It's Official: Coyotes

Ok well the news today announced that the farm five miles south of me lost two sheep to either feral dogs or coyotes yesterday. :cursing:

So I will go and introduce myself to the farmer, and offer my free help with the problem. I would like to try to take them with my .40 caliber flinter "Patience", as I was able to get some conicals for that caliber, if not patched round ball. On the other hand I wouldn't mind using my scoped SKS or my Israeli Mauser.., (oops, returning to the forum)

So we shall see...,

LD

If the carcasses are still there, set up crosswind in the best cover and wait in the evening. Reason for crosswind is that they're going to circle downwind for an approach if they're suspicious. Reason for evening is they'll hole up for the day and approach at dark. Trying to get there in the morning, they're likely already on the kill or fed and left.

BTW- If the "coyote" turns out to be a lab, collie, pitbull or cocker spaniel, be proud to pop it and give the tags to the owner of the sheep. He can likely collect for his loss while also landing a good fine on the head of the dog owner. State laws are different, but I once came on a pair of shepherds that were killing sheep. The tags got the sheep owner reimbursement for 21 sheep at market rates, while the dog owner paid a fine in addition to mutton costs.

Coyotes will often tear open the stomach and eat the internal organs while farm dogs just kill the animal and bite the limbs, etc but don't eat the insides. You can use a rabbit in distress call and set up where a rabbit is and call a yote. If you can hunt at night (legally) and use a red light- that would be ideal. I don't think you can call a farm dog.

bear is smart listen

Coyotes are a problem when they become to numerous.
Without pinacle predators competeing with them they become the local pinacle predator. Which can become a serious problem in a few short years as they are small enough to make a meal of rodents, but big enough to kill some livestock and house pets.

The other big problem is that you can call them fairly easy at the beginning (I've had them about run into my lap) but they become very difficult to call if they have been spooked. Trapping might be the only way to thin them out.

Until they get trap shy from a trap that didn't do it's job proper like.
By then they may move on on their own.To much danger to stay around.

We had a situation here in Denver a few years back; house cats kept turning up decapitated, mauled, etc. More than a couple but I don't remember exactly how many.
This went on for a couple of months before they determined it was coyotes. People thought it was occultists or something.
I used to work downtown at night, and would see them running around down there, and a few months ago I was walking a popular jogging/bike path and had 3 or 4 following me and circling. Very disconcerting.

any thing you do that doesn't work,, they remember!!!The coyote is by far the smartest,quickest to learn, animal out there..
For the most part dogs kill just for the thrill of the chase,coyotes kill to eat,so if their just killed,,figure dogs,if they have been fed on coyotes.
They will stay till there is nothing else to eat,,and I mean nothing,insects,mice,cats to your dog.
My brother raises horses in NY, he had a pack chasing his colts.

They have wiped out our deer herd here. I found these in a deer yard last winter. I have killed coyotes as big as 70 lbs. here.

Look carefully,coyotes will start with the hind quarters and go from there. also take note of there are two different deer in this picture!!!! why would a coyote go to all the extra effort to kill two when they only eat the hind quarter of each one!!!!!then only one half!!!! Cause that is their way of doing it,no reason just because.
The coyotes we have here in Maine are Eastern Coyotes,cross between the Canada Wolf and Western Coyotes,this is from Craig McGlophlin (sp) the retired Maine State Biologist that was in charge of the Coyote/Wolf study for the state.This cross/inner breeding was proven at the University of Maine at Orono through DNA.That accounts for their larger size..
Once they move in and establish a foot hold you will have a time getting them gone.

Good eyes spirit, They were 50 yds apart. I did scavenge a backstrap. Why should the ravens get it all. :wink:

AHA!

Well I went to talk to the farmer, and got a look at the carcasses..., plus they had to put-down a third sheep due to injuries.

First I checked the tracks and found only two different sets, canine type, and then when I looked at the carcasses..., they hadn't been fed on at all. So now we are talking about loose dogs, perhaps well fed, or if abandoned, then they are getting a good supply of food as they didn't eat the sheep at all.

So the reports of coyotes was all wrong..., gee go figure..., wasn't coyotes at all. The lady on the farm told me she saw a pair of loose huskies cross the property a couple of months ago... I wonder if these are the culprits?

Now my coworker lives about 3 miles East, and I called her, and she has been hearing what she thinks is coyotes baying at the moon late at night, at around 02:00 hours. Maybe it's just dogs?

She mentioned to DNR the possibility of coyotes and was given a song and dance about having a trapping license, etc, when they are in season in Maryland, and one doesn't need a license to hunt on your own property.

Plus as she and I are both cops, "aggressive" wild animals, or "aggressive" domesticated dogs, can be put down by an officer at any time. I think going for the livestock classifies as aggressive.

LD

if they don't have colars to identify them then take thier carcases to a vet and see if they have RFID chips so as to be able to track the owner down

L/D don't know about the vocalization down South,but up around here Coyotes have a rapid Barking Yap sound to their "singing" high pitched.Can't say I have ever heard one "howl"
You can tell if they are originally from the South or travelers,the Southern Coyote will sound like,Bark, bark, yap, yap, Yall and slower than up North. :rotf: :rotf: :haha:
Sheep fur is more a fiber than "true"hair so it gets stuck in the attack animals teeth,the lanolin in the fur helps to keep it stuck,doesn't get "washed"out with salava,one place to look!! If your farmer has a trail camera now is the time to put it up and see what is moving around.
I'd be looking for dogs,before coyotes.

i wouldnt rule out the possibility that it still might be a coyote we have em bad here on the eastern shore maryland dave try puttin out some canine xciter on some cloth and hangin it a foot off the ground either dog or coyote wouldnt be able to resist it :thumbsup: .....

Hey Dave, I thought here in Maryland coyotes were on a shoot on sight, 12 months a year. Haven't looked at the regs lately so I could be wrong.
The last time you were talking about this a month or so ago, you hadn't been seeing deer where you hunt. Still the same?
Anyway if it is dogs it could be a different can of worms and you're in a better position to handle than the ordinary citizen. Take care

It is too bad that Maine stopped the snare program. That was one thing that put a serious dent in the coyote population. Trapping is the best way to deal with that issue.

One of the more successful methods in the New England area for coyote hunting is to use a bait pile. Often you set one up with a trail camera to see when is the best time to set up.

Actually the deer numbers this year are "down" all up and down the Eastern seaboard. I have noticed the feeding habits until this week were an hour before dawn, and just before sunset on into darkness, and this was before hunting seasons opened..., so I think they simply are there, when we are not. There are no canine tracks on the farm where I hunt..., doesn't mean the deer are thinned out as they move to other parts of the county.

I got a 7 point yesterday by changing up my tactics based on what I observed. :grin:

Still have to help out the farmers though. A "hobby farm" is a business operation none the less, and the loss of three show sheep, one which was a pregnant ewe, is a pretty heavy blow for such folks. I love dogs, and support dog rescues in this county and in a couple of others, so I have no animosity for strays, and often a good "mutt" is the best dog one ever owns..., but loose dogs that destroy livestock... :cursing:

LD

Loyalist Dave said:

I love dogs, and support dog rescues in this county and in a couple of others, so I have no animosity for strays, and often a good "mutt" is the best dog one ever owns..., but loose dogs that destroy livestock... :cursing:

LD

Click to expand...

Same boat for me.

Best shot I ever made with a muzzleloader was a labrador chasing a deer. He was a little over 100 yards out and going flat out. More like he ran under the 54 cal ball, but it sure rolled him. And yeah, he was wearing a collar and tags.

The Three Esses applied in that case:

Shoot.
Shovel.
Shut up.

Looks like we have the beginning of a Wolf problem here. Been at least two killed about 60 miles south of me. The Coyotes stay on the back side now and don't come in but once a week or so. I have seen what looked like a Wolf 3 times now. Each time alone and got a real good look with a pair of 10 power bow hunting binoculars at about 100 yds. I have seen a lot of the bigger Coyotes in Colorado and one Wolf Bow hunting Elk there. So have a good feel for the size difference. A friend had a neighbor get a good trail camera photo of a Wolf a few days ago. He lives about 6 or 7 miles away. I fill out a game seen sheet for the DNR every hunting season. Guess I will mention the Wolf they surely turned loose. Larry Wv