Another coyote thread

[magoochie]

If im not mistaken January and February are also mating season for coyotes. Maybe that might have something to do with it as well. Also, if the coyote population has grown around you, there will be less for them to eat. In which case they will start attacking other animals in the area.

Good luck. I hope those trappers are able to solve the problem for you.

So sorry to hear about your donkey.

 

[babalubird]

Coyotes in the news here when one cornered a pizza delivery man and lunged at a policeman...

http://www.wfaa.com/video/featured-videos/Fort-Worth-Animal-Control-On-Trail-of-Coyote-Pack.html

We were just having this discussion on my horse chat about how more bold they are getting. In this case, it was a bunch of college kids feeding them that started all the grief. Obviously those people wasted their money sending their kids to college...it sure didn't make them smart!

Connie

 

[woodmort]

Why is it that whenever a wild animal seems to be aggressive it is assumed to be rabid? Often the reason is that it has lost its fear of humans or cornered--it would seem that the first is the case here. This happens especially to urban animals since misguided people seem to think it is a good idea, even necessary, to feed them.

 

[dewey]

A strain has mutated here (and jumped species) and is now contagious by casual contact, being spread within animal social groups and between species...it crossing over to humans via casual contact would be a big concern. A year ago they were air dropping vaccine packs for fox, and trapping then vaccinating skunks to try to control its spread.

3 horses, 1 cow, 1 cat, 8 bobcats, and 2 coyotes were among those with rabies that year out of 280 confirmed cases. Who knows, maybe coyotes and bobcats are just tested less often than bats, fox, and skunks.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

Come to think of it the coyotes around here have been rather bold since mid December. Right now Koda is lying on the back porch keeping guard over our place.

She's such a good dog.

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

Whew, it's been a long couple days. The trappers set out their snares 2 days ago and have since caught several possum and a bobcat. I've been on the phone with several of our neighbors and we've discovered the extent of the damage done by the coyotes in the last couple of years. 2 years ago, my dog (corgi/beagle mix) was attacked. That attack resulted in a 7 day vet stay with 2 surgeries. A few months after that, a neighbors Jack Russell was taken while the whole family was outside, but the little terrier had gone down to the barn. They heard a yip, then pain cries, then nothing else. Coyotes were seen running through the field with the dead terrier. A few weeks later, another of their dogs was killed and partially consumed. In the last year or so, neighbors have lost entire flocks of free-ranging ducks (one was wiped out in 2 nights) and chickens. 2 calves have disappeared from the neighboring cattle farm as well as a couple barn cats. Apparently the coyotes have been slowly escalating their attacks. We spoke with the game warden who confirms that the population has risen quite a bit in the last couple years. They are organizing coyote hunts and offering their services to people here. They've advertised in the newspaper and ask folks to call in and have their names put on the hunt list.

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

Oops. Double post.