Coyote Advice Sought

[AkTomboy]

I prefer a .17HMR over a shotgun just my two pennies. The way I look at is, with my HMR I know Im not hitting any of my critters the yotes are after. Also as far as your right to defend your life, and property you are safe as a DLP, Defence of Life and property.

I would make sure they are on your propterty for this . If you can not find the information you are looking for call your local police dept, and also you can contact your local fish and feathers and explain your situation they might be able to help you or know somone who would love a chance at a yote or two.

As many have said you need to get used to whatever you are going to use, firearm saftey is always important no matter how much of an old pro you are or if you are a newby.

I just found Lynx tracks in my yard this morning and as soon as I see the said little kitty it will be dead, I dont care what it wants to have to have for dinner. It will either die by my Pyrs or lead poisioning of my HMR either way my birds will be fine. I hope all works out well.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
How about skin them, send them to be tanned and sell/use the fur if it's decent? One of my pet peeves is people who kill critters (even tho it's for a good reason!) and WASTE the fur!! Not to mention the skull can be cleaned and sold! I make my living off fur and this just irks the heck outta me!!

Ok rant done.


PS: AKTomboy, don't you DARE waste that Lynx!!

 

[pennie1]

Well, my condolences for living in Illinois first of all. That said, I lived there for 50 years (Naperville) and know that coyotes are a very real problem.

.17HMR with a scope (if you aren't that familiar with guns and such) is an awesome rifle for those critters. It's specifically for that type of critter. It's very light weight and easy to handle. No kick. You will get addicted to shooting it. Downside is that the range on it is very long.

.20 gauge shotgun is my second choice. But with any shotgun there is kick. It's louder than the .17HMR.

.12 has too much kick for me.

We moved up to northern Wisconsin 5 yrs ago right in the middle of the national forest. Everyone around us has a lot of problems with lots of critters. I don't. I have 3 large dogs that run our 7.5 acres and when I go around and clean up their poop, I throw it in woods that surrounds our house. It doesn't stink, it's not real close to the house, and the woods are too thick for people to go into anyway. We have never had a problem with any critter at all. A friend of mine from the DNR said it's a great idea because it makes the bad guys think that it's the territory of an actual pack. We have bears occasionally, but they are looking for the feed. They walk right past the chickens. People think I'm nuts (which I know that I am) but I don't even lock my chickens in at night (except for my Silkies that live on the porch). We also have a sensor light at night that scares them off I think.

Good luck with your problem.

 

[HomegrownCaSW]

Hi, my reply probably will not be helpful because I am a backyard chicken raiser in Southern CA. Around our property, which is residential, we have have a 6-foot privacy fense with aluminium slats. When we installed the fense we dug around the base and laid 2 foot chicken wire and buried it, so that nothing could dig in. We get coyotes all the time since we live in the desert. Many have tried to get to my hens, but they cannot succeed. We built our chicken coop on an old cement slab area where I used to have show dog runs. Even if they dug under the fense, they would have to get into the secondary inside coop and fensed hen area. I have had California condors (yes, they are alive and well) swoop onto my hens, only to be stopped by a fully enclosed yard. (and hawks too). I envy your open living, but not the predators that can access you. Good luck!

 

[emarble]

I started out hunting with a .410 and it is a wonderful gun and I would highly recommend it today! The gun Holds one of the tightest patterns around and has all the knockdown power necessary to Kill "yotes" for the long distances the best gun i can recomend is a .308 lots of knock down and flat as can be! Next choice is the .243 great varmit gun next to the 22/250 Those are just my choices and not necessarilary those of the management! And like the Alaska girls said Skin it and sell the Hides! If youre gonna kill it make good use of it

Ernie

 

[omahalostpunk]

Put out some traps or find someone with a varment licence that is willing to come and take them out for you. Some states will even pay you if you take the pelts in.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Every county in every state has a hired trapper for nuicence animals contact your local F&G office and find out who traps your county they will come clear them out on your good ol tax payers dollars

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

WOW! Great replies all! Thank you.
Today there was a coyote out in the field about 100' east of the coop (house is 75' West) and he was looking but never came close. Later I saw him hunting, killing and eating a few mice. The hard cores are going to wince at this but I've always thought that was fun to watch. Now I am imagining a chicken getting pounced on that way ICK!
I've got some research to do on these guns for sure. I liked the advice on the rifle that doesn't kick back so much, as I have broken my shoulders and firing any weapon with any kick-back is going to hurt - a lot. I’ll try the county to see if there is critter removal but when I lived in the neighborhoods (same general area) and had trouble with aggressive raccoons, they were no help. I have a sister who is a police officer but as with most, her opinion of us mere mortals having access to any guns is “NO” (plus stuff you would not want to believe/hear). I own a 38, which has been confiscated, secretly, by her from my desk drawer. She doesn’t believe anyone other than police should have weapons. (She doesn’t come to my home so that won’t be an issue with the home weapon. Any officer I’ve ever met through her feels the same way. I called the Will County Police Department and asked to speak to an office about this and they have yet to contact me back, but their sheriff was up for re-election so that may have had some thing to do with it. I want to assure everyone that I will not take a shot even if it presents itself to me until I have fully become capable with my weapon on paper shots.
I called the largest gun shop in the area and a dealer who must run things out of his home. There must be some law I am unaware of. They won’t speak to me on recommendations, what they may have in stock, new or used, prices of specific weapons I garnered from your reposes etc. unless it is in person and I have shown them my FOID card.
I’ve been trying to find the electric fencing powered by solar to run a ring around the coop (which again is mobile) and have not found anything. If some one has a lead on that, I would appreciate it.
Pennie1 – Thanks for the condolences but here is where we are staying. My husband owns his own business(30 years) and so do I (25 years). We can’t transplant our means of support – such as it is while we all struggle - but with the current political and economic baloney going on that option may be taken away from us – that’s a topic for another thread.
I am concerned about the shot guns’ spray. I am concerned about a rifle’s distance if I miss. When I shot, for practice, we used “practice rounds”. They were lower powder shots that had less of a kick. My Uncle-in-Law used to make them from the spent shells. Can you buy them? And for these rifles? so they don’t fly so far?
Once again your advice and tales are not falling on deaf ears. I appreciate everything you are doing for me and the time you have spent thinking and typing me back. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Didn't read through all of the posts... but a rifle is what you need... for your own protection as well as your flock. The lack of fear thing is what bothers me... they need to be taught. What posts I did read had lots of good advice.

 

[chicken wild]

get a 17 HMR