My wife is divorcing me over coyotes

[Laminarman]

This is related to a previous post I made "Dancing with Coyotes". Made my wife and kids move to a new home we built in a much more rural area (I love the land, love to hunt). The kids are 2 and 4, two dogs, and my wife is city "folk" but loves the new house. Long story short: we have been hearing coyotes howling in the evenings, one to two, and it's un-nerving when it's a couple hundred yards behind the house. Tonight we're having a small campfire about 9pm, it's dark, the dogs by our sides, and we hear our dogs get up and start running towards the woods, barking. I call them back, and that goes on two or three times, no big deal, but they're getting pretty worked up over something. It's a calm, 65 degree night, no wind, clear sky, Chardonnay tastes good, life is good. Deer. Racoon. Skunk back there? It is PITCH black out there, no lights, flashlight lost somewhere in the grass at me feet or under the seat. Suddenly, my dogs go ballistic, really ballistic. Then it happens....we hear a howl, another in quick succession, then a rampant pack of howling, then a crescendo coming down the hill towards us at fast speed, and I estimate the pack at 10 coyotes minimum as it's LOUD and frenetic. The pack and our dogs are going at it loudly, and my dogs run towards the woods. I jump up, and tell my wife to get the kids and dogs in the house (my older Lab is unable to protect herself and getting feeble). The house is 50 yards away, which is close, unless you're trying to get a wife, two kids and two labs in it quickly- especially when Labs are not known for their intelligence. The sound is now about 50-75 yards away, getting louder, and I can hear them breaking through the brush and coming towards the opening in our little field behind our house, right near us. It is now too close for comfort for even me as they're heading right at us and my kids are screaming over something making noise and they have no idea at all what's going on. I'm not so much afraid for me as the kids having a horrifying experience. I run towards the pack screaming which I'm sure I'll see any moment, frantically trying to get my dogs back. Contrary to what I think will happen, my dogs come back, hackles on end, and I head for the house at a dead pace, my wife is almost there. The coyotes do not detour, but skirt the brush and woods right along our house, only 50 FEET from the kids treehouse and garage and then I hear them turn back up towards where we were. God they move fast.

I get them inside and head out with a light and shotgun, but they're gone. My wife at this point is not happy at all, terrified, and the dogs have been barking all evening in the basement. How do I put this all in perspective? I find it exciting, but don't want them around due to the kids and dogs. I plan on hunting them, legal or not, starting this week, with 3.5 inch loads of 4 shot with a 12 guage shotgun with a red light at dark. They've only been getting worse and my wife is very, very upset and now the kids won't sleep alone. Please spare me the "you're in their country now, they were there first" crap. I buy that for grizzlies and wolves. We do have neighbors with a lot of kids around (closest neighbor 600 feet away). Some dogs have been killed, one cat. I see a lot of scat. Everybody up here agrees there are too many, and now I experienced it. The land is devoid of game save deer. I got a guy to come trap, but he has to wait until the legal trapping season this fall/winter. I can't wait for that. See my other post "Dances with Coyotes".

 

[RickS]

My only suggestion would be a Great Pyrenees or similar guard dog. They will adopt your family as their "flock" and defend it with ferocity if need be. They are gentle with children and like to lounge around. Somewhat low on the energy intensity scale. Think opposite of a lab who will fetch a ball over and over.

Aside from that, stop picnicing outside at night. Must have been a scary scene.

 

[jheady]

Since you said you like to hunt, here are some tips that may help.

You can hunt from the ground or from a stand. Depending on the terrain and your stand/hunting height it can be more productive over the ground. Either way you need to remember you are hunting a predator and they are usually travel in numbers. Once you get a shot you will need to move to another location as they will "mark" that spot. I wouldn't advise hunting at night unless you absolutely need to, that would also get you in trouble with the law for sure. Plus they would really have the edge on you and very likely not see any before they have spotted you. They do move in the daylight and are very stealthy creatures. You need to learn more about their habits and travel paths in your area, but I would start checking out the scat area and following some tracks. Try early mornings and late afternoon/evening for starters.
Use full camo even if you are using a blind or stand, and limited movement as well. Pretend you are turkey hunting with an active bird in sight and you should see some results. The shotgun is a good choice for firearms, unless you have some open area that gives you distance shots. It is hard to beat throwing a lot of lead at one time like a 12ga and you don't have to be dead on for the kill. A good .22 in the head also puts them down too if you catch them in the open.
Get a good rabbit/distress call. That will help lure them into your trap or at least pull them in closer to investigate. Some meat scrap piles will also draw them in too, as well as the possums and coons. You may want to check with your local butcher or meat counter to see what they may give you or ask what they do with their trimmings.

That is all I can think of at the moment. Hope it helps. Good luck.

 

[scesnick]

I have had the same problem. Just not to thaqt extreme. What I did was get a whole bunch of old meat and threw out in my field . I then got a coyote call and they came in and thought I was calling them for dinner. Me and my buddy were on the other side of the field with a spot light and a 300 Win Mag. We got 4 of them over the course of about 3 hours. They just could not resist coming out in the field for the meat.
This is completley legal in my state. there is no huniting season at all on coyotes. I would almost bet NY is the same way.

If that does not work I would also go with RickS suggestion of a Great Pyrenees or even a dog called an Anatolian Sheppard. The will guard your family to the death.

 

[bugstruck]

I can't say I have any experience with coyotes but my friends out west have a healty respect for their smaller version coyotes as relates to domestic dogs. They will attack dogs when in pack mode as we know. I've only seen one in northern Md. and it was noticably larger than the ones out west, or at least it so seemed. The problem is less when you are with the family IMO. Animals know the alpha of our species even if we don't. So they are generally less prone to try something if they see a male IMO. They may have split away because you were there. Now I wouldn't be to certain of that, but it could very well be. The potential problem is primarily with the young children and dogs. But I think it's managable once the hysteria bleeds off. Hunting them to lower #'s should help. But changing your habits is the best solution IMO. You won't get rid of them. Properly constructed fences work wonders although I know that's not why you moved there. I think this link may be of some use.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Wildlife_profiles/profile_eastern_coyote.htm
Copy and paste the link into your browser and underscore the spaces between the words. It's not working and I can't seem to modify it or mute the hypertext attribute??

Educate yourself and your wife and get with the animal control people to gain more information. They will seem much less menacing once you understand them better and adapt. I sure wouldn't vacate a property for some coyotes. But the wife thing, that's a tough one. I have a city girl of my own.

 

[MotorSeven]

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/guide/coyoteh.html#endnav2006/2007 Coyote Hunting Seasons

More information from this division:
Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
Bureau of Wildlife
You are no longer required to pelt seal a coyote. If you take a coyote you must report the take within 48 hours via the DECALS reporting system at 1-866-GAMERPT (1-866-426-3778)

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Now go get 'em!

 

[MotorSeven]

Wow, that took up alotta space! soury!

Anyway, if it were me, i would invest in a night scope and put it on a rifle(something larger than a .22 rimfire). It won't be cheap, but you will be able to thin 'em out at night simply becaue they are nocturnal. And you will be able to reach out and touch 'em! I think you will find that once hunted aggresivly, they will move on to better huntin grounds...the ultimate goal.
RD

 

[RonMar]

I grew up in central Oregon and packs of coyotes were common. We also have packs around our home here in Wa. Here are some things I learned growing up there:

1. A pack of coyotes eats a LOT of food. When neighborhood cats and dogs start dissappearing, they have exhausted their normal food supply and are feeding on prey of opportunity. It is time to go hunting.

2. It is likley that some of those dogs that have "dissappeared" are not dead. If they were predominantly outside dogs and lacked a strong human bond(and allowed to run free), they may have joined the pack for companionship. Unfortunatly this influence that dosn't fear man may lead the pack to do things a native pack would not do such as close approaches to homes and pets and children. When I was 8 years old we lost our Collie to our neighbors 2 black labs that were allowed to run free and joined up with a pack of coyotes. That hit and run you described would be a good way to lure a dog away into the bush and gang up on it. It was good that your dogs were trained well enough to come when called.

I make it a habit of knowing my neighbors and their pets. If I see a dog running free and I can't call it to me to detain it or ID it as one of my neighbors, I will shoot it! If it is a neighbor's dog and it won't come to me, I go call the neighbor to retrieve it. If they are unsuccessfull or unwilling, I shoot it! Don't get me wrong, I love dogs and have owned a dog for as long as I can remember(As I type this there is a yellow lab named Sadie laying on my foot). I would not lightly deprive someone of their dog but A domestic dog gone wild is a danger.

3. Coyotes are typically pretty shy. The only reason you will usually see a coyote in the daylight is if it is hungry or has picked up some habits from domestic dogs. If you start seeing Coyotes in the daytime, it is time to go hunting.

4. If coyotes are routinely surprised, they will remain wary and eventually move elsewhere. You could identify and "mine" the trails and runways in the brush around your property. Nothing lethal that might hurt your children, dogs or your neighbors pets, just something unexpected. Tripwires to noisemakers, string snares tied to tin cans, fishing line tied between bushes, Caltrops(animal equivelent of a spike strip, multi pointed objects spread in fields to break up calvary charges). Routing gunfire around your property, particularly in the evening and when you hear the packs close by might also help to disuade them from approaching further.

Next time you set out by the fire, take the shotgun and the spotlight. As mentioned, they are quick, you will rarely get one chance let alone a second. My personal preference is a pistol and a flashlight. Unless the light is attached to the shotgun it is harder to illuminate and shoot singlehanded with the shotgun. My other preference for low light shooting is a red dot sight such as a Pro-Point or Aimpoint. You can use these with both eyes open without actually seeing the target thru the sight tube. You just need to be able to superimpose the dot over the target in any fashion and that is where the shot is going to go. A laser sight might also make target aquisition quicker in low light, but I don't have much experience with these to comment. As for your choice of ammo, unless you are close enough to hit one before the shot expands much(30'-40'), you are most likley only going to wound it with #4. You either want to hit it with a single larger calibre projectile or use larger shot.. I would reccomend 00 Buck(.22 calibre pellets).

A gated fence around the immediate yard might ease your wife's fears a bit particularly where the children are concerned.

Welcome to the jungle...

 

[JJT]

Where are you in upstate NY? I'm 45 miles north-west of Albany. Some years are worse than others for coyotes, with no snow this winter, I imagine they will be thick this year. We hear them frequently but have seen nothing up close. If I were in your shoes I'd start a campaign of elimination. Personally I have no problems with baiting and night hunting, these are nuisance animals. A few nights with a few friends and you should be able to thin them out. Upgrade the shot to 00.

 

[Laminarman]

I'm in the Binghamton area. This was a scary event, and more bothersome now that I've slept on it for a night. I know their trails pretty well. I'm going to Gander Mountain to look for supplies. I have a friend who lives nearby who is willing to help my "campaign of elimination". Thanks for all the help.