Coyotes!!!!

[ellieroo]

can you pick up their tracks ?? We went thru the same thing.Lost 3 roos saving their girls

.The coyotes came thru at 930 am because we were done with morning feed and back in house. Started watching where we had found tracks coming out of sagebrush and poof there they were

.My husband was behind a tree waiting ... with a gun

They have not been back til last night and thats another story. Please watch your little dog he is in danger big time!!

 

[ChickiKat]

Recently we have had 2 coyote sightings really close to the run. This was during the day, in broad daylight. Now I will only free range a few birds at a time and even then I am paranoid that a coyote will sneak up on me and get one of the flock.... I have to be careful with guns because we have houses close enough to be hit in the event of an overshot.......

 

[drumstick diva]

I would keep your dog on leash. Cairns are feisty little dogs and I'm sure he would love to chase the coyotes. In Chicago suburbs they have had dogs grabbed standing right next to their owners. Be very careful with your grandchild, kids can be playing quietly and then decide to run off and explore.

It's better for them to lose some freedom temporarily than a life, permanently.

 

[rhody josephine]

I'm sure my dog would go after a coyote...she is staying close to me now for sure....I love living out in the woods, and I know wild animals have a right to be here too, but when they get too close...... my husband, son in law, sons and neighbor will all be watching for them and will not hesitate to take them out. We are very concerned about my granddaughter's safety indeed.

 

[laadeebug]

OK. I have to say this. All of these stories are so familiar unfortunately.

About a month or so ago, we had them, the coyotes, come into our yard in the middle of the night and they got the pen open some how. They dined on two geese, who I did not hear by the way, and my breeding pair of partidge cochins, before I heard then in the yard and scrambled out to chase them away.

Ever since then, the entire pack has been back every night and often seen in the daytime in our yard, the neighbor's yards, and just kind of hanging out! They are smart and now know that there is food here that wasn't before. Also, because we leave water out for the free ranging animals, they have a water source.

If they have come into your yard recently, DO NOT, let your animals out without you watching them right there if you do not want to take the risk. At least for now.

Also, I have had many people tall me over the last few months that they have seen them in broad daylight where they had not been seen like this before. I have not had this experience before myself so I do not know if it is the time of year, the weather, or all of the new building.

All I know now, is that my once dreamy eyed addiction for chickens, has now been exposed to the darker side of it.

Oh and by the way, our small to medium sized dog has been missing for a week. Not like him.
Coincidence?

 

[Noymira]

OP- You are right, they will be back. I would advise keeping the chickens locked up and using the yotes for target practice if it is allowed in your area. Generally I like to co-habitate with wildlife, but with a small dog and young child I'd be nervous too. Plus they will just stalk the property until they get a chance again.

Quote:
You should have heard what I was screaming at the raccoon who attacked my quarantine pen the other night as I was chasing him off with a shovel... my husband kept telling me the coon didn't understand English, but I think he got the gist of it. We are rural too, and in the clear to take out anything that's messing with livestock, so that coon better watch out.

 

[Baymule]

Quote:
In Texas, our governor was jogging with his Lab pup when a coyote came up and it was plain the Lab was on the menu. The governor, Rick Perry, drew his pistol and shot the coyote graveyard dead. Now that he has thrown his hat in the ring for president, he has already been criticized for this. All I can say is, at least on this forum, we would shoot the coyote too!

For the OP, if you can't shoot in your neighborhood, what about a bow and arrow? Even if you don't kill it, it will run off and more'n likely, the others will finish him off. It IS quiet, ya' know.

 

[Zonoma]

Quote:
You should be! Coyotes who are used to people are very, very dangerous. My grandfather's rule of thumb was "if you aren't taller than a coyote then you are prey in a coyote's opinion". Whenever he heard them howling around the property, he would stick me in the truck to keep me off the menu (and I was 13!) and grab his shotgun. My opinion? Kill them dead. Fast.

 

[86121]

We have learned the hard way that when it comes to Coyotes, once they realize there is easy prey, they dont go away until you give them a reason to go away.
Our neighborhood was plagued by a lone male, he ate my cat Kera...the next day he came up, grabbed our neighbors dogs stuffed tigger and when he realized it was not an orange cat, he came back for there beagle.
Thankfully he had his gun and just shot it out of defense...
I am not a fan of Coyotes, I have been stalked by them, chased by them, and never had a "happy" experience with them...
I just hope yours move on and you dont have to shoot them, or loose any of your family/pets.

 

[DanyyChicken]

So sorry for your loss. Very scary indeed!
We had alot of fear about predators as well as we live on two wooded acres and have an additional 10 wooded acre tree farm abuting our property. We have choosen not to allow our hens to free range for this reason. I would love to have them out in the yard and feel so sad for them sometimes always being locked up in their run. I am just to scared to chance it especially since we have two small chicken and wouldn't even want to think about one of our birds strewn across the yard by a predator for them to see. Thus they will remain locked up, sadly. We do have a 70 pound dog as well but he is turning 9 years old and not a spritely as he use to be and I worry about him being attack by something drawn into the yard by the scent of the chickens. Nerve wracking isn't it...all the worries. We have had the hens in the coop since June and haven't seen any evidence of predators yet but I am sure they are out there. We have seen previously to our hen purchase over the years coyote, racoon, fisher cats, fox, martens, weasels, hawks, owls etc......
Best wishes to you!