Found a coyote, I think

[MistyBlue]

775-538-7093
That's a safe haven rescue spot for local wildlife. Lots of the residents there are former exotic or wildlife pets. It's a zoo, but once domesticated to a certain degree most canids will not acclimate fully to wild living. Biggest issue being unsocialization to others of it's own kind.

I've done wildlife rescue/rehab for ages. All carnivores. She's a lovely little girl. They're a lot of fun and smart as heck, aren;t they?

However at some point she's going to hit full maturity and she won't be the pet you've gotten used to. She'll be a lot more unpredictable. She also won't be really content.

 

[Raspy]

Ridgewalker,

Exactly.


MistyBlue,

I have already been in touch with Safe Haven and they won't take her. We had made arrangements with them, were already to go a few weeks ago and then they changed their minds. They were willing to take "one more" and someone beat us there. Animal Ark near Reno is another one. They would take her if we donated $10,000. to build an environment for her. Can't do it.

We would love to get help rehabilitating her to the wild, but so far have gotten nowhere. We would also love to see her in a setting where she could be visited by us and by others and be safe, like a rescue zoo, but we can't get that going either.

We are doing our best to teach her to hunt and expect her to begin maturing and changing her attitude pretty soon.

If you have any other suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

Thank you for the number you sent.

 

[RobertBrown]

The "harm" if you want to call it that is that she won't be afraid of humans and will get picked off one day by someone with a rifle.

Pretty pup... it's a shame you can't find a place to keep her safe from us humans.

Perhaps...But if you really give it some thought.... a coyote hunter conceals himself from the coyote, so she most likely won't see the guy with the rifle anyway. The coyotes are brought into range with the call. Any dog, wild or domesticated is likely to be attracted to a distress call, as any dog could be taught to associate the call with danger, or could be otherwise trained to avoid it.
At any rate, the fact that her fear of humans could be diminished can not be avoided as : If she had not been collected, she most likely would not have survived anyway, so it's a moot point, because human intervention is the only way this could happen in the first place.
It's not unlikely that her fear of humans will return as she becomes more independant and territorial. Having said that, it's probably a good idea to avoid introducing her to any new people.
Someday this dog's life is going to end, trying to determine what role Raspy is going to play in that is not really worth considering as he has no choice but to relinquish control. Givng up control is just that...leaving it to fate. It's how nature works.

 

[dusty74]

John you are doing the right thing let her be free to come and go as she please. As I have already stated she will mature and be gone more than she is there she will also pick a mate and start a family. That is good and you have allowed her the chance to do that.......So you and your wife has done good.......and you guys also know that the time will come where she may not come back because but always thinkit is because she has hewr own family now.

But I would not be surprised if came for a visit from time to time.

 

[Raspy]

dusty,

Sandy is free and is staying around. She has a den and wants to be near us, so far. She likes being outside even if it's cold and windy. She will go on walks with me and stay with me all the way.

But she is unable to get enough food for herself yet. She is eating ants and leaves on her own but can't catch lizards or squirrels or voles yet.

Here's the problem: (1) She is becoming more of a problem for our other animals. We have a crippled Maltese dog that she continues to harass and she pulled some fur out of our cat the other day. I think she will kill our dog eventually, and possibly the cat. (2) Our neighbors have cats too, and they are becoming concerned. No danger yet, it seems, but just the idea of us having a coyote here makes them nervous. I am not going to wait until it becomes a real problem, so I am looking for a better place for her to live than here.

Her territory seems very small now, but yesterday we went looking for a rabbit for her. We walked about a quarter mile away, out into the open land, looking. She was right there with me. I know she will wander if she has a reason to and the neighbors are closer than that in the other direction. We have been keeping her hungry and helping her hunt, so she is motivated.

I don't think she will simply wander off and start a new life on her own while leaving the local pets alone. If she does set up her territory near here someone will shoot her. It's very unusual for people to even see a coyote, much less have one wandering around nearby. People are scared of them. If I had a strange one come running up to me for a greeting, I'd be scared too. And if my dog was attacked by a coyote from the wilds. I'd be justified in shooting it. And some people are just looking for anything to shoot at, just for the fun of it.

Having said all of that, we will be heartbroken when she's gone. What a fun and loving little pal she is!

 

[dusty74]

I do understand your concerns...... I am not saying you cannot tame a willd animal but it is not easy and I am not sure it is really ever done. I am sorry to hear Sandy is causing you a little concern but I do understand.

Hopefully in time you can take her for a one way ride and let her go and drive away. I just wish there was a solid way for you to know she ready to be on her own. I guess her area in and around your place would really not be a good thing. Because if another coyote (not Sandy) got one of your neighbors cats they may still blame Sandy. Taking Sandy for a one way ride is going to be hard I am glad I do not have to make that choose.

 

[Depmandog]

If you know of a secluded area 15 - 20 miles from your present place, I would consider dropping Sandy of there. Make sure it has a water source. When you leave her, place a rabbit in the brush for food. Install a game cam so you can "check" her.

Make a return trip on a schedule say every three days initially, bringing a rabbit each time. After a couple of weeks, add a day to the cycle. Keep the process up till you feel confident she is self sufficient.

Hopefully you can catch glimpses of her on the camera to see how she is looking.

As a prelude to taking her on her one way ride, sounds cruel but have you considered staking a live rabbit on a long string, allowing her to experience the hunt and kill?

 

[RobertBrown]

She's got that "GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY" look in her eye. I get the feeling she thinks she is the boss.....and that is her rabbit.

Perhaps you should at least start feeding her well away from the house, the neighbors and thier pets. :confused3:
It will be interestng to see what happens next, please keep us posted and thanks again for the thread.


hope it all works out .

 

[Raspy]

Dean,

Your idea is one of the two we are currently working on. There is a place about 5 miles from here that has thick brush, lots of green leaves and berries, an all year creek and lots of wildlife. It's rocky and perfect for finding a den. Our biggest concern, besides her not being able to hunt yet, is that it's also mountain lion country. We are working on the hunting issue, but she is still so young and not as fast or motivated as she could be.

The other is a desert setting with a guy that loves animals. He feeds burros and coyotes to help them as needed and he befriends them to a certain degree. Young burros will come right up and lean against him while older ones will try to get things out of his back pocket as he walks. There is plenty of water there and it's a long way from ranches or houses. Sandy could go there now and be fine, but my wife wants the first option. I want the desert option.

Rabbits are a great food source, Sandy likes them, but hard to catch. I think voles, lizards and squirrels are a more realistic food source for her, along with berries and leaves. Quail seems like another good item, but she hasn't shown much interest in them yet.

Yesterday Sandy and I took off on a hunt. I had my 10-22 and we went to see what we could find. Walking out across the open land in the pinion forest, she was sniffing around, scratching and digging. Chased a few rabbits out of range and investigated groups of quail. She found a few little things that interested her and even buried one for later. Always staying within about 50-100 feet of me as she did her own work. Falling behind and catching up, flanking me, investigating as I waited. It was interesting to see her be a pack member with a common goal. We went a long way and she was always close by. Observant, quiet, pouncing on suspected rodent mounds, scratching in twig piles. I even had the chance to get around where I could send rabbits or quail back toward her. But no luck as they were already spooked.

Of course, as she becomes a more capable hunter, matures and is hungry, she becomes increasingly dangerous to our other animals.

 

[Depmandog]

Dean,

Your idea is one of the two we are currently working on. There is a place about 5 miles from here that has thick brush, lots of green leaves and berries, an all year creek and lots of wildlife. It's rocky and perfect for finding a den. Our biggest concern, besides her not being able to hunt yet, is that it's also mountain lion country. We are working on the hunting issue, but she is still so young and not as fast or motivated as she could be.

The other is a desert setting with a guy that loves animals. He feeds burros and coyotes to help them as needed and he befriends them to a certain degree. Young burros will come right up and lean against him while older ones will try to get things out of his back pocket as he walks. There is plenty of water there and it's a long way from ranches or houses. Sandy could go there now and be fine, but my wife wants the first option. I want the desert option.

Rabbits are a great food source, Sandy likes them, but hard to catch. I think voles, lizards and squirrels are a more realistic food source for her, along with berries and leaves. Quail seems like another good item, but she hasn't shown much interest in them yet.

Yesterday Sandy and I took off on a hunt. I had my 10-22 and we went to see what we could find. Walking out across the open land in the pinion forest, she was sniffing around, scratching and digging. Chased a few rabbits out of range and investigated groups of quail. She found a few little things that interested her and even buried one for later. Always staying within about 50-100 feet of me as she did her own work. Falling behind and catching up, flanking me, investigating as I waited. It was interesting to see her be a pack member with a common goal. We went a long way and she was always close by. Observant, quiet, pouncing on suspected rodent mounds, scratching in twig piles. I even had the chance to get around where I could send rabbits or quail back toward her. But no luck as they were already spooked.

Of course, as she becomes a more capable hunter, matures and is hungry, she becomes increasingly dangerous to our other animals.

After a bit of research on the desert coyote, it seems carrion and rodents make up a large part of their diet, along with insects, fruit, amphibians, birds, eggs, rabbits and reptiles...and pretty much whatever they can find. One article suggested a solitary coyote tends to eat the above while a mated pair or pack is needed for larger meals of deer / antelope fawn, or farm domesticated animals.

So perhaps you need to start picking up road kill and "hide" it on your property for Sandy to find. Also lay some logs or boards out for insects, etc to hide so you can show her how to find the bug jackpot.

I sure have enjoyed this thread. Sandy is a pretty animal.