New to us Coyote problem

[clanter]

Three days ago one of the horse halters was missing from its hook on the stall door in the barn… this morning found the missing halter in the next door pasture

well what remained of it

This was my wife’s horse’s halter…she wanted to know what I did with it since it was not on the horse or hanging on its hook Where it nearly always is.

I told her then I guess the coyotes took it. She was less than accepting of that answer until finding the remains this morning

So, now what to do as the coyotes are becoming less and less fearful… there were two in the pasture watching me this morning move hay… at first I thought they were deer

[Marla_100]

So did the ‘critter’ eat the rest of the halter? There seems to be a lot of leather missing.

I’ve had rats and mice eat leather and my dearly departed GSD liked belts and shoes. But no experience w/ coyotes.

Sorry no advice except maybe buy a huge bag of dogfood and put out behind the pasture, might be cheaper than replacing leather goods.

[Feathered_Feet]

I’m having trouble understanding why coyotes would want to chew on a synthetic halter. I would be more likely to suspect rodents/rabbits who like (need) to gnaw on things. Have you seen a coyote steal your tack before?

[clanter]

definitely was the coyotes as the remains was found on their trail, the leather was eaten the rest apparently they chewed up

Really I do not or could not comprehend how at rodent could crawl up a stall door, remove a halter then drag it 400 feet into the back pasture to eat it on a pathway that the coyotes use …and then be coyote bait

[clanter]

@Feathered_Feet

Have you seen a coyote steal your tack before?

no. nor have we had missing tack other than a saddles that was stolen.

We have specific tack for each horse, the halters when not on the horse is hung on the stall door with the lead coiled and hung below.

[OzarksRider]

@clanter

definitely was the coyotes as the remains was found on their trail

Not necessarily. Other wildlife such as foxes or racoons or even dogs could also use that trail. But, assuming that a coyote did take the halter and chew it, is that single event really evidence of a problem? Have they caused any other property damage? Do you have chickens or cats or small dogs that are at risk? Were the coyotes in your field close enough to be threatening, or were they just curious?

There are a lot of coyotes where I live. I see them early in the morning or in the evening, but almost never during the day. I often hear them at night, and sometimes they sound close enough to be in the yard. For the most part, they mind their own business and I leave them alone. That said, a few years ago a lone coyote started raiding our yard. She would watch the house from the woods across the field, and when she thought the coast was clear she would come into the yard and snatch a chicken. I tried everything to discourage that coyote. I sicced the dog on her; I hazed her on foot; I went after her in the truck. Nothing discouraged her. The chickens were disappearing one by one, and I was afraid she would go after the cats next. After about two months of this I finally bought a rifle and shot her (and that’s how I know it was a female).

Do you have a wildlife conservation agent you could ask for advice?

[S1969]

Looks like it got mowed over to me. Is there no possible way it was lost/dropped accidentally and then hit with the mower?

I can’t imagine a coyote removing it from the barn. Of all things to eat in a barn, an old leather halter in October seems like an oddity.

[candyappy]

@S1969

I can’t imagine a coyote removing it from the barn. Of all things to eat in a barn, an old leather halter in October seems like an oddity.

It just doesn’t seem like a coyote behavior that I have ever heard of. I have had plenty of naughty dogs that would absolutely sneak in , steal and chew something up in private.

[trubandloki]

@S1969

Looks like it got mowed over to me.

This was my first thought too.

If it was a coyote and they like eating old leather that much, they will likely come back for more, so put a game camera up in your barn so you can document the halter stealing.

[Sandysmom]

If it was dead of winter when food was scarce, I might believe it was a coyote. But food is fairly plentiful now.

[trubandloki]

@Sandysmom

But food is fairly plentiful now.

Around here the squirrels are so busy doing their fall gathering thing that I don’t think anything that might eat them would have to work very hard to get one. There are oblivious bouncing squirrels everywhere.

[Bluey]

Hang it high, where coyotes would not reach?

[Pepsy]

Hi there
Don’t know where you live but when we are experiencing a drought, coyotes will come into barn area looking for water. During these times I put small water containers out on edges of property where wildlife goes through. Coyotes are playful and I could see one coming into your barn area searching for one thing and leaving with another. I once found a jollyball that had been in an empty paddock out in the back pasture.

[clanter]

@OzarksRider

cats or small dogs

those have been eaten already, if outside at night they will disappear

Loose dogs are not an issue as those are domesticated animals that animal control will and does capture. Our little city has a $1.2M animal shelter (really a nice modern stone building), with staff of three that cost $278,000 a year to hold the 16 dogs and 19 cats they have

here is one of the dudes going to neighbors chicken coop

[NancyM]

We have coyotes. They took and chewed up the horse play ball squeaky toy from the horse paddock- chewed the “handle” off it that the horses use to pick it up and swing it around. I found it out in the field months later. The horses still find it usable, they can get their jaws around it and carry it around OK, but it doesn’t swing as nicely as it used to when it had the “handle”. So yes, they do take things, and destroy them, for fun, apparently.
About the only reliable way to deter coyotes is to have a guardian dog, a Marema or something similar, that patrols your property 24/7, and guards it from intruders. They are big, hairy, outdoor dogs, and may or may not double as pets, but are not house dogs (too hot indoors for them, and they can’t do their job). However, your property must be adequately fenced to keep them on YOUR property, because if they have free roam, they will determine their own area, and it can be several square miles, not just YOUR property. They develop a route that they patrol regularly, daily, looking for intruders. Works best to have a couple of them, working together. They will guard anything that they have been raised with, chickens, cats, dogs, children etc, from EVERYTHING, including human intruders.

[PamnReba]

The only things we have used successfully to deter coyotes are LGDs or guns. The guns are not necessary with the dogs. I am on my second pair of brother/sister Pyr crosses. The first pair died of old age a couple of years ago when they were 13, within months of each other. We had the new pups by then to learn from them.

[OzarksRider]

In addition to dogs or guns, a lot of the farmers in my area pasture donkeys with their livestock as guards.

[clanter]

@OzarksRider

a lot of the farmers in my area pasture donkeys with their livestock as guards.

wife is thinking a Great Pyrenees might be the next dog to replace/supplement our now 12 year old GSD who barks but the coyotes think she is one of them by bringing play toy (sticks) to the gate for her

[lenapesadie]

I had coyotes steal a shoe off my porch once. I know it was them as I saw them leaving with my shoe in tow.

LGD is the only help. IMO Anatolians are more effective than the Great Pyrenese, but I’m not familiar with the other breeds available.

[Mosey_2003]

@clanter

wife is thinking a Great Pyrenees might be the next dog to replace/supplement our now 12 year old GSD who barks but the coyotes think she is one of them by bringing play toy (sticks) to the gate for her

Look into the various breeds/types and see what works best for your situation, they have various different strong suits. If you want the old dog to teach your new LGD things you might want to get a move on though, LGDs mature very slowly and it’s almost 2 years before a pup can really be trusted to be working alone. Plus the good fences, like previously mentioned, both because they tend to roam and because new research shows that it’s much better for their long-term health (especially joints) if you wait to spay/neuter until after 12 months old, preferably after 18.