Coyote attack

[NNN0LHI]

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By Bill Byrns
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815-468-7349

Grant Park man injured while saving pet

Little Molly needed to go outside -- to commune with nature you might say -- but on this night in rural Grant Park, nature came calling with fangs and claws.

It was around 1:15 a.m. Tuesday when the little rat terrier roused owner Rick Marek. Dutifully he climbed out of bed, went downstairs and opened the back door. snip

"One was attacking my dog as I ran out," he said. When I ran out, another came running in at me. It got my right hand, ripping my middle and ring fingers." snip

"The cornfield is about 30 feet from our back door. Molly was in the yard, and the coyotes were running in, one at a time, trying to drive her into the field. Buy the time I got down there, she was in the stubble, surrounded, with the coyotes coming in from all directions.

This is the town I live in. Pop. 1500. My back yard also butts up to a corn field though I have about 150 from the rear of my house to the farm field. When my wife and I brought our two dogs out for a pee a half hour ago I had to chase off two coyotes before we could let them out.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. We had coyotes tear apart our neighbor's

two German Shepherds. It was horrific. There were 5 houses at the end of a dead end street that was right next to 10 acres of wilderness. It was the middle of the night and we all woke up and went running outside. I will never forget the wails from those dogs.

[OnionPatch]

78. They killed

TWO German Shepherds? Where they chained up or something? There must have been a huge pack of them to be able to do that. I know they kill small dogs sometimes but this is the first time I have heard a story where they have killed a dog like a German Shepherd. :wow:
I have a GS and she routinely chases them off of our property. Maybe we have wimpy coyotes here. :shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

94. No they were not chained or fenced

Our neighbors let them roam at night. We lived in the country, more or less. It was a brand new housing project on the edge of nothing and we were living in one of the first few houses built there. I think we had only been living there a month or so when this happened.

It was dark so I couldn't see the coyotes well. A couple of our neighbors had guns and shot at them as they ran off but we don't think they hit them. We called the police but they never found the coyotes.

Our son was only 3 and we were scared to death to let him outside for a long time afterwards. Eventually, more houses were built and we had no more wild animal attacks.

[Quakerfriend]

2. Yikes!

That sound more like wolf behavior. Are coyotes that bad.

Years ago I was climbing in Arizona and a coyote walked straight through our campsite with nary a glance in my direction (15 ft away).

[kestrel91316]

25. Coyotes are bold, and very well adapted to suburban life here

in Los Angeles. They routinely wander down the residential streets in broad daylight, and I have seen them loitering across the street from my house in the evening, just 1/2 block away from Ventura Blvd, the San Fernando Valley's main drag. They will snatch dogs off the end of leashes, and gang up on cats in people's fenced back yards. They have even been known to try to drag off the occasional unattended toddler (without success).

[Starbucks Anarchist]

42. Ever seen the movie "Collateral"?

It's set in Los Angeles, and there's a scene where three coyotes walk through a downtown crosswalk. Really creepy scene.

[Shakespeare]

87. Absolutely happens, too.

I used to live in West Hollywood; one EARLY morning while driving my sister to LAX, a coyote trotted across Santa Monica Blvd. (at Beverly Drive in West LA) - right in front of us, no fear.

[liveoaktx]

3. We have coyotes here (Texas) -sometimes at night I go to

let out my two large dogs and they're scared to go out without me too

[Lex]

4. The coyotes were here first.

I don't think we have a right to shoot them or harm them because they are doing what coyotes do.

[sonofliberty]

5. we keep paving over their hunting ground and leave food and

garbage accessible

[NNN0LHI]

6. They have gotten some of my cats

I don't hold it against the coyotes. Their babies have to eat too. And they never get the healthy young cats. They get the older ones who have already used up 8 lives. I am in the city limits so I couldn't shoot them if I wanted to. I wouldn't want to shoot them anyway. I have learned to live with them.

Don

[catnhatnh]

31. Jesus NO Don...

...if they kill my pets they die...

[NNN0LHI]

32. What am I going to do?

Shoot at the coyotes within city limits and end up going to the slammer? The warden won't let me have my putty cats in stir?

Don

[catnhatnh]

36. No...your right

and I sounded....oh, clever,superior,... and I added nothing...My Kitty is an indoor kitty AND here in Rochester the coyotes are not a problem-yet.So-basically I have no idea-My only guess would be an in all the time cat...not hard for me to imagine since she is draped over my right thigh as I type...again I apologize-I took your serious shit to lightly.....

[mtnsnake]

72. Why should coyotes die? Take it out on the land developers

who've raped the countryside and left coyotes with no other choice but to do what they have to do. If a coyote should kill one of your pets, write an editorial in your local paper about millionaire land developers who have no conscience whatsoever about all the wildlife they destroy while on their path to making obscene amounts of money. You'll do a lot more good, and you may save hundreds of pets from getting killed by nature if you help to protect what little bit of nature we have left.

[radwriter0555]

43. In Los Angeles near the foothills areas, like Hollywood, West Hollywood &

Beverly Hills, the coyotes are very effective at controlling the feral cat populations...

Sad fact, but true. I've seen them as far south as Wilshire and they're always around the Beverly Center and Fairfax areas, where there are 2 large populations of feral cats.

[Greyhound]

79. When I lived in the hills I wished they'd take care of the skunk

population, but alas, the skunk is too clever and well defended. We also had several herds of deer.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

13. Actually I'm not sure the coyotes

were in FL "first" because they are pretty recent.

I have lost significant numbers of young goats and chickens to them over the years. But I have never shot or poisoned them.

Those bad boys can actually CLIMB an 8 foot fence, go in, get a kid, and climb back out. The kids just disappear. Very hard to take.

[EFerrari]

San Jose foothills, at my mom's place, they took my beautiful goose.

I was an idiot for letting her wander and will never forgive myself. That was the end of the chickens and geese and cats being outside. Too bad, too, because they loved their walks.

[tenshi816]

74. I'm from Georgia originally,

and I've always thought coyotes weren't indigenous to the American south. I've been gone for a number of years now but my dad, who lives in NE Georgia, told me a few years back that coyotes had been "introduced" to the area and now they run around the woods on his property. What with the deer population run amok, rattlesnakes, copperheads, umpteen kinds of owls, plus coyotes and bobcats, my dad's place is like a game preserve.

Coyotes got my dad's goats too. Getting over the fence was nothing to them. He has an electric fence around the vegetable garden to keep the deer out, but never thought he needed to protect the goats.

[sendero]

18. Uh..

... if one is attacking my pet or livestock I will blow it's head off, I don't care who was here "first".

[Lex]

21. Aren't you precious?

I'm sure "blowing it's (sic) head off" will make you feel like a real problem-solver, eh?

[sendero]

23. Well ...

.. I won't use the word I'd use to describe someone who'd let their pet be ripped to shreds by a wild animal, but it sure isn't "precious" but it might be something like that.

[Lex]

24. Strawman, much? nt

[sendero]

26. Don't know what a strawman is..

.. much? buh, bye.

[Lex]

28. A little thing they invented call "Google."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Buh, bye to you too.

[natrat]

96. if your dog and a coyote are going at it a gun wont help

unless they separate long enough,,,,might work better as a fear tool

[MsMagnificent]

39. When it comes to defending

ones beloved pet over a predator, well yes then: Problem solved.

I'm a vegetarian because of animal rights issues, but if one animal is going to kill my pet, I Will defend my pet!

You'd rather have this man's pet die, is that what you're saying? That's your answer? Or if not, what exactly IS your answer? Without the snark, please.

[liveoaktx]

56. Thanks. Me too. I'm not purposely out looking for coyotes to kill

but we have a rifle. If a predator comes here and threatens livestock and pets, it's going to be killed.

I have poultry, an electric fence around the poultry yard and lock all the bird up at night in secure housing, so I do my part to lessen the chances a predator can attack.

But if it comes down to a choice where animals or poultry are being killed, the coyote (or other predator) will lose.

[Lex]

95. I never said that someone shouldn't defend their pet.

That is pure and simple a STRAWMAN argument and I'm not getting drawn into that with you.

[DenaliDemocrat]

98. Get a burro

ever seen burros in with a herd of sheep? It's because burros HATE coyotes, and will stomp them into the ground if they get the chance. Two burros will do a better job than three or four great pyranese dogs.

[TX-RAT]

62. They better not do it on my place.

They'll take young and newborn calves as well as deer, both of which i rely on for my livelihood. I've had them kill cats, dog,s, my neighbor had them get into his game bird pens and killed all his pheasant. They killed over a 100, they ate 3.

If i see them, i kill them, plain as that.

[Ravenseye]

83. Sure we do

I think sprawl and many other human factors are pushing coyotes into our backyards (and we're pushing into theirs) so we need to be cognisant of that, but there are limits. You may call it a strawman if you wish, but I personally know someone who was nearly killed by a coyote as a young girl, and has a scar to prove it, and was saved by her father shooting the coyote.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0607_050607_coyotes_2.html

"Timm and Baker list some 35 other coyote attacks over the past three decades on small children that could have been fatal, had an adult not intervened."

Coyote's shouldn't be shot just for sniffing at your roses, but if they attack your child, then you surely have a right to attack them back.

[yellowcanine]

93. It depends on where you mean by "here". Eastern U.S., No. They have

expanded their range recently.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0806_020806_coyote.html

These are not really useful arguments. Animals and people have been migrating and expanding ranges for since the beginning. Conflicts between species occur. And termites are doing what termites do but I doubt that you are just going to let them eat up your house.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. We even have coyotes in Florida now

They destroyed my friends cat. It was awful.

[madeline_con]

14. According to the University of Florida,

they were brought into FL in the 20's.


http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_UW127

[kliljedahl]

8. Where is Grant park?

[NNN0LHI]

10. N. Illinois. 40 miles S. of Chicago. 8 Miles west of the Indiana border n/t

[Marlie]

35. Hi Neighbor

We live in Monee which is pretty close to Grant Park. We're right
next to Frankfort.

[ProfessorGAC]

49. Hi From Another Neighbor

I live in southern Will County!
The Professor

[NNN0LHI]

54. Hello, Ma'am

My in-laws live in Monee west of Rt. 50 over on Beverley Drive. Nice to meet you here. Small world. Take care.

Don

[Marlie]

85. Just logged in today

Wow, we have a lot of DU people in Will County. That's a good
feeling for sure.

[Redneck Socialist]

9. Coyotes gotta eat too.

:shrug:

[TX-RAT]

64. Not a problem, just not on my place.

[linazelle]

11. My daughter was walking to school Friday and a coyote was

within striking distance of her. She froze and fortunately, a car roared by distracting it so she came back home. That is scary. I'm going to have to be more careful about letting my dog out now. Do they harm people too if they aren't on the attack for prey?

[hlthe2b]

15. I wouldn't worry too much about a single coyote but packs...

are problematic. DOn't approach of course, but coyotes are relatively small and scrawny. Much smaller than wolves and less mass than a well fed medium size dog and normally fearful of humans. Like dogs, though, they might chase if your daughter were to take off running. YOu should teach her to purposely walk away, but not run and avoid engaging the coyote (or strange dog for that matter) in eye contact.

However, if a coyote is approaching people in daytime, that imay be a red flag as they have lost fear of humans (or may possibly be rabid). Keep your distance.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

53. They are afraid of big things like people

around here in NO. Fl, they are nocturnal. If you see one in the daytime you suspect rabies.

They make an awful racket at night.

[hlthe2b]

12. Single coyotes are a common nuisance (get lots of little dogs/cats

here where I live and work (Denver/Golden, CO) In fact I've seen coyotes (and fox) nail rabbits and squirrels feet from my office window, which is sort of more real life than I'd like sometimes....A mountain lion was spotted not long ago not far from my office, so I'm very careful about walking during daylight hours, with my dog on leash, and with noise makers, pepper spray, and a tazer if I think to bring it)not sure if it would work, but pepper spray has been shown to work on bear). Lots of deer hang out in the area, and occasionally elk come arounbd, so there is definitely a temptation for the bigger carnivors...

But, when they pack, that's a real problem. Particularly because they can readily become rabid. I forget where you live, but if you are on the East Coast, raccoon, bat and fox rabies is a major problem; in the midwest, raccoon, some fox, skunk and bat rabies is at issue; and in the Western States, primarily skunk and bat rabies... But, with these animal reservoirs, coyotes can readily become infected as well. Be careful.

I love wolves, bobcats, mountain lions and all wildlife... but caution is in order...

[kestrel91316]

29. IIRC, they have only documented coyote rabies in TX to date. They

had an outbreak down there a few years ago, I think they did the dropped vaccine bait thing and stopped the epizootic. They had to technically quarantine the state for a while, dogs couldn't be shipped out with paperwork/rabies vacc within a certain date......I forget the exact details. It made the veterinary journals.

[hlthe2b]

38. ;there are sporadic rabies cases in coyotes and other carnivors

from time to time in the Rocky Mountain states... But, yes, the Texas vaccination program was noteworthy, as you definitely had the epizootic of coyote and wild dog rabies extending into Mexico.

[XemaSab]

99. I had a coyote nail a fawn

right outside my office window.

It was unreal.

[HeeBGBz]

16. They must be getting hungry

We have a lot of coyotes here too. They killed all my chickens one year and have also killed my neighbors goats.

[womanofthehills]

17. I hear coyotes yelping all the time

I live in rural NM and we have a lot of coyotes here. When I hear them yelping, I bring my dog out on my deck to bark and scare them away so my cats are safe. My dog is an unneutered male and since I've had him, I haven't lost any cats. I wonder if his marking makes a difference.

[frogmarch]

19. Coyotes like to lure dogs

by sending one or two from their pack to attract farm and ranch dogs and get the dogs to chase them. Then the waiting coyote pack rips the dogs to shreds.

When I lived out in the country in the Black Hills, I was alone much of the time because my husband was on the road with his job. To discourage coyotes and mountain lions (which were a bigger problem than coyotes), summer and winter I wore my husband's big parka when I took my shih tzu and bichon outside in our fenced yard. Neighbors had lost livestock and pets to coyotes and lions, so it was a serious situation. At night I carried a torch. I always banged on a metal trash can lid with a stick to make noise, or (lol) played a book on tape narrated by a man at full blast. (Had a narrow escape from a mtn. lion once. Good thing I was fast on my feet and had a strong heart.)

I'm an animal lover and would never harm any animal except in defense.

[NNN0LHI]

22. I like the Black Hills a lot

My wife and I considered moving there once. I wanted to live in Deadwood but would have happily settled for Lead just up the road a piece where my wife wanted to live.

Then we started thinking about the winters in the Hills and realized there couldn't be a whole heck of a lot to do there for six month stretches. Probably snowed in most the time. People must drink a lot? That is about all there is to do there during winter.

We got 3 feet of snow in early August while we were staying in Deadwood once. I couldn't believe it. I love it there though.

Don

[frogmarch]

40. NNNOLHI

Yes, Deadwood does get a lot of snow, even in late May and early June some years. I lived there, as well as in Central City, which separates Deadwood from Lead. I was never bored in the northern Black Hills during the winter, though I drank only when I was out on the town with my husband on weekends. Well, except for a couple of times on weekday afternoons, with my sister. We liked relaxing at Saloon #10 during our shop arounds. :toast: Skiing is one activity that's fun in the northern hills, I think, and so are sledding and snowshoeing. Ice skating too. In Central City, our house was atop a big hill, and the only way to get to the house was by walking up 127 steps. Shoveling snow off the steps was time-consuming in the winter, and carrying groceries up them was time-consuming year round. People are friendly in the northern hills, so boredom shouldn't be a problem for anyone, even for those who don't like snow activities. But now that the casinos have taken over Deadwood, it's not my idea of a great place to live anymore.

My post above was about my life in the southern Black Hills, near Hot Springs. Milder climate there and lots less snow.

[NNN0LHI]

55. I liked Saloon #10 too.

Maybe too much. :) Yes it is much warmer where you were. But up in the Hills was strange. I think we are going back next summer. I really miss Custer State Park. Nice to wake up with Buffalo outside the cabin. They smell pretty bad but I probably wouldn't win any aroma awards myself. Take care and see you later.

Don

[TX-RAT]

65. I watched in horror as a group chewed up my best Pointer.

They cut him up so bad he had to be put down. He was about 4 to 5 hundred yards in front of me, and all i had was a shotgun.


I hold a grudge, if i see them on my place they get shot.

[GrumpyGreg]

20. Coyotes are here immediately west of Boston in a very thickly

settled suburb.

I've seen them just walk down the middle of the street when we were out on the porch.

Astonishing!

[denidem]

88. I heard that the Eastern Coyote is one and the same as the

"Brush Wolf" that the early New England settlers wrote about...my observation is that they are bigger and have longer legs than the Western Coyote. Same intelligence will work in packs or will team up with another species to hunt when they need to. They are in Forest Hills Cemetery and Jamaica Plain at this point.

[niyad]

27. when I lived in the desert, a coyote pup used to talk to my mal through

the garage door. I would come home at night, and they would be carrying on quite a conversation, or singing.

I was never afraid of it, or of any of the wildlife--I knew we had invaded their territory, and were slowly destroying their habitat, so I understood that they would be around.

[MelissaB]

30. We live on 29 acres and our dog was attacked twice by coyotes.

Our dog is lucky to be alive after the last attack. We now have a fence (on 29 freaking acres).

[Marlie]

33. We live in Illinois

We have a large pond on our property and during the course of one
winter, we lost both our swans, our goose Lucy (who I hatched in
an incubator) who followed me everywhere and about thirty
mallards. It just about broke our hearts. We have three dogs and
am always afraid at night. Luckily Dempsey is about 150 lbs so I
feel like he'll protect the two little ones but hearing about two
German Shepperd's being killed is really scary. Around here some of
the coyotes are very big which I think is due to interbreeding with
large dogs. Don't really know for sure.

We have an aerator at one end of the pond but it does freeze over
other than one small area, thus they walked on the pond and killed
all of them.

[alfredo]

34. Coyotes foul the tobacco crop here in Ky.

They pee and crap all over the bales of tobacco.

[formercia]

71. See, they agree with the Surgeon General

maybe they are trying to tell us something.

[alfredo]

75. You know that when the farmer's dog comes around and smells

the Coyote urine, they will cover it with their own scent. Of course the Coyote will not stand for that and reapply. The next time the farmer's dog comes around, it starts all over again.

Want a pinch between your gum and your lip?

[MuseRider]

37. The coyotes here play with my dogs.

They run the fence line at night and make such a racket! Yes, they get hungry and will eat what they can catch as long as their natural prey is not available.

I find them quite charming to watch with their young. I have even watched them playing games with the deer out back, stunning but true.

At the farm they run through the pastures, often within about 20 feet of me. They are not afraid unless I try to approach them. Of course that may be what happened to one of my cats a couple of weeks ago, that or a bobcat.

[H2O Man]

41. Coyotes .....

I used to raise a lot of fowl. Chickens, geese, turkeys, and ducks. And coyotes began coming out of the hills for a fast-food meal, on a regular basis. I had dogs, mainly Labs and mixed-breed Labs. Coyotes are intelligent, and because Labs like to bite from behind (as mail men and community-based social workers know), coyotes can lead them astray, and then pack-attack. I lost a beautiful dog to coyotes.

My normal brother, who raised German Shepherds, suggested I get a large male. My dog Mugsey, who weighs 120 lbs, has set a boundry that coyotes do not break. What is funny is that deer now live in my pines, and they have no fear of Mugsey, who doesn't bother them. I may be wrong, but I am convinced that the deer know the coyotes aren't coming near Mugsey's territory. There are nights when the coyotes are packing, and howl in the wonderful way they do .... which will raise the hair on the back of my neck, even though I am not consciously concerned about them. But we are programed to be aware of that noise. Mugsey is, too. It's fascinating to hear him talk to the coyotes.

[NNN0LHI]

58. My wife and I both concur

That is one of the most beautiful dogs we have ever seen. Thanks for sharing. Really.

One question though. We are considering going the Shepherd route like you did when we lose the two medium size dogs we have now. I understand the reason for not neutering the male but what do you do to prevent the old fella from mating with the female coyotes who are in heat?

The reason I ask is that we have a lot of coyote / dog hybrids running around here. And after seeing that it seems like it wouldn't be long before you are going to have some 120 pound coyote / dog hybrids running around your place too.

If we get a big male Shepherd I think I would consider getting him a vasectomy rather than castrated so he was only shooting blanks to prevent that from occurring. But he would still keep his aggressiveness.

Any thoughts on that idea? Thank you in advance.

Don

[H2O Man]

63. I had Mugsey fixed.

A 120-lb GS that is not fixed can be aggressive in situations where I would not want him to be. As it is, if people are here, I do not let him loose. If my daughters are playing outside, no one get out of their car until I'm there.

He still is territorial, and no coyote comes around here. Red fox do at night, mainly to try to find cat food. But we are a coyote-free zone.

Years ago, the north-east had coy-dogs. As an old farmer, I saw first-hand what they did to heifers. According to the NYS DEC, there are no longer coy-dogs in our area. They chase cattle into the barbed-wire fences, then rip out the throat and hind-quarters, nothing else. And they were not particularly friendly to people strolling in the woods. They were trapped and hunted out of existence in these parts in the 1980s. They were the result of "wild dogs," more than people's pets, I believe. But the packs of wild dogs, at least in this area, have also been killed off.

I considered wild dogs and coy-dogs to be at much higher risk of going after people. Coyotes don't pack very often. There are some wolves in this area, but they pose no problem at all. They don't come near houses and barns, in my experience.

[NNN0LHI]

67. That would take care of it

Thank you for the info and I may be contacting you in a few years to see if anyone is still breeding any descendent's of his that you may know of. Dang he is beautiful.

Don

[H2O Man]

73. I had never had a

German Shepherd before. I always had Labs, which are great dogs. Both of my brothers had GSs. I have to say that they are smart in very different ways.

I've met a couple people who have relatives of his. They all agree that the breeder has a superior group of GSs. My brother who raised them on the west coast said Mugsey is the best male he has ever seen.

[Greyhound]

84. Please be aware that a large male dog or two is not any

guarantee. I live in the desert with coyotes all around, I have 1 pack that has 2 least 15 members from three generations living just to the south of my property, and have watched them for a long time. Male dogs will dissuade them as long as there's no problem getting food, however, they are really smart and if your gard pack is in their way they will kill them.
One of my neighbors learned this the hard way. When he moved in several of us, in the course of conversations, told him he had to keep his dogs in at night for their safety. He was of the opinion that his dogs could handle themselves. Last summer we were (again) in a long drought and the food was scarce. One night his pitbull just disappeared. Two nights later one of the pack sent in a bitch in season and once his 120lb. rottie was hooked up they came in and killed him too.
They are very smart, be careful and keep your pets inside at night.

[natrat]

97. mugsy is like "i am going to kick your scrawny coyote but clear to...

[formercia]

44. Here in Maine

the Coyotes are bigger wolf/coyote hybrids. I see their tracks all the time when out hunting, usually on the trail of deer. Not much one can do, they are clever and reproduce well.

[insane_cratic_gal]

46. They Roam into NH too

They got my mom's cat this past fall.

[dusty64]

45. Yikes!

I don't have time to register right now, Did Molly survive?

[NNN0LHI]

59. Rick did better than Molly though he is the one getting the rabies shots

Molly is going to make it alright though.

Don

[Thirtieschild]

47. I've worried about our dogs since we moved into coyote territory

Three years ago we retired to rural NM and I worry about our dogs, particularly our 16-pound poodle/bichon who has one leg that is non-functional for running. At night our dogs do their business in a lighted, fenced dog run; we stand at the door and wait for them to finish. Our 65-pound collie/chow/???? is too cautious to be tempted (I think/hope) by coyotes. In fact, we often wonder if his ??? ancestry is in fact coyote. He was born in rural Georgia, was found under a farmhouse porch when he was four months old, and sometimes looks/acts like a coyote - in certain poses he could pass for one of those caricatures of a coyote sitting on his haunches howling at the moon, he's so cautious that when I offer him a treat, say a piece of cooked chicken or roast, he smells it first to make sure it's safe. Nomad Son sees coyote in a lot of his movements.

An earlier post mentioned that pepper spray will even ward off bears. Nomad Son used it on an adolescent male grizzly at a fishing compound in Alaska. The next time the bear saw Nomad Son, he ran from him in sheer terror. Nomad Son was charged by a mother grizzly in Yellowstone when he came upon her cub. He did what he was supposed to do, wet his pants but stood his ground until she veered away. He blames himself for that charge because he wasn't making noise as he walked the trail.

[ProfessorGAC]

48. I See Them Everyday On The Way To Work

They are usually alone, but occasionally i'll see two or three. They don't roam in big packs, but sometimes in small groups.

The Midewin National Prarie Lands is less than 2 miles north of my house. About two weeks ago, i saw one wondering down the sidewalk toward the high school. I called the cops, they called Midewin and they sent a crew in to scout it down and take it back. Pretty nicely handled. Nobody endangered and the coyote wasn't harmed.

One of the vaguaries of living in a more rural setting, i guess.
The Professor

[all.of.me]

50. coyotes roam through my neighborhood on a daily basis

they live way west of me (about 8 miles as the crow flies, or as the coyote wanders...), and they come up this way to the water and pets. i see them strolling down the middle of my road in broad daylight, and i find their scat while i'm out walking.

a couple years ago, my dog rousted one out of the sage at 7 a.m. on our walk. that thing was scared to death of her, even though it was bigger than her.

my neighbor has lost several puppies to coyotes, since the stream runs through his property. he regularly comes by to ask me if i've seen his new dogs. he tells me he lets them out about 11 p.m., then asks where they are when they don't come in. duh....

i've lost one cat so far. the coyotes come right up to the houses. a friend of mine feeds wild animals, and every morning at daybreak, there is a coyote near the feeders. i have not heard of people here being harmed by them, though.

i'm in northern new mexico.

[ErisFiveFingers]

51. Yay NIMBY!

I grew up with coyotes, javelinas, bobcats, and mountain lions. I don't understand why people would introduce a lesser predator, and then *blame* their environment.

[Samurai_Writer]

52. I live in Boulder CO

No one in our neighborhood lets their pets out past sunset, and will not let them out until at least 7-8 am in the morning because of the threat of coyotes and foxes. We have a pack of coyotes roaming this area. I saw one running down the middle of the major street by my house, around 9:30 on a Sunday morning. I've also seen deer, and a bear and her two cubs had gotten into a yard about a mile from me.

I'd let the dog pee on the damn floor before I let her out at night. And the cats are indoor cats, but there are others who let their cats out during the day. I saw a fox chasing one down the street in the middle of the day. I'd never let my cats out here, not for one moment.

[feistydem]

82. I'm inyour neck of the woods, and I hear the coyotes howling nightly, and

sometimes they are killing something because I can hear another animal in pain. It's an awful sound. I like the beasts anyway. They were here first, afterall. And they keep the disease-carrying prairie dog population down (that and speeding SUVs).

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

57. Coyotes have to make a living too.

We have two cats who are condemned to staring out the windows at the birds and squirrels they'd love to massacre due to the coyotes that carry off the occasional cat or small dog in our semi-rural area. They did get one of our cats, which was a heartbreaker, but we didn't hold it against the coyotes. They were doing what coyotes do.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

60. I live 50 miles north of NYC and there are a few coyotes here, but the

ones I have seen have been very shy. There haven't been any reported coyote attacks here.

[wtmusic]

61. Don isn't it the Canada Goose pop explosion in N. Illinois

that supposedly is responsible for all the coyotes? :shrug:

[Lorien]

68. See #66

The information came from a Newsweek article from around 1997.

[NNN0LHI]

69. I think it is more the people shooting the coyotes to be honest with you

Rather than making less of them they are actually culling them and so naturally they are reproducing faster and with great vigor. The ones I see look darn healthy. They used to be scarce here and were alway scraggly looking. Since the efforts began to cut back the numbers (shooting them) they now look good and healthy. Their coats look as good as the coats on my dogs. That is what I think anyway.

Don

[Lorien]

66. For those that say species extinction is unimportant: coyote population

explosions nationwide are due in large part to the loss of timber wolves. Over 100 years ago, the wolf was hunted to near extinction in most of the country, a condition that remained until the late '70's, when biologist's realized that removing the top predator from an ecosystem would slowly cause that ecosystem to become badly unbalanced. Wolves kill coyotes, coyotes kill foxes. In the wolves former territories, there are now only coyotes instead of all three predators, specializing in different ranges of prey. Coyotes populations have increased dramatically in the past 20 years and continue to do so-just another consequence of our utter lack of understanding or responsible stewardship over our fragile environment

And for those that say that humans have taken the wolves place in the environment; the wolf seeks out the old and weak, thus strengthening other species, while humans seek out the healthiest for their trophies. The wolf leaves certain parts of the carcass for other animals to feast on, while the human has it vacuum packed and frozen. It's not the same.

[Mizmoon]

70. This reminds me of Abraham Lincoln

He described his childhood as a pioneer in totally unromantic terms. He talked about the fear of coyotes, wolves, and who-knows-what-else that was out there in the dark while he and his parents huddled around a fire. It wasn't just for warmth that the stayed by that fire.

I often wondered if his insecure childhood as a pioneer made him depressed later in life.

Modern life has its advantages.

[mtnester]

76. Coyotes are like groundhog here in Ohio - LOTS of them

I also believe they are considered a nuisance (for lack of better word) animal like groundhogs here as well...hunting of them is year round, no restrictions, no reporting needed.

The black alpha male of the pack at my parents house is bigger than any German Shepherd, and his pack runs during the day a lot. His paw prints are HUGE and deeply depressed when he gets in soft ground. I firmly believe he could take a full grown human male out easily . . . CERTAINLY if the pack attacked.

No domestic animal is safe from them at this point, along with the usual wild animals. I would NOT leave a small child outside unattended.

They are smart, and scary reminders we are not ALWAYS at the top of the food chain.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

77. My Mom lives in Lake Tahoe...

where there is a huge coyote population that comes right down into the neighborhoods for dinner. I have been up there and been awakened at night by the howling of a pack literally right outside the bedroom window. When the snow is high, Mom has had coyotes walk right into her backyard over her fence.

Up there, you learn very, very quickly to not leave/let your pets out after dark, and keep them in a fenced area during the day. It's that simple. She has lived there for almost 15 years and has never lost a pet even though she is in a high coyote area.

Our family has always taken the position that we are living with these wild animals, in their homes, and we take that into consideration and adapt accordingly. We completely understand that, when you live/play in the wild, you take your chances -- and we're just fine with that, and will never blame the animal for only doing what it's meant to do.

[Blue_Tires]

80. this was commonplace when i lived in RI

[in_cog_ni_to]

81. I didn't know you lived in Grant Park. Howdy neighbor.

:hi: I freaked when I read that article the other day. Yikes. Coyotes. :scared: The ONLY wild animals I've ever see here are deer, rabbits and squirrels....never a coyote. :scared: Maybe you should invest in a paint ball gun?! OR an air soft gun? They hit hard, but won't kill the coyote. They may even learn that YOUR property HURTS. :)

IF you're interested in a paint ball gun, my son has one he may consider selling for a good price....WITH PAINT BALLS. Just PM me if you're interested and I'll talk to him after school. :hi:

[NNN0LHI]

86. You should see when the farmer combines the last few acres behind me

Show time at Dons! My wife and I get our binoculars and lawn chairs and watch the show. Everything comes running out of there. Lot of turkeys too. You would be surprised. Start looking for them out in the fields. You will spot some.

I don't think I could shoot any of these coyotes even with a paint ball or pellet gun. They are just out trying to survive like we are.

Don

[in_cog_ni_to]

89. I see Turkeys on Rte 102 near the State Park.

The fields are just full of them.

:) Showtime at Don's sounds like fun. Poor little things have to find new homes when the crop fields are gone. I can only imagine all the critters living in there.

[blindpig]

90. Out of balance.

The explosion in coyote population is a result of our extermination of the wolves. Wolves will not tolerate coyotes in their range, thus coyotes were limited to desert, semidesert and other marginal habitats. Such is no doubt where they evolved, their smaller body size an adaptation to their more frugal larder. With no wolves the coyotes seized the opportunity and expanded east, no doubt aided by the decline of small farms and the resultant partial reforestation.

The ones around here are very stealthy, not often seen or heard.

I have a question for anyone intimate with coyote behavior. I raise box turles behind a 4' chainlink and something is kicking my ass. I've had a number of adult animals disappear only to find their shell laying upside down, plastron intact but shell empty, 20-30yds behind the pen. Nests have also been plundered and around that time I spotted a racoon on the fence. I've blamed this all on the coons but how they moved the turtles(these are the biggest of box turtles, 8" straight length) always escaped me. Think coyotes could pull off that stunt?

[troubleinwinter]

91. I am in northern Calif.

I needed to find a home for our donkey to make room for a new horse. An older man answered the ad, and said he wanted the donkey for his sheep herd. I asked what he meant, and he told me that a donkey is a herd animal and bonds closely with a sheep heard and will chase off coyotes. I'd never heard that before, though donkeys can be mighty aggressive and fast with a kick of their hooves.

Ol' donkey went to keep a nice lonesome horse company instead! Didn't want him fighting with coyotes.

[Cleita]

92. We have them here too. We bring our pets in before sundown

Kitties have a sand box and the dogs a coyote proof fenced dog run if they need to go out at night. We also have cougars and bobcats, so pets need to be protected, but in spite of our precautions we have lost two cats, who managed to get out at night.