Best way to trap coyotes...

[2ndyrgal]

Who are coming waaaaaay to close to the house, and don’t seem to have any fear. There is no food out, save the barn kitties, and a bunny that was a regular for a fortnight, and hasn’t been seen now for several days. I’ve taken to locking the cats in the barn at night, which is fine, but I don’t like the idea of him being so very close to the house in his nightly visits. While Miles, aka the wonder corgi, is a fierce boy, and has a bark like a 100 lb Rottweiler, I don’t think he’d win an encounter, and frankly, I don’t want to deal with it.

DH got a humane trap, and while I know I’ll have to dispatch him once caught, which I don’t relish, but there are hundreds of acres surrounding the house for him to roam, he doesn’t need to be outside my door, I need bait suggestions.

It’s cold, so I’m not sure what to use that he’ll go for.

[Equibrit]

http://iroquoishunt.com/

[2ndyrgal]

I’d be thrilled to let them hunt my land,

but I don’t think my 40 acres is quite enough for a fixture. I’m surrounded by woods and cattle farms, not sure how they’d feel about someone galloping through their drought stressed pastures.

[coloredcowhorse]

[QUOTE=2ndyrgal;5333835]
Who are coming waaaaaay to close to the house, and don’t seem to have any fear. It’s cold, so I’m not sure what to use that he’ll go for.[/QUOTE]

If there’s one there are more. Being cautious about background get a spotlight and a .22 (if legal in your area).

Trapping them is hard. And if you have hundreds of acres around you there is probably more than enough rabbits and such that he would be unlikely to go into a trap. Try raw meat if you want to try though. He may be investigating the kitty and dog smells…those are great snack foods in his brain.

[Beverley]

I agree that trapping in a humane trap is nigh well impossible.

I’ve lost 3 cats to coyotes (a 4th escaped with a broken leg)- all taken on extremely windy days/nights where Wiley could probably just walk up on 'em from behind.

I don’t let the terrier out at night alone- he goes with a human watching, or with the Great Dane.

[jawa]

Here’s a photo of 2 my son killed on a farm a few miles up river from me. The neighbor next door to the farm had lost her JRT to the coyotes. The hunting group killed one across the creek from us and another a few farms down river. The farm down river used to have 18 cats, down to 3.

I’m not sure I’d want to come up on this in a human trap!! The large one was a male close to 50 pounds the other is a female.
The young boy is 9 and 80 pounds. That gives you some idea of size.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=569289&l=c8c35caa2e&id=100000524258440

Best of luck with your problem. There may be some predator hunters that would be happy to hunt your land. I’m not sure how you’d get in touch with a reputable one, but starting with your local game warden would be a good start.

[wateryglen]

just my 2 sense!

I find the local deerhunters/hunters/fellow landowners are my best allies. Ask them to shoot them if they see any while they’re out. I know of some that found coyotes trying to get their hanging deer carcasses so they dispatched them then. The remnants of fresh deer kills attract them. Had one hunter come here and played a recording of a rabbit in distress to attract them/draw them in then he shot them. Some of the local foxhunts offer bounties too. ($100 or so) Agree trapping won’t work. I was able to move a family once by harassing the dens. I think once they find a food source they stay in the area. Their boldness CAN be unsettling.
Do a search on this forum for more idears too. We’ve talked about it before as well as on the other forums.

[sisu27]

If you see one you have many

We have a local hunter that has taken on our local Coyote population. At last count he had shot over 20 in a couple of months and hasn’t seemed to make a dent.

I have heard that they just have larger litters the next season when they lose pack members. Not sure if this is true but if so we are in for it.

Between the BO and boarders we have: German Short Haired Pointer, Pit cross, 2 Labradoodles, Golden and my Dobe and German Hunt Terrorist. They seem to not bother our barncats and I think the dog population is why. The Dobe and the GSHP go on patrol together at night and let them know they aren’t welcome.

I think it is a losing battle trying to eradicate them so good luck!

[summerhorse]

Yes coyotes are hard to trap although perhaps if yours is young he might be fooled. Use KFC and tie the pieces to the back of the cage so they have to stand and chew and pull at it. Good luck!

They do respond to hunting pressure by producing larger litters. Now is a good time to try thinning out the pack, before the cubs are born. But it will only be temporary.

Your best bet is to keep kitties in and get a livestock guardian type dog or dogs.

[Beverley]

@sisu27;5335453

We have a local hunter that has taken on our local Coyote population. At last count he had shot over 20 in a couple of months and hasn’t seemed to make a dent.

I have heard that they just have larger litters the next season when they lose pack members. Not sure if this is true but if so we are in for it.

Yes, it is true, killing lots of them will only result in larger litters to make up for the deficit. There was a bit of an experiment, in Oklahoma as I recall, and at least 12-13 years ago- rather than going for quantity, the focus was to go after the ‘problem’ coyotes, those going after livestock and domestic animals, over a period of several years. The results of that effort were found to be preferable- smaller litters, more stable populations and hierarchies, and the ‘non problem’ coyotes were, if you will, ‘rewarded’ for sticking to the wild and not preying on domestic animals.

And then there’s the rancher I met in Wyoming 12 years ago at a hunt breakfast, with two coyote cubs in tow. Classic cowboy if you will. He had shot the coyotes’ Mom and then found the young 'uns. I queried him on the logic flaw of eliminating one and raising and releasing two, and the crusty face melted a bit and he admitted he just didn’t have the heart to kill them.

[riderboy]

I don’t know the best way to trap coyotes, but I can share my experience with the leg hold traps my neighbor puts out. We walk our dogs along the same farm fields where he puts his traps, on land he does not own but I assume he has permission to trap. He leaves them out and has managed to catch two of our dogs, both while we were with them. It is utterly horrifying to witness. Both dogs recovered eventually but the sheer cruelty of leaving those types of traps out is incredible. Shoot them, whatever, but please do it humanely. This neighbor of ours is often gone for days at a time with these traps out, I cannot imagine the suffering of the animals he catches. After a little talk, where I told him how much our ER visits for dog bites (they are in a definite “red zone” when you are trying to release them from the trap) and for the pet ER visits for our dogs were, he has agreed to inform us when and where he puts them out.

[sisu27]

[QUOTE=riderboy;5337178]
I don’t know the best way to trap coyotes, but I can share my experience with the leg hold traps my neighbor puts out. We walk our dogs along the same farm fields where he puts his traps, on land he does not own but I assume he has permission to trap. He leaves them out and has managed to catch two of our dogs, both while we were with them. It is utterly horrifying to witness. Both dogs recovered eventually but the sheer cruelty of leaving those types of traps out is incredible. Shoot them, whatever, but please do it humanely. This neighbor of ours is often gone for days at a time with these traps out, I cannot imagine the suffering of the animals he catches. After a little talk, where I told him how much our ER visits for dog bites (they are in a definite “red zone” when you are trying to release them from the trap) and for the pet ER visits for our dogs were, he has agreed to inform us when and where he puts them out.[/QUOTE]

That is horrific. I can’t imagine. I wasn’t aware that leg holds were even still legal. My family would not even exist (the French Canadian line) were it not for the fur trade/trapping and I wear fur (I have a lovely full length Coyote…I only buy vintage though) but that is totally disgusting. Can I ask why he uses them? It surely eliminates any “sport” from hunting and it can’t be the most efficient way to cull. The fact that anything (including your dogs) can get caught in them just seems wrong.

[2ndyrgal]

thanks for all your help

I would never, ever use a leg trap.

The KFC does sound like a good idea, stuff smells great and for days.

I’m not really concerned with whether spotlighting one is legal, I figure with their sense of smell and hearing, it just evens things out a bit. Just too damn cold lately for me to sit outside at night. Haven’t seen him again, but we regulary see them in the summer while mowing at dusk.

Locking the barn kitties in at night for now, and keeping the Corgi close.

[JSwan]

For residents of Virginia, y’all should know that last year an agreement was signed with the Feds to use explosive cyanide canisters to control coyote predation.

Unfortunately, cyanide will kill pretty much anything - so you may want to find out where the canisters are being deployed and keep your animals and kids away.

Leg hold traps are child’s play compared to cyanide.

[Christa_P]

If you have an area around the house/barn with perimeter fencing you could get (or borrow) a standard donkey and turn it loose over night. Especially if they came from the BLM they will have NO use for a coyote and will probably kill it or drive it off. You would need to train it to accept your dog though.

Christa

[SPLAT]

Ohhh…
My dog went outside last night and puked up her dinner mixed in with sort of dead varmint. 5 min later, a coyote came up bold as could be and ate the puke - right in front of us - Mind you, our lights were on, we were all - dogs included - watching at the window - so all I can figure is that you should bait your traps with dog puke.

I have been want to tell that story to someone all day, but some how, it wasn’t appropriate until just now. THANKS COTH!

[riderboy]

[QUOTE=sisu27;5337333]
That is horrific. I can’t imagine. I wasn’t aware that leg holds were even still legal. My family would not even exist (the French Canadian line) were it not for the fur trade/trapping and I wear fur (I have a lovely full length Coyote…I only buy vintage though) but that is totally disgusting. Can I ask why he uses them? It surely eliminates any “sport” from hunting and it can’t be the most efficient way to cull. The fact that anything (including your dogs) can get caught in them just seems wrong.[/QUOTE]

Well, compared to exploding cyanide traps we got off lucky! I cannot imagine littering the countryside with those things. My neighbor isn’t a bad guy, just ignorant. He doesn’t seem to think animals are anything but objects. I’m all infavor of predator control but jeez, let’s limit the collateral damage and do it humanely.

[wateryglen]

question for JSwan!

JSwan! Please elaborate as I hadn’t heard about this at all and confess I don’t know what these are or how they are used. Like bullets? Like smoke bombs or something? Inquiring minds want to know…ok call it “cyanide canisters for dummies”!!

[Equibrit]

http://animaltourism.com/news/2010/10/08/usda

What the USDA killed in 2009; http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/prog_data/2009_prog_data/PDR_G_FY09/Basic_Tables_PDR_G/Table_G-2_FY2009_Euth-Killed.pdf

[JSwan]

Gack! What an inflammatory website! There is no vast conspiracy by the USDA, nor are USDA employees animal hating demons.

This is old news - and frankly anyone who foxhunts needs to keep informed about wildlife management and public lands issues, as well as what is going on within agriculture. We’re directly or indirectly affected.

For certain species, and when the landowner has met certain (very strict) criteria, there are state and federal programs that permit - legally - the lethal removal of certain predators - even protected ones. Just because a wild animal is pretty - does not mean it is benign.

One program that is controversial is cyanide canisters. Mostly because cyanide does not discriminate - any animal or person who touches the canister dies.*

Because of the increasing problem of coyotes preying on domestic livestock (and in certain parts of the state the predation is severe), the GA permitted the state to enter into an agreement with the federal government for the use of cyanide canisters. I don’t know which farms are enrolled in the program, or where those farms are located in the state.

I do know that the program is extremely selective, very limited in nature, the owner has to demonstrate the need for such a lethal measure, and because of the nature of the chemical used - it is very very controlled and limited in distribution. You can’t just phone up the feds and ask for cyanide because your neighbors dog is crapping in your flower bed.:lol:

I dislike them because cyanide does not discriminate between friend or foe. Lawful, regulated hunting is a far more humane and productive alternative, especially in such a highly populated state.

• I have not heard of any instance in which a human has died.

The best way to avoid predators is to not leave a buffet out for them. That includes letting your pets wander unsupervised, leaving food out, etc.

ETA - Here’s a link to the program info. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_wsm44.html

Note that the program is part of an integrated approach - and surveys are performed.