question about coyotes

landdweller · #1 04/09/11, 08:38 PM

We were walking our land yesterday and saw alot of coyote scat. Does anyone know if theres anything I can put down or spray to deter them from getting close to camper. I have not seen them but it was daytime when we were there. Also do you think while we are there they would mess with our big dogs ( each 160 plus pounds?)

Wisconsin Ann · #2 04/09/11, 08:55 PM

I've never heard of anything that will deter a pack of coyote other than a larger predator. Perhaps wolf or bear urine? (can't say that's a particularly attractive thought, tho)

I've heard tales about coyote taking down large dogs, and in a pack of course, they can take down some rather large animals...but that's mainly by running them to death. Hopefully someone here will have the answer for you on that one. Around here, when a pack is heard, the local farmers send out the word to the hunters and the pack is gone within a day or two.

eta: hmmm...now that I think of it, they shy away from lights like from a motion detector. Perhaps that is something to look into. There are solar powered motion detectors out there if you don't have a place to plug one into.

fishhead · #3 04/09/11, 09:00 PM

I doubt they would risk attacking your dogs. Too much risk for too little gain.

lamoncha lover · #4 04/09/11, 09:02 PM

We have had tons of coyote sign at our place. They have never bothered a thing. Think they are pretty shy,

tinknal · #5 04/09/11, 09:03 PM

I wouldn't worry about them. It sounds like your dogs are big enough to handle themselves. As long as you don't have any yummy critters around they won't bother you.

RonM · #6 04/09/11, 09:16 PM

The only real cure is to put a piece of lead in their ear...

Ravenlost · #7 04/09/11, 09:19 PM

Unless they are starving they'll leave your dogs alone. And, if they are starving, they'd have little chance against big healthy dogs!

Several years ago I had two coyotes come up to my back door and attack our puppy. They ran off as soon as I turned the light on and threw the door open. Puppy started sleeping in a pen after that!

Callieslamb · #8 04/09/11, 09:45 PM

We had a neighbor lose their dog to a pack of coyotes. They lure them out as if they are a single coyote and then the pack jumps on them. Their dog wasn't nearly 160 lbs though. Anyone else had this happen or is it a once-in-a lifetime thing? I'd love to have a dog to tell me when the coyotes are about. I was walking down to the barn to shut the chickens in one night a greeted 5 coytoes beside my barn. Scared the pants off of all of us.

MO_cows · #9 04/09/11, 09:53 PM

Coyotes are very adaptable and behavior will be different from one place to the next. Sounds like if you hadn't seen the scat, you wouldn't even know you have coyotes around, so hopefully they are fulfilling their natural niche and won't cause you any trouble. But if they do, don't be shy about hunting them. They are not the least bit endangered, their range has actually expanded in modern times, and a population that has learned bad habits can be devastating to your stock and pets.

am1too · #10 04/09/11, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by landdweller

We were walking our land yesterday and saw alot of coyote scat. Does anyone know if theres anything I can put down or spray to deter them from getting close to camper. I have not seen them but it was daytime when we were there. Also do you think while we are there they would mess with our big dogs ( each 160 plus pounds?)

All members of the dog family are natural cowards unless trained or backed into a corner. For a coyote or wolf to be around in the day they would have to be very hungry. Things that excite a dog are movement. They'll chase anything that will run and rarely attack anything that will fight back. Eyeball to eyeball really scares a dog. I've faced down many dogs that way.

am1too · #11 04/09/11, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

I've never heard of anything that will deter a pack of coyote other than a larger predator. Perhaps wolf or bear urine? (can't say that's a particularly attractive thought, tho)

I've heard tales about coyote taking down large dogs, and in a pack of course, they can take down some rather large animals...but that's mainly by running them to death. Hopefully someone here will have the answer for you on that one. Around here, when a pack is heard, the local farmers send out the word to the hunters and the pack is gone within a day or two.

eta: hmmm...now that I think of it, they shy away from lights like from a motion detector. Perhaps that is something to look into. There are solar powered motion detectors out there if you don't have a place to plug one into.

There is a product called red eye. I saw one that was solar powered and sealed. It acts like an eye. My dogs eyes reflect green when facing a flashlight. Evidently the eye gives out a natural red. Energy is usually red.

arcticow · #12 04/09/11, 10:33 PM

I favor putting out Claymores for them myself....

Old Vet · #13 04/10/11, 12:00 AM

Where I live we have lots of coyotes and some of them can kill a dog when they become starved or the dog gets too friendly with them. I have 7 dogs everything from a mini pen to a great Pyrenees and a couple of hounds beagle mix and when the coyotes are around they stay close to the house and stay in a pack when they are not around they hunt singularly.

Ed Norman · #14 04/10/11, 12:00 AM

Set some coyote traps like a rookie. They won't come near the place.

silverbackMP · #15 04/10/11, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

We had a neighbor lose their dog to a pack of coyotes. They lure them out as if they are a single coyote and then the pack jumps on them. Their dog wasn't nearly 160 lbs though. Anyone else had this happen or is it a once-in-a lifetime thing? I'd love to have a dog to tell me when the coyotes are about. I was walking down to the barn to shut the chickens in one night a greeted 5 coytoes beside my barn. Scared the pants off of all of us.

I think I've told this story on here before. Had nearly the same thing happen to me in Manhattan, KS. Was joggin on a trail (still in city limits) with my boston terrier and one coyote ran out of the tree line just enough for my boston to see him. It then took back off into the trees with my boston in hot pursuit (with me yelling at the boston to stop but I might as well have been talking to myself).

My boston didn't see the other three coyotes that was chasing him. I ran after them and by the time I caught up they had him surrounded. I kicked one coyote in the chest and they all ran off. This sounds like B.S. but it is not. I didn't know that they could get that brazen.

Where I'm from, if a you see one in the daylight, and if the vehicle your are in even remotely slows down, coyotes hightell it out of the area--they know 220 swift, 243, or 270 bullets will start flying momentarily.

ErinP · #16 04/10/11, 09:06 AM

You say "Dogs" so that indicates you have a pack of your own. Or at least a pair.

We've lived in VERY rural areas for 20 years in five states. But, at the same time, that means very little human pressure.

We've lost a cat to coyotes, but otherwise, our dogs kept them away. We've always had our own "pack" though. But our pack is usually relatively small dogs. Border collies, bassets... (weiner dogs...

)

So I guess like most in this thread, I'm going to agree that your dogs will probably establish their own territory and the coyotes won't cross it.

landdweller · #17 04/10/11, 09:25 AM

i think my dogs will be okay because if one of them is in trouble or bark like they are hurt the other 2 come running to assist. Our neighbor has 2 pits and even though we have a privacy fence their dogs always try to charge at the fence if my dogs are outside. My dogs will not back down when threatened. Which I think is a good quality. I just cant wait to get out of the city only a few more montha. lol

julieq · #18 04/10/11, 09:27 AM

We have a large population of coyotes here in southern Idaho. We have our GS kenneled at night between the goat pen, chicken coop and horse pen. She's a barker and the coyote packs never come close. The neighbors dogs have taken out our chicken flock prior to the addition of hot wire in front of their pen though. I agree with the other members, that coyotes are shy and normally no trouble.

fishhead · #19 04/10/11, 12:59 PM

Last winter there was a story in the paper about a sheep herder who lost 3 lgd's in 2 days in the same spot on a highway. The sheep owner said those were the most far ranging and aggressive lgd's they had.

They coyotes were baiting them to chase them. One pack would lead the dogs one way while another attacked the herd from the other direction. Then it would switch to the other pack.

Wolf mom · #20 04/10/11, 01:30 PM

Keep your dogs in a pack. FENCE & double fence. Leave the coyotes alone. Sounds like you may have fallen into the "all coyotes are bad" mindset.

Coyotes eat rodents, rabbits - things you don't want around your homestead. There's a balance in nature - respect it.

I have coyotes around here. See one slinking by every once in a while; see them running my fence line teasing my dogs; hear them most nights. Really neat to hear them & know where they are in their territorial rounds. Never lost a dog or chicken cause I fence & double fence in certain areas.