Coyotes
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alacowman1
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wild dogs.. ..seen a few dark hided ..
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
East of the Mississippi river DNA tests show that coyotes have actually crossed with everything from domestic dogs to timber wolves. They tend to be heavier and a wide range of colors than pure bred western coyotes.
coachg
Well-known member
Shoot 'em ! No way to kill them all , just remove everyone you can .
Ky hills
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I'm sure these have some mixtures in them. These coyotes are sometimes quite large I have seen a couple that it was obvious they were mixed with domestic dogs. I've also seen a few and one in particular that wondered if it was a wolf. Not uncommon to see three or more together.
farmerjan
Well-known member
We have a total mixed bag of "coyotes" here also. Some nearly as big as german sheperds, some smaller and some that seem to go after livestock and some that seem content to stay out in the woods and edges of the fields. If they are bothering the chickens or cows or anything, they are fair game. If we get to seeing them often during the day, they are fair game. Had several going after the sheep and killing lambs. Got a friend with night vision and all that and they got 2 one night and 3 the next night and the predation has stopped. Run a jenny mule with them now too. We had a big one, probably male, for 3 years on the farm and not one problem. Not many rodents either. Then someone shot it and had a pair of younger ones move in and had problems with the lambs getting killed, lost 2 calves... they were a real menance. Got rid of them and back to somewhat quiet til this last spree with the lamb killing.
We were down to hardly ever seeing any foxes at all, but now have more red and grey foxes and more cottontails around.
When they are prevalent during the day, we figure there are just too many and they are constantly hunting. Had a dairy farmer that was out checking his small herd of beef cows with one of his employees a couple years ago. Stopped and got out of the truck to go through a gate and one ran under the truck and bit him. Other guy got a crow bar off the truck and they killed it and took it in and he was positive for rabies so the farmer and the other guy had to do the shots.... So if there are alot of them around, we try to thin the population. If they start killing the livestock, we are on a kill any and all we can find.
We were down to hardly ever seeing any foxes at all, but now have more red and grey foxes and more cottontails around.
When they are prevalent during the day, we figure there are just too many and they are constantly hunting. Had a dairy farmer that was out checking his small herd of beef cows with one of his employees a couple years ago. Stopped and got out of the truck to go through a gate and one ran under the truck and bit him. Other guy got a crow bar off the truck and they killed it and took it in and he was positive for rabies so the farmer and the other guy had to do the shots.... So if there are alot of them around, we try to thin the population. If they start killing the livestock, we are on a kill any and all we can find.
They are territorial. If you aren't having any trouble with your neighborhood coyotes, let them remain your neighborhood coyotes. Something else will fill the spot if you remove yours. It might be trouble
If you shoot all you can find, those that remain have larger litters to keep the population up. It's a natural thing. When the pups start getting big the parents have to find a bigger animal to keep them fed. Mice and rabbits won't feed a big bunch of half-grown pups. They might have to take sheep or a calf.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Yeah, that is why we told everyone deer hunting those couple of years to NOT shoot the coyote... he got shot on another piece of property away from us. He just didn't bother anything. Had no qualms with him. But we have had some bad ones since. Things have quieted down now and we won't bother any if we see them as long as we are not losing any livestock. But when they get too numerous especially seeing them in the middle of the day, it is only a matter of time that we have problems again.
I don't hate them. But they have to co-exist with our operation or they are fair game. It is nice to see some foxes around again. And there have been more rabbits this year so I know that things are in a better balance.
I don't hate them. But they have to co-exist with our operation or they are fair game. It is nice to see some foxes around again. And there have been more rabbits this year so I know that things are in a better balance.
OP
OP
chaded
Well-known member
I guess I didn't think this would turn into a discussion about coyote management when I posted it but I will share a few thoughts. Lol.
You will never "kill them all" by shooting them. In general, coyotes aren't dumb. They pick up on hunting pressure very easily and become very good at surviving.
We have owned this farm for 5 years and there has been a total of 4 coyotes killed off of it, that was just this year. We have them thick. Basically, we just go on with normal life and if the opportunity presents itself we will try to take it. I don't even know if I would call what we have done as thinning them out, at least not much.
Also, I have not really seen the correlation between coyote presence and lack of other animals. In the past 2 weeks I have shot 6 groundhogs, my neighbor has trapped 3 and another neighbor has shot at least 7 over the past month.
We have a lot fawns running around right now, rabbits, turkeys, etc. We see plenty of fox as well. Coyote are not alone here either, as mentioned we have fox but also have quite a bit of bobcats and hawks.
Here, I believe we have the predators because we have plenty of prey. If coyotes eat everything then they will move on. They aren't going to stay where there is no food. Just my observations at my place.
I don't ever try to eliminate everything of anything. It's usually not a good thing and I don't have the time or ammo to it it anyways.
You will never "kill them all" by shooting them. In general, coyotes aren't dumb. They pick up on hunting pressure very easily and become very good at surviving.
We have owned this farm for 5 years and there has been a total of 4 coyotes killed off of it, that was just this year. We have them thick. Basically, we just go on with normal life and if the opportunity presents itself we will try to take it. I don't even know if I would call what we have done as thinning them out, at least not much.
Also, I have not really seen the correlation between coyote presence and lack of other animals. In the past 2 weeks I have shot 6 groundhogs, my neighbor has trapped 3 and another neighbor has shot at least 7 over the past month.
We have a lot fawns running around right now, rabbits, turkeys, etc. We see plenty of fox as well. Coyote are not alone here either, as mentioned we have fox but also have quite a bit of bobcats and hawks.
Here, I believe we have the predators because we have plenty of prey. If coyotes eat everything then they will move on. They aren't going to stay where there is no food. Just my observations at my place.
I don't ever try to eliminate everything of anything. It's usually not a good thing and I don't have the time or ammo to it it anyways.
Ky hills
Well-known member
Well said.
That is our approach too. Your situation sounds very similar to here. We are thick with coyotes yet red foxes were never wiped out, there were a few years that they didn't seem as prevalent but over the last several years they have been pretty common. Groundhogs seem to have moved in closer to barns and outbuildings as have some foxes.
We are thick with turkeys and deers are a fairly common sight. We see rabbits fairly often too.
There is a lot less hunting these days and the food sources for coyotes are very diverse, they are opportunistic predators and will go after what ever game they come across as well as taking a young calf if they can.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Dogs kill way more cattle than coyotes and trot home leaving the coyote to take the blame when he shows up to the free buffet.
Most can't read sign of dog versus coyote and it's always not my dog.
OP
OP
chaded
Well-known member
I agree and fortunately I haven't had either kill any livestock yet but I have caught two stray dogs trying to get into a lot that had cows that just calved. I took care of it but I'm pretty sure the cows were ready to turn them to dirt had they got in there.
I have also caught some strays in footholds. People may not like it but I'm pretty sure word has got around that I better not find their dog in my pastures because the sightings have dropped pretty significantly over the past two years compared to when we bought this place a few years prior.
Ky hills
Well-known member
It's different here now. Used to be domestic dogs were the biggest threat to livestock. They can and will run cattle and injure them or cause them to get sick from being run. They could destroy a flock of sheep or goats in one night. We've lost several goats to dogs. They either killed them or mauled them so bad they had to be put down.
I agree that in a lot of cases coyotes are caught eating a carcass and get blamed for it, but they absolutely will kill calves if they get a chance.
The coyotes here I believe are a different animal than ones in the southwest, these are bigger.
Used to be it was a common occurrence to find roaming dogs and frequently they caused problems. Now it's rare to see one, even though there are many more houses around and most everybody has a dog/dogs. Fortunately, it seems most folks are better about keeping their dogs contained than they used to be. I think part of it is on the count of so many coyotes, and they are known to kill dogs.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Put you up some SPYPOINT cameras you would be amazed at what comes visiting.
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
I was always taught not to argue with the neighbour's dog. If their caught in with our livestock, they just disappear. Never to be seen again.
I had a neighbor that had a dog that was killing another neighbors' pigs. He always swore it could not be his dog doing it and refused to pen the dog. Then one day the 2nd neighbor caught the dog trying to pull a shoat through the fence. He blew its rear leg off with a shot gun. The first neighbor went to him and asked why he shot his dog. The 2nd guy said I couldn't have shot your dog; this one was killing my pigs. The first guy keeps all of his dogs penned still to this day.
Ebenezer
Well-known member
I read a study a few years back and they were tracking DNA in coyotes from Canada and in the eastern USA. The major method of "transport/travel" that they documented was railroad tracks. There were no pure coyotes according to the DNA.
There was and is a effort to establish a wild population of Red Wolves on the east coast. Not surprisingly, the "species" is not a real species according to non-government DNA research study and is merely a dog/coyote combo. Environmentalists and bureaucrats still hold that there is a species. There are jobs, power, control and money for particular groups and individuals as long as it remains a "species". I doubt it and cannot see the chance for anything that can breed with dogs, wolves and coyotes of having a chance in a populated region to be pure, thrive and be stable.
Chapin81
Well-known member
What caliber did you use? What distance did you shoot from? We are starting to have a coyote problem as well.
Thank you
OP
OP
chaded
Well-known member
I was using a .204 Ruger at around 75-80 yards. I would not hesitate to shoot it quite a bit further with a steady rest. I saw your post and the .223 will be just fine.
Travlr
Well-known member
Anything they don't eat. Dogs large enough to fight them off when ganged up on... and then "play around". I knew some guys that liked to hunt them with Greyhounds... and then they began looking like they'd been breeding with greyhounds.
Back east I hear they are breeding with wolves and becoming more predatory on larger game.
