How would you get rid of coyotes?

[varidgerunner]

For the price of a large cage trap (that no self respecting coyote will enter) and some poultry, you could probably hire a professional. Coyotes that become stock killers don't change, and they train their pups to kill the same thing they are killing.

Many people use guardian dogs, donkeys, etc. Fencing will work, but needs to be very elaborate, possibly even buried. I like to let them dig under the fence and then snare them, personally.

 

[MelissaTXRn]

I would shoot them with a shotgun loaded with a slug.

 

[chickiemomy]

just lost my second hen to a coyote today. The last one was a few months ago - made some changes to where they were free-ranging - but this coyote jumped over a 4 foot wire fence, next to my house & next to the coop. The chicken was within 10 feet of the house & coop & within my 'safe' zone. The coyote then jumped back over the wire fence -- I only know as I tracked the feathers thru the neighbors yard. It was 2 in the afternoon, broad daylight - I was in & out & over in the area off & on for a couple of hours. My husband was operating a chain saw in another part of our yard (we have 5 acres)

so I'd been thinking the wire fence would be a deterent - but obviously it's not. My dog was just put down, old--age, about a month ago. A german shepherd, he never saw the first attack & likely would not have seen this one. Neighbor said she's seen coyotes climb a 10 foot fence with prey in its mouth.

so - what now - I'm planning on getting a larger flock of nice birds next spring. I need to protect them. I haven't seen the attacks - so how do you shoot, if you don't see them?

I am just distressed & upset - nothing sounds like a good answer right now.

ETA- and it's a very brushy area - so am thinking the electric netting would short out &/or need constant maintenance???

 

[Triple Willow]

I was going out to feed my dog late one night and right about half way there a pack of coyotes cut loose with their yipping. Talking about an "oh crap" moment! It was pitch dark and they were CLOSE. LOL I thought, too far from the house, couldn't outrun them if they did come after me - if I jump in the dogpen the dog wouldn't let them get me, so I headed for the dogpen. LOL I guess they didn't want me, they didn't come out. Several years ago I did hear about a local man being cornered in an old barn by some coyotes. I don't remember how he got out of that but he did.

I saw in the newspaper today that a gray wolf was killed in Kentucky (Hart County) in March. That was the first known gray wolf in Kentucky in 100 years. The article was talking about them being endangered but the man wouldn't get in any trouble for shooting it because he didn't know it was a wolf. The guy was hunting predators on his farm and thought he had killed a big coyote until a closer look.

 

[Triple Willow]

just lost my second hen to a coyote today.  The last one was a few months ago - made some changes to where they were free-ranging - but this coyote jumped over a 4 foot wire fence, next to my house & next to the coop.  The chicken was within 10 feet of the house & coop & within my 'safe' zone.  The coyote then jumped back over the wire fence -- I only know as I tracked the feathers thru the neighbors yard.  It was 2 in the afternoon, broad daylight - I was in & out & over in the area off & on for a couple of hours.  My husband was operating a chain saw in another part of our yard (we have 5 acres)

so I'd been thinking the wire fence would be a deterent - but obviously it's not.  My dog was just put down, old--age, about a month ago.  A german shepherd, he never saw the first attack & likely would not have seen this one. Neighbor said she's seen coyotes climb a 10 foot fence with prey in its mouth.

so - what now - I'm planning on getting a larger flock of nice birds next spring.  I need to protect them.  I haven't seen the attacks - so how do you shoot, if you don't see them?

I am just distressed & upset - nothing sounds like a good answer right now.

ETA- and it's a very brushy area - so am thinking the electric netting would short out &/or need constant maintenance???

Sometimes I get the feeling that a whole lot of people are going to have to have real livestock guardian dogs - me included. It seems like that slowly wild animals are making a comeback and I think they will get the upper hand on us if we are not careful. I hope the the fish and game officials don't stand in our way from protecting ourselves and what is ours.

 

[XtremeRooster]

Shmccarthy who shot the slug gun knocking the buck off his feet IS A WOMAN. I bet SHE is capable of shooting any gun that anybody else is. I'd put money on it. I am a woman and I shot my first shotgun (an old 12 guage that kicks like a mule) when I was 10 years old. I man stood behind me to catch me when I shot it the first time. He was a little amazed when he wasn't needed. You shouldn't assume all women are dainty little weak things. LOL

Thank you, I couldn't have put it better myself. My first shotgun I shot has a slug in it and I was about 12 years old. Yeah it did kick like a mule but as long as you are holding it properly it won't jump out of your hands or knock you down. Granted I was sitting down, but I didn't have much a problem with it.

plus, when you're in the heat of things and she finally sees that yote in her sights and pulls the trigger, she is going to be so focused on it, she probably won't notice the kick or noise. It happens to me a lot, it's like you're so focused on the animal, the kick and even noise just seems non existant at that point.

I hope she gets it though! I've been itchin for a coyote hunting!

I agree and you're welcome.

I hate it when men underestimate us. You would think they would know better by now! lol

Yeah I hope she blows that coyote to smithereens. I don't have a problem with them if they stay away from the house and don't eat what I don't want them too. But if they cross the line they gotta go!

OK so maybe there are a few good country gals who can shoot, I applaud you and never intended to underestimate any of you. I am specifically talking about women who have never fired a shotgun before. I have 30+ years of military and law enforcement experience with weapons. I have seen on numerous occassions women firing loaded shotguns with magnum rounds, usually slugs or even buckshot, drop the shotgun because the kick was too much for them. If you have never been on a live firing line when a loaded shotgun is dropped you do not know what I am talking about.

I lost a friend in high school from a dropped shotgun that was loaded. I have another friend who has no forearm muscle on his left arm from a shotgun going off in the backseat of a car. I had a neighbor blow a hole through his roof, in front of his face, with an unloaded shotgun. My brother in law broke his nose first time he shot a magnum round. I shot a friend while rabbit hunting just like Dick Cheney did quail hunting. That tunnel vision you speak of when aquiring a target is true. My friend had broken off from the group and walked into the woods then circled around in front of us. There was five of us in a line we did not know he had left the group. A rabbit jumped up I followed up and shot it killing it at the same time my friend screamed rather loudly. It seems he was standing behind the bush the rabbit was shot in. He got peppered real bad only a few #6 shots pierced the skin but it could have been much worse. I felt horrible even though it was not my fault I quit hunting the rest of the day.

The idiot got me back a few weeks later on a hog hunt. Three of us and two pitbulls went into the swamp; I was last in the line my two friends and our two dogs all stepped right over a 4ft. cottonmouth. I looked down and it was right between my legs, I hollered for Mike, the idiot, because the snake did not see me and I did not want to make any fast moves and give it a chance to bite me. Mike stuck his shotgun right into the snakes mouth, it struck the end of the barrel, he pulled the trigger blowing the snakes head and mud straight up into my face and eyes. I could not see anything. I did not know if I was blinded or not at that moment. They had to walk me back to the truck. I opened my eyes up with my fingers and they were full of bits of meat, bone, blood, and maybe venom, I don't know but it burnt like he**. I made Mike stop at the closest store and buy two bottles of visene I used a whole bottle flushing out each eye. Then I used a t shirt to dab out the bigger pieces.

A shotgun is a wonderful weapon in the hands of someone trained and capable of using it. It is an extremely dangerous weapon in the hands of an untrained user or an idiot.

 

[Nicole01]

just lost my second hen to a coyote today.  The last one was a few months ago - made some changes to where they were free-ranging - but this coyote jumped over a 4 foot wire fence, next to my house & next to the coop.  The chicken was within 10 feet of the house & coop & within my 'safe' zone.  The coyote then jumped back over the wire fence -- I only know as I tracked the feathers thru the neighbors yard.  It was 2 in the afternoon, broad daylight - I was in & out & over in the area off & on for a couple of hours.  My husband was operating a chain saw in another part of our yard (we have 5 acres)

so I'd been thinking the wire fence would be a deterent - but obviously it's not.  My dog was just put down, old--age, about a month ago.  A german shepherd, he never saw the first attack & likely would not have seen this one. Neighbor said she's seen coyotes climb a 10 foot fence with prey in its mouth.

so - what now - I'm planning on getting a larger flock of nice birds next spring.  I need to protect them.  I haven't seen the attacks - so how do you shoot, if you don't see them?

I am just distressed & upset - nothing sounds like a good answer right now.

ETA- and it's a very brushy area - so am thinking the electric netting would short out &/or need constant maintenance???

I'm sorry you just lost your second hen. I had 3 eaten and 1 hen by a miracle survived. She was bit to the bone on both sides and she actually will live. I lost 2 of my best layers that laid solid blue eggs, one was my favorite hen of the entire flock. She would clean my clothes and hands like they were feathers. I never had such a sweet hen. The coyotes took my flock with me just a few feet away midday. I now keep them in our run which is really secure and nothing can get in luckily, but it is very hot on days 85 and above to where I need to free range them.

We will fence our whole back property 3 of the 4 acres. We have 2 dogs already, but we will buy a guardian dog for our next dog. Then the dog can be out durning the day and in at night. We can't keep our 2 dogs outside now since they protect our yard from everything, including people. I lost hens last year to a coyote, but the pack left right away. This year they are still here. I can hear them midday with their yips and yelps in my backyard. I can't shoot a shotgun, but I can a 9mm which I practice with at the range. Hubby will use the shotgun. I can't with the kickback and having a neck injury. They are impossible to find and shoot even though we hear them constantly.

 

[shmccarthy]

Like I said, she won't drop it and it won't hit her if she is holding it properly. I think she can handle it.

 

[Triple Willow]

@XtremeRooster... Okay you are forgiven this time. lol BUT there are A WHOLE LOT of women who can shoot, not just a few. You and your friends are dangerous! Maybe you need a woman to look after you to make sure nobody gets hurt. LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

@Nicole... I mean no offense but you will have much better luck and your dog will do a much better job if he is left outside with the flock 24/7. The people who have real lgd that are needed to protect their livestock make sure that the dog bonds completely with the livestock, not them. That is really what the dog wants. Those breeds were bred to do just that.