3 coyotes...

[Dar]

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I am so sorry... I know you are serious BUT when I read this (the bolded part) the first image that popped into my head was a grown man peeing at the edge of his property to "mark his territory"

I think I need a nap now

 

[Tracydr]

I think most of what you see posted here is nonsense. Coyotes normally hunt alone. It is actually a rare and exciting day when we have hounds get on the scent of two coyotes rsther thsn one. Its happened exactly twice in my ten years of hunting. If coyotes in packs, these are usually feral dog packs,unless it is a mother with pups, or, in Canada or the far northern borders, perhaps wolves?
I've hunted with hounds for over 10 years ( we only chase, never kill, we love the wildlife) and have never seen a coyote "lure" an animal. They do seem to like to play with the hounds but not in any sort of vicious way. They are dogs, for goodness sakes.
They mainly eat rabbits, ground squirrels, insects, mice and birds. Plus, road kill and, if they are urban or suburban, they learn to eat chickens and other undesirable foods. They would be very unlikely to eat a deer, they weigh about 45 pounds full grown and I'd be highly surprised if they could actually kill one. People confuse them with wolves.
They do kill newborn lambs and calves, unfortunately, if there isn't enough natural prey to eat. But, good farm management would prevent this problem.
I would never be afraid of a coyote, although I certainly wouldn't let my small dogs or cats run around loose if I knew they were in the vicinity. I see them often here in AZ, even right in the middle of the city! Coyotes are shy and run quickly from humans, I consider it a treat when I catch more than 20-30 seconds up close to view one.
There is information about oysters which you can find through the MFHA.com website. ( Masters Fox Hunters Association)
One thing that I dislike about coyotes is that they have taken over the habitat of the red and gray foxes which seems to have decreased the numbers of foxes. Not sure if this is true but it seems to be the case.

 

[wood&feathers]

Mesa, the coyotes here in the East are not the same. Most states that have the $$ to run some of their coyotes DNA find there is a significant infusion of wolf blood. This explains both their larger size and behavioral differences here. They don't form anything quite like a wolf pack, but will unite in small temporary groups. Or a couple might hang with their adolescent pups (out west the male doesn't stick around at ALL). There is also a huge, politically charged debate about whether eastern coyotes are really a recreation of the red wolf.

In winter white tail deer are a major food item here. Lone coyotes do not generally take on deer unless they form a small group.

Sharol you have a very lucky cat.

 

[Anna_MN]

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In AZ it might be nonsense to see coyotes in packs, but up here in MN they definitely do not travel alone. Most packs consist of multiple females and their pups that stick together during the colder weather. They are not feral dogs. I spoke to a DNR officer about a week ago about the coyote problem in MN and he said the population has skyrocketed the past few years. He also said that there has been breeding between the wolves and the coyotes in northern MN. I live on the border of a wildlife refuge and they haven’t been letting hunters come in to shoot the coyotes because the state won’t let them- therefore packs have formed so they can access food faster and more efficiently. Since they are in packs they have taken down deer around here. They are also preying on a lot of farmer’s newborn calves, lambs, ducks, and chickens. My grandparent’s neighbor told me that they have even dug holes into their barns just to get a meal. This really is a problem!

 

[Felony]

I'm glad to read more info about coyotes, and I have always looked at the book stores for a good informative book about them, how they live and hunt, etc but never found one... I am always carefull when I read or hear comments about them, because I know they have quite a bad reputation, just like wolves used to be known as humans killers and needed to be exterminated, and we all know now this is untrue. I'm a bit of a ''wooss'' in nature and even though I know I should not be scared since they are probably more scared of me(even though the other night they did not seem scared at all, honestly)....when I hear them howling I still get goosebumps, and I dont feel like going for a walk in the woods at that moment. Just like bear attacts, coyote attacts are really really rare, but one girl did get killed by 2 coyotes not long ago on the east coast of canada ( http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/28/ns-coyote-attack-died.html. ) And from my personnal experience, coyotes around our place do hunt in packs of 2-3-4, since we can see their traces in the snow, one next to the other...When I hear them howling when night falls they sound quite numerous too! So when i read about pack hunting, I can really believe it, and I better be safe than sorry and watch my dog at night...and when I go for walks alone in the woods, wich I do alot, I bring bear spray just in case...There's alot of rabbits and other critters so at least I know the coyotes are well fed around here...as for my chickens, I plan on making them a really safe moveable ark so i don't ever have to worry about them when i let them "free range" or else I think it's just a matter of time before they get them, coyotes or foxes or hawks...but that's what living in nature means to me, just be carefull and take precautions! I still think scaring the poop out of them with shotgun is a great idea though!

 

[aprophet]

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[CupOJoe42]

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723&Q=325992

 

[Chickmate]

Here in Michigan we are also seeing more coyotes. Two of them ambled across the road in front of my car one morning on my way to work. I have several miles of woods behind my house and hear them on occasion. I also have seen newspaper reports of dogs and cats being taken right in front of their owners. Last year a coyote jumped a fenced and took a small dog that was in the yard in very close proximity to its owner. Another owner reported a coyote trying to take her small dog that was on a leash. While she and the coyote played tug-of-war with the poor pup, she was able to open the back door and let her mastiff out. The mastiff attacked and broke the coyote's neck, killing it.