Coyote Protection?

mymindisamob said:
Sounds like you've had extremely limited experience. I'll keep that in mind as I read any of your future posts.
As for Trout Tamer, I don't know him, but his general post was very well articulated and the facts can be easily found to prove his commentary on Coyotes quite accurate.
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Well said brother:thumbup:
 
Well I had to laugh out loud this evening. I went out to the store and on my way back I passed a small field bordering a little creek. Sure enough there was a coyote making it's way through the sage and grass in the evening light. Beautiful animal.
Of course I thought of you guys since we've been talking about these critters today. I told my wife about the thread and she wanted me to add a story about coyotes. When we were living in Colorado a pack of 4-5 coyotes was stalking a couple of deer on the hill behind our house. We watched for a while. The deer got pissed off by the predatory behavior and chased the coyotes away. We couldn't believe it.

Natural-Outlaw, I pity the coyote that tries to take on my 18lb Border Terrier.

OK, she don't look like much, but trust me on this one.... :D
 

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The coyote my dogs fought with was much bigger than the pictures I see of many. He was bigger than my 48 pound hound,(I got to see them faced off within a few feet for a moment) had a deep chest and looked well, just in shape and strong.(he had nice yellowish-tipped long hair and was grey brown underneath) Whether he was a coy-dog or not I haven't a clue for certain. But, the eastern 'yotes are often reported as larger than the western. This is an interesting reason that I have never heard before now, about the why the eastern are larger.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08062/861839-358.stm
 
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MBTull said:
I am fortunate enough to be able to walk with our dog in a large field behind out house. There is a lot of coyote evidence, scat, torn up carcasses, howling at night etc. It occurs to me that it might be prudent to carry some type of pistol on these walks.

Any recommendations? I am more comfortable with a revolver.

Thanks
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You don't say where you live.
Unfortunately where I live large fields are surrounded by houses and are called parks, schools or golf courses and shooting a gun would not be a good Idea unless you really had no choice.
Even if you didn't hit anyone or cause property dammage you might have some real splainin to do Lucy.
Perhaps bear spray would be an option.
And yes we do have coyote problem in the city. I see them more often all the time, even during the day.
WHICH TELLS ME THEY ARE LOOSING THEIR FEAR OF MAN.
I have a friend who lives in a million $ plus home miles from any open country who looked out his back door one morning and saw a coyote walking along the top of his 6 FT block wall. Just shopping for a meal.
Coyotes will take what they can get. small dog, cats, left overs in your trash and dog and cat food left outside.
There have even been a few small children attacked in their yards here in southern Calif. in the last few years.
 
Natural-Outlaw said:
I have also lived in Northern Minnesota amongst wolves--they are not a problem with humans or my dogs.
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Because you never saw them as a problem doesn't mean they aren't.

From Wolf Habituation as a Conservation Conundrum
The expanding wolf distribution has caused an increase in wolf–human encounters and generated concerns among wolf managers and conservationists. Only two accounts of wolf–human encounters that resulted in injurious contact between a wolf and humans were published in the scientific literature between 1900 and 1985 (Peterson 1947; Jenness 1985). However, since 1985 several apparently deliberate, injurious wolf attacks on humans were documented in Alaska (Icy Bay incident described earlier), Vargas Island (British Columbia), Algonquin Park (Ontario, five separate attacks), and India. The attacks in India were the most dramatic and severe: In Uttar Pradesh during a 2-year period (1996–1997), a wolf or wolves killed or seriously injured 74 humans, mostly children under the age of 10 years (Mech 1998). This may sound like a tabloid headline, but the attacks were well documented by wolf authorities. Several factors may have led to the attacks including a lack of available wild prey, domestic livestock that were well protected, and many small children playing in the vicinity of the wolves.
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I have never had a problem, BUT. Where I usually walk, is where ppeople have been planting pot for years (private propery), or on propperty that is so secluded, that wildlife (yote's) are not uncommon. I always carry the biggest firearm that I am comfortatble carrying. Usually my 44.
 
A .38 special would do the trick. A loud bang would send the rest running. A Sig Suer 9mm would also be good.
 
I live in an area where coyotes are in constant vicinity of people. House pets, sm dogs/cats are always getting taken. When I am out and about I have come across yotes and some of them obviously were not afraid of me. I am always armed and since I wasn't in danger I didn't shoot. But if they entered my personal space I wouldn't hesitate. Better safe than sorry. Also we have had several attacks by mountain lion. some of them fatal. I rely on my smith .357 loaded with mild .38 wadcutter loads. That will discourage anything I will come in contact with including mountain lions.
 
I dunno about your coyotes, but down here being human tends to be enough of a deterrent. Usually a shout or a rock thrown will send small packs running. Coyotes tend to be skittish..
 
"Coyotes are found in more places than you would imagine"

Coyotes are one of the most adaptable creatures on earth. they will thrive nearly anywhere and almost any climate.

I don't recommend any guns, a bear banger would be FAR more than enough to scare them off. remember they are more scared of you than you are of them.
 
MBTull said:
I am fortunate enough to be able to walk with our dog in a large field behind out house. There is a lot of coyote evidence, scat, torn up carcasses, howling at night etc. It occurs to me that it might be prudent to carry some type of pistol on these walks.

Any recommendations? I am more comfortable with a revolver.

Thanks
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You didn't say.....can you legally fire a firearm where you are???? If not, a baseball bat would do the job just fine......

We have many coyotes in the hills behind my house (where I hike, trail run, and ride dirt bike). I did once see them kill a full grown German Shepard! They ran it around in relays until it got tired, then closed in for the kill! Quite facinating theater!!!

They have never bothered me, but I don't ever take a dog along. They do come down from the hills at night, and take folks dogs and cats, and it isn't uncommon anymore to see them walking down the street in broad daylight.

I pack an ultralight S&W J-frame Airlight Ti revolver, .38+P caliber, loaded with MagTech 125 grain JHP ammo (these are a little hotter than the usual factory .38+P). It is small and light enough, that I can comfortably trail run with it in a small, barely noticeable, fanny pack! But, I am thinking more of 2-legged critters rather than 4-legged!

I think it is pretty obvious that .357 is to much gun for coyote, and .22 is to little! The .38+P is right in the sweet spot in between!!!
 
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My Father in law and a friend of mine and me were camping here in Ms. over the summer and when the night hit us, the coyotes came right up to our tents outside and yelped and howled. The only threat to us was me being grumpy by them keeping us awake. What bothered us was the Mosquitoes. I usually carry a 12 gauge in the woods, though, not for coyotes but for snakes and now we have found out we have cougars and black bears. I would never shoot either one unless it was absolutely necessary. Im actually proud that there here because I love wildlife. Dont get me wrong though, I do know they can be dangerous so I always go prepared in the woods here in Ms. I hear coyotes outside my house every night, its just a common thing here in the country. I belive a 22 would be fine for Coyote but with my eyes I just feel better with a shotgun.
 
Just to confirm Trout Tamer's post, I was just a few weeks ago up in Central Oregon visiting an old Marine Corp. buddy--as honest as the day is long kind of guy, and he told me that coyotes had several times tried to lure his two Golden Retrievers out into the National forest behind his house by sending in a female coyote to lure them! My buddy was smart enough to call his dogs back, but has had to shoot 4 or 5 of them over a period of time (several months). Also, several neighbors of his, have lost smaller dogs that the yotes preyed on.
One time, years ago in Arizona, I was pretty inebriated and was out alone along the Salt River below the Granite Reef dam (below Saguaro Lake a ways). I was just sitting in the dark (without a light or weapon) watching the river at a picnic area and a pack of coyotes (not sure how many) came up and seemed like they were going to attack, circling me in the dark. Needless to say, I was really freaked and began shouting very loudly--they did leave, but it scared the "you know what" out of me! I have spent much of my life in Arizona and in the outdoors, have camped, hiked, backpacked, hunted, much of the Southwest, and never had anything like that happen, before or since, but even now it raises the hairs on the back of my neck! So, before you say the coyote is harmless, to the OP--get yourself that gun and practice with it--in the unlikely event you might need it someday. My 2 cents.
 
About a week ago my son was over for a BBQ, and he told me a friend he works with just had a coyote incident. Apparently this fellow was out checking fences on his farm, and somehow managed to sprain his ankle quite severely. He couldn't kickstart his bike as a result, and chose to hobble home as best he could. As dusk settled in, he claims some coyotes appeared on the scene and really checked him out to see just how buggered up he was. They never lunged at him or anything, but they could tell he was not doing too well and came uncomfortably close. He obviously got home alright though. but since these lil' Coyote farts are scavengers, I bet they were just hoping for this man to keel over and give up the ghost. ;)
 
Natural-Outlaw said:
Hey Trout Tamer--you oughta be writing novels as I consider your whole message fiction (read B.S.). Give me a break! I have also lived in Northern Minnesota amongst wolves--they are not a problem with humans or my dogs.

Natural-Outlaw
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Natural-Outlaw, I've no idea who you are, but I was most certainly on-scene when the coyotes hunted my dogs. I'm not making up BS for your, or anyone else's, entertainment. I posted my personal experiences in response to the original poster so as to shed some more light on coyote behavior.

The coyotes in your area, Natural-Outlaw, are most likely less desensitized to humans than are the coyotes that roam my area. Around here, the coyotes run from yard to yard at night, looking for small animals. The coyotes are a common sight here. Many are unafraid of people and some are only marginally afraid of dogs.

Clearly, coyote behavior is dependent on the specific region the 'yotes live in. The amount of human contact and the availability of food for the coyotes influences the 'yotes behavior.
 
Thanks for the corroborating accounts, y'all. It's a hair-raising experience to have two predaors within 10 yards of oneself, knowing the predators are attempting to eat one's pets!
 
I work in the brush every day, I walk amongst coyotes all the time, I walk up on them, surprise them, they surprise me, I found pups and even played with a couple of really young ones. I've NEVER had any inclination that a coyote would even think of an attack. I've had the occasional one get curious and check me out which I enjoy because I like getting close to wildlife. All it takes is an aggressive foot stomp and they're gone if you get scared. They are terrified of humans....I used to jog in west texas in the mountains where coyotes were a dime a dozen with no fear at all. My worst fear was the occasional loose ranch dog. Mt. Lions did give me pause on occasion....:(
 
Trout Tamer--I live in a very rural part of Wisconsin not in the suburbs. I will give you the one considering you live in a suburban area that animals become desenitized to humans and lose a more natural fear of them. The animals live here in natural habitat and are not feeding from garbage cans. As far my being accused of "little experience or limited experience" I have been trapping and hunting coyotes for over 30-yrs; my experience is extreme. My point about "fiction" is that there are many misconceptions and exagerations about about the so called ferocity of coyotes. As many other writers had said they will tend to run away if they are healthy.
In regard to my comment about wolves not being a problem, yes they are reclusive and you will rarely see them unless setup to do so. Therefore they are not a problem. They are not generally out hunting dogs. Dogs at rare times may be attacked if seen as violating a wolfs territoy or are too close to a den of pups. That being said, the 93-acres I owned in Northern Minnesota was territory of my three 90-100 lb dogs and wolves stayed away. The wolves simply were not a problem for me or others in the area including those who's dogs lived outside year round in our area.

Rotte : I'm with you on your Terrier--Terriers were built to be tenacious characters in small packages, meant to take on predators considerably larger than themselves
 
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