They're getting braver, and I'm starting to worry...

[Miss Red]

some of you may be aware of my ongoing battle with the pack of Coyotes living in the ravine behind me. This week alone I have managed to SSS five of them, well four excluding the strange acting one the city picked up to test for rabies.

This morning I was on my back porch inhaling my cancer stick and enjoying watching my silkie roo court his new girl. Out from the woodlines faster than I could react to came a mangy coydog. She/he had to of been watching me, because it didn't come out until I let the dogs in for their breakfast. It ran off with my Silkie after failing to grab Guinea. We are officially at war, and I am officially going to patch the hole in the fence the chickens have been using to get out in the morning.

Ugh. I'm exhausted from this battle I've been having with them. Traps are being set tonight, but they're coming around the same time every morning. I have to feed my horses their breakfast with Henry (.22 rifle) strapped to my shoulder and all morning chores ar donewith Henry an arms reach away. They haven't been this bad before, which has me worried that their numbers have gone up too high for the local wildlife to support their diet. They never show if the dogs are out, but I can't leave them loose because my neighbor is scared of my ridgeback and heeler and I'm afraid they will wander into her yard if left to their own.

other than investing in a Donkey who is already guarding (she was offered to me in trade for my goats) I'm out of ideas... She (the Jenny) is also a dog killer and I'm worried getting her will put mine at risk. BUT she is currently penned with 3 other donkeys and they're surrounding a chicken pen. The guy hasn't lost a bird since he got the girls, but has found many dead dogs/coyotes in the donkey enclosure. I really don't want the noise she will bring, I'd like to keep the peace as my neighbor is elderly and battling cancer. She enjoys the chickens and enjoys free eggs, and they enjoy helping her in her garden when allowed to cross the street and visit.

Coyotes:25 Me:5 - the table is NOT in my hands. But, they only manage to get ranging birds so I guess I'm about to finish another pen to keep everyone safe. (Im done ranting now...)

 

[sarahsark]

Wow... very frightening.

I'm so sorry. I hope in the end, you win this war.

 

[Chikndinner]

WOW!! You've gotten 4 more since the mangy one??

I think maybe you should change your screen name to Miss Oakley.

Maybe you could go on the Offensive. Rent or buy one of those predator calls and then use it at the time which you think they usually come around. Maybe you could thin them out a little faster that way.

Hunting is much more fun when you are doing it for the sport rather than trying to protect what you have. Better make sure you have plenty of ammo.

 

[Debbi]

Miss Red ,

I awoke the other morning, (6:24), to what sounded like a scalded dog. Turns out, I had my first predator try to attack the chicken coop. Ran to the window, and sure enough, it was a coyote running into the woods. He evidently got a good zap from the electric fence surrounding the run/coop. Glad I put the hot wire up! Had numerous neighbors taunt me for my coop looking like "Folsom Prison". LOL! Prison it is, but they have a 20' x 26' run (4 chickens!), and they are safe.....for now! Also have a 2' wire apron, with white chat gravel on top of it. Any digging attempts will be seen in a quick glance. Two strands of hot wire, 6" and 37" high, are the "coop de grave" (forgive my French!)! If all else fails, the 12 ga. will back it up, but you have to be there! Run some HOT wire!!

 

[Baymule]

Hi Miss Red, I used to live in Trinity county (15 years ago) in Trevat and we had quite the coyote problem then. They came out in broad daylight to run the calves. I used a 22-250. Super fast bullet, good splat-one dead coyote. LOL I can sympathzize with you. You will just have to build the Fort Knox of chicken coops and runs to keep your chickens safe. We are neighbors, Polk county is next door to you. What about your goats? Do the coyotes go after them? What about buying a chicken at the grocery store, letting it ripen and using it for bait? Anytime we had livestock die, we dragged it to the back with the tractor and sat up all night to shoot the varmits it attracted. Nothing like good clean redneck fun.

I wish you the best in the WAR between Miss Red and the coyotes.

 

[drumstick diva]

The coyote they took away - did they find out if it was rabid?? If so maybe they will work at eliminating them so it doesn't spread.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I think that's a good idea you have to fix the pen fencing, so the chickens are only out when you want them out. That will take some of the pressure off of you and let you relax some of the time. Are your dogs trained to leave your chickens alone and guard them? Maybe the chickens only need to free range when you can have the dogs out there to protect them for awhile. Then you can focus on coyote removal when you choose to, instead of every minute that you're out there. Knowing the chickens are safe would at least make watching for coyotes while you hunt less stressful.

 

[Lollipop]

I`ve got a solution. PM me if interrested........Pop

 

[Miss Red]

Quote:
I haven't heard anything from them yet. So I'm thinking that's good news.

For one reason or another they've left the goats alone, for now. I added a strand of hot wire around the coop, and I'm debating making the goat pen permanent to do the same for them. The girls have a hole in the front of the coop that they've been flying up and out of, it was created by a massive tree limb. Picking up the wood to fix it this afternoon. Last night I was doing a head count and heard sligt coos coming from the rafters above, apparently my game birds have decided the coop rafters are warmer than the 30 foot tall tree limb, awesome. If they're in again tonigt I'm clipping some wings and penning their utts up.