This IS a coyote, right?

[GoChick]

30 ft from my coop...

 

[Aschenfire]

Looks like a very well fed, gorgeous coyote! (Sorry, I love them...makes me sad when people hate predators but I understand needing to keep watch over your flock)

 

[GoChick]

yeah...I don't hate predators either, part of nature, but he grabbed one of my chickens inside my fenced in area, in broad daylight, with two of my dogs less than 50 ft from him... and was absolutely not afraid of me, when I went running after him... that's why I put up the trailcam, trying to figure out where he's coming from...

I heard Eastern coyotes are bigger than western ones, but still, this one looks huge!!!

here's another pic, he's "marking his territory" exactly where my 95 lb collie marked his...

 

[Birdo]

Yes, that does look just like a coyote. Did a google image search just to make sure. Same nose, ears and tail. They are moving farther and farther east. Where are you located? I would imagine they're getting heavier and bushier in the east than in the southwest.

 

[Adenium]

Wow, what a shot. And yes, it looks like a coyote.

I just bought my husband a Moultrie M-80 for his birthday and can't wait to see what turns up in our night images! Our coop and chickens aren't here yet, so it'll be interesting to see the numbers and variety pre-chicken-bait and after.

 

[MonsterMom]

Holy Moley! That's the biggest coyote I've ever seen. Are you sure it's not a little wolf? Ha! Around here the coyotes are not nearly so statuesque - they're smaller and more sneaky looking (if that's a thing, lol).

 

[GoChick]

Hey Birdo,

I'm east of you, in Chatham County, NC...

Hey Adenium, I love my Moultrie - I have both a Moultrie M-100 and a 2012 Buhsnell HD, and I prefer the Moultrie.

Yeah... pretty big guy... maybe a coywolf???... http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/
http://phys.org/news/2011-05-eastern-wolves-hybrids-coyotes.html

 

[duckinnut]

That is Wile E Coyote in the flesh alright. Big mature male. Me being a hunter but also a conservationist see no need to kill an animal for no reason other than food but that being said the same coyote is interfering with something that provides food for my family. This creature will keep returning until you either kill him or he has killed all your chickens.

 

[PoultryQueen29]

Quote:

Hey Birdo,

I'm east of you, in Chatham County, NC...

Hey Adenium, I love my Moultrie - I have both a Moultrie M-100 and a 2012 Buhsnell HD, and I prefer the Moultrie.

Yeah... pretty big guy... maybe a coywolf???... http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/
http://phys.org/news/2011-05-eastern-wolves-hybrids-coyotes.html

I'm in NC, too! Are you near Jordan Lake? I've been there hiking and close to dusk it sounded like I was completely surrounded by coyotes! They were everywhere! I also have coyotes on behind my house where there is a huge piece of land with woods and pastures but I have actually never seen one in person in the wild. I'm positive that's a coyote though. Be careful if he's not scared of you though. Even though he looks pretty healthy there's a chance he could have rabies. There was a rabid coyote on the train tracks behind my house last year. It was on our community chat.

 

[Birdo]

Hey NC folk - There's a novel by Barbara Kingsolver called Prodigal Summer, about southern Appalachia farms and wilderness, and is somewhat centered around coyotes moving east into this habitat. Pretty neat. I just love this part of the country. Really good climate for raising the birdies.