested in the afterbirth more than anything else. Never seen them bother the cows. I've seen what they do to stray dogs, a pack of angry Mommas is nothing to fool with.

From what I have heard trapping is a lot more effective than hunting. Once you shoot a few, the rest get wise and become a lot harder to kill.

Set up snares wherever they cross under fences, easy to find if you get any snow.

 

[tex452]

We don't worry too much about Coyotes. I have seen them around quite a bit during calving, I think they're interested in the afterbirth more than anything else. Never seen them bother the cows. I've seen what they do to stray dogs, a pack of angry Mommas is nothing to fool with.

From what I have heard trapping is a lot more effective than hunting. Once you shoot a few, the rest get wise and become a lot harder to kill.

Set up snares wherever they cross under fences, easy to find if you get any snow.

Right.
Snares are most effective.
We caught more in snares than anything else.

 

[Dave]

I shoot everyone I can. But not because they bother the cows. They are hard on the fawn crop. I have only ever had one who was after a new calf. The cow was doing a good job of keeping him away from the calf.
I ran a long line coyote trap line in the 80's when the hides were worth a lot. I have trapped 100's of them. It was easier to learn how to snare them than it was to trap them. They wise up to calling pretty quick.

 

[angus9259]

If they killed a 7 weight steer, there was something wrong with the steer. The biggest problem on my farm is vermin. Period. From mice and rabbits to woodchucks and raccoons. Any enemy of vermin is a friend of mine.

 

[Ferd]

I've never had a problem with them. I wouldn't want to watch, but if they are hard on the fawn population that would be a great help in my area.

 

[J Hoy]

What's everyones strategy on coyotes? I've got fall calves on the ground. I've got some mama's that will chase down and try to trample anything especially dogs. But a friend told me he spotted a coyote in one of my fields the other day (around 5pm)
I had a 7 weight steer killed by them years ago, we did some night hunting that winter right after that happened we didn't call in much but foxes. But I'm gonna try the old game call early in the morning.

Foot holds? Calls? Poison?
I've just got a feeling this winter its going to be a problem again.

Poison is never a good thing as it kills many more animals besides coyotes, including pets. I grew up on a ranch with over 300 head of cattle and 20 or so horses. The coyotes walked around with the cattle catching the voles and mice that the cattle scared up. We never lost a calf or anything else to coyotes. They did keep the rodents under control.

 

[Ky hills]

Coyotes are opportunistic predators, that will take advantage of any situation they can, they don't have a coyote handbook that says only eat mice, rabbits, raccoons etc. They will eat those, but also carrion, afterbirth, and they can and will kill young calves if they find a chance. They can and will also take down mature sheep, and goats and will absolutely decimate a lamb crop.
I have lost several young calves to coyotes, over the years. I have found that some cattle breeds on average are more protective than others, and since having some Brahman influence and Longhorn haven't lost any to coyotes for a few years, but that could change at any point in time with as many coyotes as are around.
When we started having buzzard trouble, I probably blamed coyotes a few times for killing calves that was likely due to buzzards.
I think sometimes folks will find dead animals that have been scavenged on by coyotes and credit them with killing them, when sometimes a calf is born dead or in the case of a larger calf it has been sick and died or in a real weakened state. That being said, again coyotes will kill calves if they can, and have also heard of them going after cows that down calving,
I know of some folks that have had success with snares. Some also keep a gun close and try to get the coyotes they see. Hunters, can call them in.
I'm not a fan of using poison, or fishhooks in meat, as I have heard of some using. as other unintended animals could get into it.

 

[SmokinM]

That would be a pretty serious pack of yotes to kill a 7wt. steer. My guess is they just got caught with the body.

Snares work good but its more fun to shoot at them.

 

[chaded]

Coyotes probably get blamed a lot for what dumped stray dogs and the neighbors precious "fluffy" that they let run loose that "would never ever harm anything in the world" do.

 

[Ky hills]

Coyotes probably get blamed a lot for what dumped stray dogs and the neighbors precious "fluffy" that they let run loose that "would never ever harm anything in the world" do.

Dogs can absolutely cause a lot of damage. There are some tell tale signs of dog attacks vs coyote. Coyotes usually will just target an animal, go in for the kill in a specific area and you find a gutted and pretty eaten carcass. Dogs just maul and maim whatever and how many ever they can. Dogs can kill and or maim a bunch of sheep over a night,
You are right, most people have no idea of what there precious fluffy is capable more of doing.
Used to be stray dogs or area dogs running through the country side all the time years ago. Now hardly see any at all. I think the coyotes have stopped that,

 

[coachg]

I would not put out poison ! Neighbors dogs , possums, Eagles , and other scavengers usually get into it along with a coyote or 2 . I've never seen them take down a live calf , but they will eat after birth and dead calves . The other thing I've always heard is don't worry about the residents, it's the strays or ones that travel through looking for new territory. We shoot all we see but rarely see them . I know they're there because I see their tracks . I don't leave food for them if I can help it . I bury all dead calves and cattle and even take afterbirth home and bury it .

 

[Dave]

Nothing here gets buried. Everyone, me included, has a bone yard. Dead critters get drug there for the birds and coyotes to feast on. My bone yard is situated where I can walk up to about 80 yards without being detected. Every now and then I slip out there at the first daylight. I shoot 3 or 4 coyotes there every year.