Coyote and Groundhog

[Quebecguy]

Where I live we might hear coyotes at night two or three times a year but it can be a year or two between actual sightings so when I saw this one sitting on the edge of my field for ten minutes waiting until it spied a groundhog, then sprinting towards the groundhog and killing it with a couple of flicks of the neck I was impressed. Even though it had a lame hind leg it could still move pretty quickly.

 

[Billrog]

Good spotting .

 

[k0ua]

I can see the gait even in a still photo, doesn't look quite rite on the 'yote, but overall he looks to be in pretty good shape. That nice groundhog will make him feel better for sure. I have never seen one get a groundhog before, but hey they are just a nice tasty rodent that eats veggies so go for it.

 

[oosik]

Very likely - this time of year - the ground hog will be feeding a batch of pups. I hear coyotes every morning - at dusk - all night long. There are, at least, half a dozen very vocal groups within half a mile of me here. "Last call before bed" - the dog and I go outside for relief. Its dead quiet - within half a minute there will be at least two groups announcing that we are outside.

They are not the least bit shy about letting us know they are there - they poop where the driveway leads out of the yard and on the other side of the yard right at the edge of where the yard lights arc goes dark.

I've often wondered - if I turned the yard light off - would they come into the yard and eat some of the pocket gophers who are intent on turning my yard into a war zone.

 

[nybirdman]

Coyotes are tough;I wounded one during deer season about 20 years ago;I think I saw it two years later getting by on three legs;front left was gone.They will eat about anything.

 

[CowboyRon]

Coyotes are tough;I wounded one during deer season about 20 years ago;I think I saw it two years later getting by on three legs;front left was gone.They will eat about anything.

If there ever is a nuclear war that leads to world destruction, I firmly believe that the coyotes will survive.

 

[cqaigy2]

Very likely - this time of year - the ground hog will be feeding a batch of pups. I hear coyotes every morning - at dusk - all night long. There are, at least, half a dozen very vocal groups within half a mile of me here. "Last call before bed" - the dog and I go outside for relief. Its dead quiet - within half a minute there will be at least two groups announcing that we are outside.

They are not the least bit shy about letting us know they are there - they poop where the driveway leads out of the yard and on the other side of the yard right at the edge of where the yard lights arc goes dark.

I've often wondered - if I turned the yard light off - would they come into the yard and eat some of the pocket gophers who are intent on turning my yard into a war zone.

That is pretty nice when human noises are dampening down and the coyotes start talking.

 

[prichard]

I'm trying to figure them out. Here they seem migratory. Seems like spring and fall we heard a lot at our last place. Made me think they headed to they mountains in summer. Any one aware of any migration patterns? Or maybe it's just people are more active in summer so they move to less populated areas then? I suppose they'd only need to move a couple miles to not be heard.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

When we moved in this house over 40 years ago, it was a lot more rural here, but game was scarce...lots of squirrels, though and a few rabbits. Then, the coyotes hung out about a quarter mile or less to the West of us, where there was a good sized lake. We could hear them howling every night for years. As the area became more developed, not only do we have turkeys everywhere, but this afternoon a pair of Canadian geese and a pair of Mallard ducks were in my front yard, and oh, yeah, the deer are everywhere. And amazingly enough, we haven't seen or heard a coyote here for probably 20 years or more. Can't figure it out. We do see a fox now and then, and I think I saw a cougar about a month ago, down by the creek, but no coyotes.

 

[dodge man]

I think but am not sure they don’t migrate. I think they tend to wander in a random manner. They might hang out in the same area their entire life or end up mikes away but I do bet they tend to follow their food source.

 

[oosik]

2Lane - its simply getting too crowded for the coyotes. Given the choice - they have moved to more remote digs - ??? However it is strange - look at all the coyotes in down town La.

Out here in MY puckerweed area - I've been here since '82 and in all that time( 46 years ) there has been only one new family move into our area.

We got turkey about 15 years ago - from a transplant by one of the government programs. They have flourished(complete understatement) and now have become a true pest. Particularly if you are raising and feeding any type of farm animal on your property. The turkeys are more than pleased to share anything you feed your livestock. And on a somewhat smaller scale - they will do to your yard exactly what the wild hogs are doing to property in Texas.

 

[drizler]

2Lane - its simply getting too crowded for the coyotes. Given the choice - they have moved to more remote digs - ??? However it is strange - look at all the coyotes in down town La.

Out here in MY puckerweed area - I've been here since '82 and in all that time( 46 years ) there has been only one new family move into our area.

We got turkey about 15 years ago - from a transplant by one of the government programs. They have flourished(complete understatement) and now have become a true pest. Particularly if you are raising and feeding any type of farm animal on your property. The turkeys are more than pleased to share anything you feed your livestock. And on a somewhat smaller scale - they will do to your yard exactly what the wild hogs are doing to property in Texas.

It痴 never too crowded for coyotes! Back when I was a prison guard in the 80s I used to watch those things head into the suburban back yards at night without a thought. That was right on the edge of suburbia and that tower afforded a peffect view at night. Those things adapt no matter what.
I致e never seen any evidence that they migrate either. The ones around my place never seem to go away for long.

 

[DieselnHooters]

I think I saw a cougar about a month ago, down by the creek, but no coyotes.

I think coyotes wont stick around an area where there are cougars or wolves

 

[CowboyRon]

I think coyotes wont stick around an area where there are cougars or wolves

Yes, we have had a few black panther sightings on our property.
They are also more likely to be shot in the county than in the suburbs.

 

[CowboyRon]

Yes, we have had a few black panther sightings on our property.
They are also more likely to be shot in the county than in the suburbs.

Sorry, I meant country not county.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I think coyotes wont stick around an area where there are cougars or wolves

Makes sense. There obviously aren't many cougars here...maybe a stray now and then...so I doubt that's the reason. It is true, that there is prey everywhere for them, not only in suburbia but in the country also. I see them occasionally in a wheat field, and a carcass along the highway, so they are here. Just as well. Don't need them hanging around in my yard...but the deer are the ones that are the real pests. They eat our flowers, nibble on the shrubs and a couple years completely destroyed my bed of Purple Hull peas. This Fall a young buck ruined a couple of Cherry tree saplings.

The turkeys keep the bugs down and clean up around the bird feeder and fertilize my deck and driveway. I am keeping a watch on the geese; don't care for those nasty things to hang around in any numbers. The Mallards; well that's another matter. I haven't seen a Mallard drake tail stuck in a picture frame for 50 years!

 

[oosik]

The deer.........around here they have a nasty habit of "tasting" everything you plant. The wife bought some shrubs that supposedly repelled deer - - they simply loved the shrubs and ate them right down to the ground. Wifey would get so upset - deer would nip off and taste the biggest nicest leaf on every plant - then promptly spit it out.

I really don't see the coyotes bothering the deer too much. Perhaps in the spring when they have fawns. Otherwise - the deer and coyotes are usually on totally different paths.

 

[dannoGT]

In our area we are getting coyote/wolf hybrids (confirmed by biologists) so these are smart fast and eat pretty much anything A local farmer was tearing down an old shed on his property and when he dug up the floor there was an old den under the floor what surprised him was the number of dog collars in the den!

 

[oosik]

An article in 2017 Scientific American by Monzon. Studying this cross-species in NE USA and Canada. Able to obtain the DNA from 427 specimens. Results show these animals are - 65% coyote - 25% wolf - 10% domestic dog. This was the average across the 427 specimens.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I have a coyote family in the woods behind my pond. We hear them all the time, but they have not caused any issues with the chickens,ducks, cats or dogs, so as long as they leave me and mine alone, I won't bother them.