Gunfight (coyotes) at the OK corral tonight

[Ole and Lena]

Took my dog out in the back pasture to do his business tonight and had a run in with 2 very nasty large coyotes. One rushed right up to him and challenged him to a fight. Not a small dog either, this is a 75 pound retriever. Fortunately he's not a fighter and ran back towards me. I always carry a pistol on the land and tonight was no exception. The coyote ran after my dog and stopped at about 50 yards, with a second one flanking to his right. Not enough moonlight for a clear sight picture. I fired one aimed shot at the one that stopped and a small volley at both as they ran off. Put the dog in and went back out with the shotgun and barked a coyote challenge call. The brazen S.O.B. came back in to 75 yards and barked back at me. I couldn't get him any closer but peppered him pretty good with goose load when he tried to slink off into cover. Never seen them this brazen! To come back in after being shot at. I guess I need to do some sunrise/sunset rifle work with the rabbit call and set a few traps. They don't run away from the .280 Remington or #2 Bridger 4x4s!

 

[bobbi-j]

Yep, it sounds like you have a job ahead of you. I hope you get them!

 

[Ole and Lena]

My fear is this was a breeding pair defending their new dream home. If so I will have to get them which will now be rather difficult with the education they got tonight. The worst thing you can do is miss a coyote, they learn really fast. At least they'll associate Golden Retriever with bad stuff now.

 

[bobbi-j]

They are smart, that's for sure. I hope they leave your dog alone from now on. I can't believe they went after him with you right there! They can be brazen, but I didn't think they'd be quite that bold.

 

[centrarchid]

If I suspected coyotes where preparing to den up close, then I would take them head on with my dogs and push them back. Objective is not to have dogs chase them over the hill, rather keep pushing them back when they try to hold their ground. If they realize they cannot hold ground around prospective den site they will relocate it somewhere else in their territory. This is the time of year you can expect direct contact between dogs and coyotes over territory. Multiple dogs should be used, not one as two coyotes can give even a bigger dog a hard time, especially if dog does not know how to handle itself in a fight.

Coyotes also scrapping among themselves now and if riled up they may commit acts of stupid against non-coyotes. We have a good relationship with our coyotes but they still keep up up some nights now as they start courting in addition to the scraps.

 

[HotDesertChick]

You must live in the sticks?

WOW/Whoa Folks: Just be careful taking pot shots at any sorta critter, especially if not using a shotgun?! Here (NM), our Aussies send those creeps running big time, and have downed/tackled them if the Yodies are dumb enough to show up around our barn.

When in Wa, my family dealt with the largest coyotes I have ever seen, and yet to see, in my life. Our 80 acres were surrounded by huge commercial timber stands, giving coyotes pretty much a free run of everything. Occasionally, we "sent a message" with a 375, with scope. But these were safe shots, given the "backstop" of our own banks/hills on our farm, and knowledge of the position of our own cattle and horses. Bullets can go a LOT further than that implied by Hollywood.

People who carry, and shoot guns indiscriminately can give everyone owning a firearm a bad name. Be careful what you do, with your Coyote-shooting Jollies?
BE SAFE!

 

[bigmrg74]

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/01/coyotes_attack_kill_horse_from.html

They had to been **** brazen to take down a fully grown horse that had to be in pretty good shape to be an active police horse. Its not someones old nag that's really just a pasture ornament that you debate on whither or not it would make it though the winter.

 

[Ole and Lena]

Yeah, I live way out in the sticks. From my pasture I have a safe 180 degree field of fire with a handgun. With a shotgun it's 360 minus the house and barn. I have to be more careful with a rifle, firing frangible varmint bullets towards heavy cover. I know my property and safe/unsafe vectors very well, even in the heat of the moment.

Update. I think I got the problem critter. I do not post kill pics so don't ask. He was a 52 pound male with some battle scars. Got a bit too curious about the rabbit call and crossed the rainbow bridge some 200 yards from my barn door. He felt no pain, a 7mm 120 gr V-max at 3100 fps will have that effect.

 

[HappyChickadee]

We don't even live in the sticks and we have tons of coyotes around here. They come into our neighborhood. You can hear them at night and we see them crossing the roads a lot. We have had some missing cats in our neighborhood (two of them were mine over the last six years). Not to mention all the hawks and there is a GHO that has been flying around at night. Makes me worry for my chickens, my chihuahuas and my cat. Our yard is fenced so the coyotes can't get in but...welcome to Oklahoma.

Ugh, I had my friends dog taken from their yard (a few miles away) by a coyote and they witnessed it...it was awful.

And once, at night, the neighbors German Shepard chased one down the street for a long ways and I was hoping the GS would make it back! And he did.

 

[Ole and Lena]

Yeah, they tend to look at small dogs and cats as potential food. Fortunately I have a big dog, even though he's a bit of a wimp, so he got the territorial challenge instead. That was a big male I shot, his comrade not much smaller. I've no doubt they would take on a smaller dog or livestock critter with ease. My chickens live in a chicken fortress. Heavy hog screen with chicken wire and a hot wire at 6" high hooked up to an old timey cattle fencer. Draws a lot of juice so I only turn it on if there is sign near the coop. They don't free range in winter when predators are most active. The dog pee around the coop area tends to discourage most predators also, but these coyotes were trying to claim the territory and challenge my dog. Followed the tracks into the swamp and found where they'd cached some parts of a roadkill deer and a pheasant carcass. Also a probable den location about 400 yards out under a brush pile. Waiting for some fresh snow to see if the den site is still active, if it is I'll send a message and hopefully they'll move on. I hate to trap or shoot them this time of year as the pelts are worthless. At least my chickens now have some boiled coyote to supplement their winter rations.