How would you get rid of coyotes?

[sbrown]

I know a lady who lives in the country and has a lot of chickens. She bought a Great Pyrenees pup and it actually killed its first coyote when she was a little over six months old and brought it back to the barn! I had an English Mastiff female years ago that I let sleep on my back porch. She started raising cain about 10 each night, I scolded her at first and realized that wasnt like her. So the next night when she started up , I let her off the porch. She tore out after something in the back yard and chase it across a cattle pasture before returning. So the next day I put ot some cut up chicken right at my fence line and right beside my night light. After dark, I hid under a pine tree with a 12 guage and waited. Sure enough about 10, I heard the cattle start moving off and then saw a coyote come right up about 15 yards from my backdoor. I watched for a moment then shot it. Poor thing was missing a leg and already in rough shape so I probably saved it a slow death come winter. Get a good large breed dog would be a start. Pyrenees are good. English Mastiffs are great, very good with kids and will protect when necessary.

 

[dmboyett]

We do just fine on our own.

 

[hedz82]

maybe go for border collies then, two or three, they are better with people, or even a cross between the two. I find cross breeds are much healthier than purebreds. humans selecting for specific traits over many generations always causes trouble

 

[dmboyett]

My dogs are what you call sooners, which means they'd just as soon be this kind of dog or as that kind of dog. Two of the gyps my wife found on the side of the road as puppies. The third one we got is lab mix that friend gave us. She is playful and not as serious as her two older sisters. The fourth is an old hound, male, who just showed up. Probably someones deer dog, he had a collar and we tried to find the owner but the address given was an empty house. He's very laid back, easy going, and gentle. The two older gyps boss him around. At night he likes to patrol the place making sure all is ok and will chase whatever he finds. All four of them are real good in letting me know when strangers come around, especially bible thumpers looking for converts. They do a real good job in letting them know our property is not a missionary field.

 

[houseofknauss]

thanks, she is under voice command(thank god) and I don't let her out under normal circumstance like if they are in the lower fields, but close to the house is enough to give them a scare with a short charge and nasty barking/groweling.

 

[houseofknauss]

thanks, she is under voice command(thank god) and I don't let her out under normal circumstance like if they are in the lower fields, but close to the house is enough to give them a scare with a short charge and nasty barking/groweling.

To backyardahen--

 

[PECULIARPETE]

I know a lady who lives in the country and has a lot of chickens. She bought a Great Pyrenees pup and it actually killed its first coyote when she was a little over six months old and brought it back to the barn! I had an English Mastiff female years ago that I let sleep on my back porch. She started raising cain about 10 each night, I scolded her at first and realized that wasnt like her. So the next night when she started up , I let her off the porch. She tore out after something in the back yard and chase it across a cattle pasture before returning. So the next day I put ot some cut up chicken right at my fence line and right beside my night light. After dark, I hid under a pine tree with a 12 guage and waited. Sure enough about 10, I heard the cattle start moving off and then saw a coyote come right up about 15 yards from my backdoor. I watched for a moment then shot it. Poor thing was missing a leg and already in rough shape so I probably saved it a slow death come winter. Get a good large breed dog would be a start. Pyrenees are good. English Mastiffs are great, very good with kids and will protect when necessary.

I know a lady who lives in the country and has a lot of chickens. She bought a Great Pyrenees pup and it actually killed its first coyote when she was a little over six months old and brought it back to the barn! I had an English Mastiff female years ago that I let sleep on my back porch. She started raising cain about 10 each night, I scolded her at first and realized that wasnt like her. So the next night when she started up , I let her off the porch. She tore out after something in the back yard and chase it across a cattle pasture before returning. So the next day I put ot some cut up chicken right at my fence line and right beside my night light. After dark, I hid under a pine tree with a 12 guage and waited. Sure enough about 10, I heard the cattle start moving off and then saw a coyote come right up about 15 yards from my backdoor. I watched for a moment then shot it. Poor thing was missing a leg and already in rough shape so I probably saved it a slow death come winter. Get a good large breed dog would be a start. Pyrenees are good. English Mastiffs are great, very good with kids and will protect when necessary.

Great Pyrenees are good dogs to keep watch over a flock, but sometimes they tend to wander. So you might not see them for a couple days if they get out of your yard area. I've hunted coyotes for years using distress calls and had a lot of success. But it seems that when trying to control the predator population with hunting is a 50/50 chance. It almost seems like the more you shoot, the more that show up.Trapping is very difficult, live traps are expensive and you have to decide on how to dispose of the carcasses. Leg hold traps can be dangerous to pets and children since they are set on the ground. If the trap can hold a wild animal, a curious child that happens across one could be seriously hurt. Fido won't be too happy either. And again there's the disposal issue. Coyotes carry all sorts of parasites and disease. I agree that when coyotes are brazen enough to pick off your chickens at all hours of the day or night. A shotgun with a heavy load of #2, or #4 shot like what I use for wild turkey hunting is very effective when shot through an extra full, or full choke barrel out to approx 50yrds. Also a .22 magnum, or the .17 hornady magnum rimfire are good choices if you're fairly proficient with a rifle. Both have very little felt recoil, and I've shot coyotes out to 300yrds with the .17HMR. It's an excellent little rifle that anyone can shoot well with some practice. Also for the Ladies, the bullets for the .17HMR are really cute as far as bullets go. Lol. You could make a kool pair of earrings out of a couple of them. But getting back to protecting your flock. The very best way I've found to keep coyotes away is by adopting a Burro. There are wild burro adoption programs that cost very little. Burro's are social animals and get along well with other animals, but are very aggressive with coyotes. If you have dogs, they're ok once they get used to each other as long as your dogs don't take to chasing them around. However, only one burro is enough. If you have 2 or more then they'll just herd together and be less effective. If you get a pair, then get ready to have lots of burros over time. They live forever it seems like and every time lady burro comes in season you can start counting on having another. So one burro is plenty, they're very low maintenance, easy to train, and will keep coyotes out of your chicken yard or area. Also, they produce copious amounts of fertilizer along with the chicken poop. Well, I've made a short story very long, but I hope all this dribble helps. It's impossible to eradicate coyotes, so the next best thing to do is let them know that there ain't no free chicken dinners at your house. Good Luck, n God Bless

 

[DUANE123]

I have a 4 yr old lab/pit lgd that has killed 3 raccoons,2 fox 1 coyote. she is gentle with all livestock but hunts preators all nite and day. cant beat good dog

 

[cgmccary]

Great Pyrenees are good dogs to keep watch over a flock, but sometimes they tend to wander. So you might not see them for a couple days if they get out of your yard area. I've hunted coyotes for years using distress calls and had a lot of success. But it seems that when trying to control the predator population with hunting is a 50/50 chance. It almost seems like the more you shoot, the more that show up.Trapping is very difficult, live traps are expensive and you have to decide on how to dispose of the carcasses. Leg hold traps can be dangerous to pets and children since they are set on the ground. If the trap can hold a wild animal, a curious child that happens across one could be seriously hurt. Fido won't be too happy either. And again there's the disposal issue. Coyotes carry all sorts of parasites and disease. I agree that when coyotes are brazen enough to pick off your chickens at all hours of the day or night. A shotgun with a heavy load of #2, or #4 shot like what I use for wild turkey hunting is very effective when shot through an extra full, or full choke barrel out to approx 50yrds. Also a .22 magnum, or the .17 hornady magnum rimfire are good choices if you're fairly proficient with a rifle. Both have very little felt recoil, and I've shot coyotes out to 300yrds with the .17HMR. It's an excellent little rifle that anyone can shoot well with some practice. Also for the Ladies, the bullets for the .17HMR are really cute as far as bullets go. Lol. You could make a kool pair of earrings out of a couple of them. But getting back to protecting your flock. The very best way I've found to keep coyotes away is by adopting a Burro. There are wild burro adoption programs that cost very little. Burro's are social animals and get along well with other animals, but are very aggressive with coyotes. If you have dogs, they're ok once they get used to each other as long as your dogs don't take to chasing them around. However, only one burro is enough. If you have 2 or more then they'll just herd together and be less effective. If you get a pair, then get ready to have lots of burros over time. They live forever it seems like and every time lady burro comes in season you can start counting on having another. So one burro is plenty, they're very low maintenance, easy to train, and will keep coyotes out of your chicken yard or area. Also, they produce copious amounts of fertilizer along with the chicken poop. Well, I've made a short story very long, but I hope all this dribble helps. It's impossible to eradicate coyotes, so the next best thing to do is let them know that there ain't no free chicken dinners at your house. Good Luck, n God Bless

I truly believe hunting is the worst way to control predators. By and large, your resident predators usually respect you and won't take your chickens. They will also keep away other predators and somewhat control the rogue ones. If you hunt and kill the resident predators, you invite the rogue predator or a new one that will replace the one that respects boundaries & who will not mind taking the opportunity to make a meal of your livestock. It is the rogue predator that is the most dangerous to your livestock. I would only kill a predator if it was actively attacking my chickens.

I see & hear coyotes, fox, hawks, raccoons -- see tracks of bear and bobcat -- these are my resident predators . . . they respect my dogs, my donkey and I do not have any losses . . . they keep away the rogues. Also, I do not hunt their natural prey around me either (the squirrels, turkey, quail). When they have natural habitat and prey, they don't need to run all the risks associated with coming on my place . . . and they have plenty to eat so are not hungry.

You're right about the Burros. My donkey, a Jenny (get a Jenny or a Gelding), is great. The only thing not low maintenance about my donkey is her hoofs. She was born with genetically poor hoofs-- check the hoofs on one before you get one. I am constantly dealing with a hoof problem. My donkey gets along with my cows and my mules.

 

[PECULIARPETE]

I partially agree with the "resident" preadators in the area. Also that it is kinda true in some areas that the more coyotes that are eradicated, there always seems to be more that show up to take their place. It's just the cycle of available territory. On the other side of the coin. I strongly believe that your primary deterrent you have is your burrow. The burros that have been in the wild have strong defensive qualities against predators. Also by being a herd type/social animal your jenny will keep predators at bay. There will always be 1or2 coyotes that are bold enough to try and succeed at stealing one of your birds. Usually, it's a lactating ***** that's weaning a litter of pups. I've shot several like this. They were all *****'s and with enlarged teats. So it's 6 of 1 or half dozen of the other. I say whatever is most effective in your area stick with it. Happy Holiday's everybody.