Coyotes getting worrisome

[JRobyn]

We've always had some coyotes around here. As years go by and the available food sources for them wax and wane, so does their population. But with several dogs and donkeys around, they have almost never been seen right up by our "populated" area and only heard once in a while. We live in a severe "ridge and hollow" terrain, and in the past, they seemed to stay mostly down in the hollows and den up in little cavelets in the steep hollow banks.

Something in the last couple of weeks has really altered their behavior! Last night was to the point of scary. Starting right at dusk, I heard a number of them moving through the dry leaves just behind (~10 yards) the house. Closely followed by barking/howling/screaming sessions all around our house and the in-laws place about 100 yds away. They would go off every 30 minutes or so. Sounded like somewhere between 3 and maybe 6 individuals. It seemed like they circled all around our little "development" of about 20 acres doing their celebrating. Finally quit at about 0330, at least the last I heard (and our dogs went off), right behind the house again.

I'm good with letting nature take it's course for most things, leaving the predators be, and taking necessary precautions, but these guys are just getting too close and too bold for comfort! Wife's rescue dog really likes to not have to be on leash for pee breaks, but that ain't happening since she also enjoys tearing off into the woods on any and all scent trails. There's been increased scat sightings in the road, but so far, their activity has been exclusively nocturnal, and I don't have a night-vision scope. May have to invest in one.

 

[roadhunter]

Be glad you don't live in an area with lions. They are 1,000x worse than a coyote.

Might be a good plan to trap or hunt them this winter. Calling coyotes is lots of fun, especially at night as they are much more aggressive.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Coyotes getting worrisome

We have coyotes around here, but I never noticed them getting worried about anything. lol

SR

 

[k0ua]

I have had pretty good luck when they get thick in my valley with a half a mag out of the AR15. it seems to really put a crimp in their style and boldness. They go and stay gone for a long time.

 

[Rustyiron]

2 got trapped this past week here in my place. Both an older/larger male & female. The male was missing part of his front paw. My trapper friend said it's likely that he lost that in a trap to frostbite last year, slow learner.

 

[nybirdman]

We have been living with/around coyotes for about 40 years.Pretty wily and harmless to humans.Yes they may follow you out of the woods at night.Small pets,chickens ect.need to have good protection.
The local hound hunters take about 50 a year out of maybe 10sq.miles and doesn't seem to make much difference in their numbers.

 

[gwstang]

43 mph is pretty dang fast in my book! No wonder it made a swooshing sound when it went by me at just about arms length. Sort of like one of those road runner cartoons.

 

[roadhunter]

Not to be rude but it seems like there may be some overreaction going on here. This almost makes it sound like coyotes are a threat to humans. Shutting up the shop and getting unraveled over a few coyotes seems like an city slicker overreaction.

People in other places have predators that are actually dangerous like lions, bears, and wolves. Coyotes are harmless for the most part and human attacks are extremely rare which is not the case with other top shelf predators. Don't let thier coyote howls strike fear into you and change you behavior.

Several neighbors of mine have had to shoot lions around thier homes. That is scary as they will attack kids. I've read stories of people having pets ripped to pieces by a pack of wolves. Hunters who have been challenged by lions and bears for kills. Bears getting inside buildings looking for food. etc...

Coyotes are just not that dangerous.

 

[oldballs]

As the city moves closer and closer our coyotes are getting fewer. But they never seemed like much of a threat to me either, or to my free ranging Lab or ducks. Heck, my Lab was a greater threat to neighbor's chickens, and she had the #4's to prove it.

 

[oosik]

oldballs - be careful. The dog I lost 34 years ago was a healthy two year old black lab. It wasn't any fun to watch the pack dispatch him and drag off the carcass. It all went down in less than two minuets - so I was unable to come to his defense.

 

[roadhunter]

oldballs - be careful. The dog I lost 34 years ago was a health two year old black lab. It wasn't any fun to watch the pack dispatch him and drag off the carcass. It all went down in less than two minuets - so I was unable to come to his defense.

That sounds frustrating to watch. How many coyotes were in this "pack"?

I've seen hundreds of coyotes but never any sort of pack unless you count mom and pups. More often than not the ones I see are by themselves.