Ummmm. Guess what wandered into MY backyard last night....

[emotionallybankrupt]

I had to laugh when I saw the thread with a similar title.

A coyote made a kill behind my fence last night. I'd heard we had a "little" problem around town, but this brings it kinda close. A neighbor saw it and went out to shoot it but was too late. No question what happened.

So...anybody ever had an issue like this in the neighborhood? Would a coyote go after my big dogs? And what on earth would I do if I realized there was a fight going on? I've researched enough online to see that a coyote could dig under my fence. I can't find clear answers on what their targets are, although I've already figured out that cats are prime targets. And would the coyote be more likely to come back to my property because of the apparent success in finding a meal here? (It was a cat.)

I never leave my dogs out unsupervised, but they do sometimes want to go out at night, either to do their "business" or to scope out a noise, etc.

Any advice?

 

[witzend]

Yes, coyotes will go after big dogs. What they do is get them off their guard with only one coyote. Often it will be almost like watching the coyote and the dog play. Then before your dog knows it, there will be 7 coyotes and they will take your big dog down. Have you contacted your humane society? They often will relocate coyotes.

 

[DammitJanet]

Yes, contact Animal Control or wildlife.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

Well, unfortunately it doesn't work that way where I live. There have been numerous reports of sightings--even a couple of newspaper articles in the last few months--but nobody is doing anything. I have a friend who is a police officer, and he's talked of frequent sightings on third shift, some very close to my house. It seems that I am on my own on this. I wonder if my area is just a bit too much on the rural fringes to get the attention I think it needs.

Is there a "season" for this, or is it a year-round problem?

Scary. I'm going to be afraid to let my dogs out at all at night now.

 

[witzend]

It's a year round thing, but they're more active this way in the spring when they whelp. It doesn't have to be nighttime, either. Keep your eyes on them!

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

The more I think about this, the madder it makes me, that the powers that be are ignoring this. I think it's time for me to dust off the weapons I've got in the safe, go somewhere to practice and be sure I still know what I used to know, and then if I get a clean shot, take it. I'm not kidding. Back when I was under an order of protection and fully expected to need the skills, I trained until I was a darned good shot. It's been too long since I went shooting anyway. Not a bad idea to keep those skills up just for general purposes nowadays.

 

[Star*]

Hi -

I live in Columbia SC. There are GINORMOUS coyotes here. I mean bigger than German Shepherds and I've personally had interaction with them a few times. First, they will attack ANYTHING. Day or night. They are predators and scavengers. If there are children close? I'd tell the neighbors to keep them inside or not to be alone. There was just a story on TV about a little boy that got hauled away by a coyote. (Animal Planet probably still has a link to the story if you want to watch it on computer).

They can carry rabies like most mamals and they are swift, cunning and smart. They plan things just like a well organized platoon. The two that came after me on a construction site from a distance looked like shaggy german shepherds - they were NOT German Shepherds. I was growled at, and my truck was walked around and around then one leaped up at the window. Had I had a pistol I would have probably shot the aggressive one at that time because it took everything I had to get IN my truck and shut the door before they got to me. - I thought I was running from loose Shepherds. That was one time I was glad I didn't stand my ground and pretend I was Caesar...lol.

Another night I was coming home about 4 in the morning from work and trotting right down the road was a white one. At first I thought (again) Shepherd, but no. The other one I saw was on a construction site again - and he would just follow me around behind the discs as i was running the John Deere. He had obviously no fear. To walk in the woods here without protection is asking for trouble. We've had a couple come close to the house and we live pretty far out too - but none will come into the yard. The ones husband saw were small and scraggly - one recently got hit by a car and was just a 100 ft. from the driveway.

So to answer your question - THE AUTHORITIES are responsible. If they refuse? I'd go to the news. The only problem with trying to shoot one is that they don't tend to stand still when they see you. AND like I said - WHO would have thought to carry a rifle on a backhoe? Pistol maybe for an occasional snake but we weren't allowed to carry firearms. (and I had a nice boss then) lol. ahem. Most I've seen in movies and such see a person and run. HA.....the ones here are tired of being blown out of their woods and now there is no space - and they are aggressive. I can't blame them - I mean the building around here has wiped out acres and acres of hunting grounds and dens for their pups. I feel sorry for them - but ......

Keep all food up - trash cans secure as can be.
Put up lights =motion lights all around the house
Tell your neighbors that there is a danger for other dogs, cats, especially small children. = Anything live and moving is a meal.

and for heaven sakes - go to the range.....but find out what your laws are for discharging any firearm where you live. We called - and unless I am being attacked or can PROVE I was attacked and shoot my weapon? I'm going to be arrested.

Oh and don't put antifreeze out for them - it's a death worse than death. Someone here did that at the cluster of mailboxes on our land and ----well needless to say we dumped it at the recycling place and put up a note.....OUR LAND - NO ANTIFREEZE. (morons)

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

Well...I already know the law says I can't discharge a firearm in town limits. I also know that given the right set of circumstances I'd do it anyway and say "what gunshot." Not to be foolish...I know that chances are I would NOT have that ideal clean shot, but there's always a chance. Several years ago I had an issue with a groundhog that was digging himself a mansion under my house. I couldn't trap him, block him off, or anything. Then the day came that he was sitting at a perfect angle right down from my deck, looking at me as if to say, "This is MY house. Why are YOU here?" Would have been a PERFECT shot. I didn't take it because I knew the legalities. Then I had to tangle with that varmint for some time before finally trapping him "humanely" and relocating him. Obviously, the stakes are much higher this time. Logically, though, there's no place I could shoot a target within my fenced area from the deck, without a trajectory that would take it safely into the ground. Outside the fence I wouldn't chance it. Inside the fence, the threat should be pretty clear so I'd be off the hook anyway. Shouldn't be my job to fix though.

I'm working on getting information today about what exactly the authorities are doing except saying, "Thar's anothern. Thar it goes! Ya see that? Golly!"

I've got the motion lights ALL the way around the house. Got those along with the order of protection and the handgun permit. Who woulda thought....