Coyote too close for comfort

[two_bit_score]

Yes it was odd. I mean we know the coyotes are around. We hear them. See paw prints and scat from time to time. Just VERY odd to see one just standing my yard like it owned the place. Kind of wish I had my cell phone on me and would have been quick enough to snap a picture.

We have not seen him/her since. However there is a rabbit living in the bushes near the house. So I guess if we find the rabbit gone we know the coyote was back.

We are blessed to live out here and see so much wild life daily. Last night as the sun was setting there was a deer grazing in the woods about 100 feet out the kitchen window. She had not a care in the world it seemed. Just eating away on whatever was growing there.

Makes me think I need to plant some food plots out in our meadow for them to eat. Neighbors have a pond and I am sure that is the attraction for a lot of the wildlife.... open water unless it is a VERY cold winter.

I do not know what it is about animals that causes them to look away from a camera even a cell phone camera when they notice it pointed at them.

They might stand there looking at you but as soon as you put a camera on them they will nearly always turn away, walk or run off.

 

[LouNY]

Problems that get ignored always come back and cause more problems until they are addressed.

I have horses, goats and a bunch of chickens. I have been at war with coyotes for years. I kill a few a year, and in the last couple of months, a group of guys have been hunting my land at night with thermals and doing really well. Mostly they shoot the wild hogs, but they have also shot 3 coyotes so far. They have six game cameras spread out that send images to their phones, so they know what's a happening, when it's happening. Then they come out at night and sit until something shows up.

Coyotes are very difficult to hunt. If you have one that is out during the day, and not afraid of being seen, you have a problem animal. Pets are a favorite meal of theirs if they can get close enough.

My most effective way to protect my chickens is a hot wire. Coyotes will touch it and literally scream for ten minutes as they run away after being zapped!!!! I've seen dozens of areas around my fence where they tear up the dirt getting away from the fence after touching it. Since I put up three rows of electric wire on my fence, I haven not lost any chickens to coyotes. Unfortunately, only 2 of my coops are inside that fenced area. My original coop does not have a fence around it yet. That's my next big project.

When I see a coyote, I try to shoot it. For the last couple of years I've been using my deer rifle, but they are moving pretty quick when I get close to them, and I'm about 50% at hitting them on the run. Now I'm using 00 buckshot in my 12 gauge, which has proven to be much more effective.

I switched several years ago from double 00 buck to #4 buck, in my 2 3/4" chambers the double 00 buck is only 9 pellets about 0.33 in diameter,
the #4 buck packs 27 pellets of 0.22 inches in diameter, so a much nicer pattern at 40-50 yards much less chance of a critter to escape.

 

[the old grind]

I buy/use a Remington 3" 12 Ga with 41 pellets of #4 buckshot. (.24 caliber) Remington Express Ammo 12 Ga 3 #4 Buckshot 41 Pellets Box of 5 (12HB4)

F shot is .22 caliber and was made for coyotes since T shot (.20 caliber) doesn't 'reach out' quite as far or hit as hard.

I've got some 1 1/4 oz, 1450fps Rem #2 Hevi-Shot for geese that's probably good for 'yotes within 30 yds.

It's recommended for both, and good for muskrats too. (PRHSNHV12M2, NLA)

 

[s219]

We hear them at night, and find scat on our property from time to time, but I haven't seen one in 5-6 years.

When I hear them at night, they seem close, and in an area across the street that we frequent during the day. Never seen a single one over there with my eyes, but when they are yipping it up at night, you'd swear there must be a dozen over there. I think they must be real good at hiding during the day.

 

[ovrszd]

Had one come thru my yard carrying one of the neighbors chickens day before yesterday. Our 2 German shepherds gave chase but the "yote" easily outran them and never dropped the chicken. This was about 0930. Not usual to see them during the day around here. Our chickens were still in the pen at the time.
That does make my nervous about them being out in the day now, but so far since we have been penning them before sundown and letting them out usually before 0900, we haven't lost any.

A few years ago my neighbor decided to have chickens. Free grazing. Let them out each day. Pen them up at night. She had 75. In one Summer the coyotes and foxes got 60. I chased the coyotes out of her yard one day with my ATV.

If you have an easy food source and you let if roam outside a protected area a predator is going to get it.

 

[Jstpssng]

I let mine free range during the day and you are right; about once per year something gets into them. Last year I had my young meat birds in a pen of 3 foot fencing out next to my driveway... I was sitting at the table eating lunch, heard a commotion and stepped out in time to see a fox run off. I picked up my pistol and tracked her all along the edge of my clearing... I didn't want to shoot her because I figured she had a den with kits close by. I just kept the birds penned up and let the trappers get the fox in the fall.

In the 10 years or so that I"ve kept chickens I've lost them to raccoons, fox, and weasels; and lost a turkey to coyotes. Except for the coons, every one of those was in broad daylight. Weasels are the worst; I lost (28) 2 week old birds one day, and they killed many of my adult birds the first few years I raised hens. About 6 years ago I moved my henhouse from under the trees by my house, up into my field and haven't had weasel problems since.

 

[the old grind]

Some critter got a muskrat before I did. It was a small one. I'll skip adding a picture this time.

I suspect fox, as that's more common here than 'yotes or feral cats.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I switched several years ago from double 00 buck to #4 buck, in my 2 3/4" chambers the double 00 buck is only 9 pellets about 0.33 in diameter,
the #4 buck packs 27 pellets of 0.22 inches in diameter, so a much nicer pattern at 40-50 yards much less chance of a critter to escape.

I did some pattern testing with some various loads for a turkey hunt some years ago. The tightest and most uniform pattern I got from my Remington with Rem factory extra full extended choke and even the flush full choke was with 3" Winchester duplex 2x4 buckshot (came in a black box, if I recall, box is long gone, I don't remember if they were labeled as "turkey loads" or not). I was amazed at how tight it stayed even at 50 yards. Don't even know if you can still buy it, since I hardly use any and still have a few shells left. But I did anchor a tom at over 50 yards and have anchored several varmints and a couple of 'yotes with that load. Turns them off like a switch.