New to us Coyote problem

[OzarksRider]

@clanter, just a thought–could you shoot them with paint balls or rubber bullets? Like you said, a big part of the problem is that they have lost their fear of humans, so they need to learn that humans can be dangerous.

Your coyote problem is different from the problem I had. My problem was one aberrant coyote, whereas your problem is the entire pack, and that’s much harder to solve. I think if animal control relocates the pack it will only be a temporary solution, because others will move in. If you can find some legal, non-lethal way to instill fear of humans it might make them easier to live with. I was intrigued by your idea of electrifying some meat. If it’s legal and you can do it without harming somebody’s pet it might be worth a try. One problem with it is that the coyotes might not associate the shock with humans, but maybe they would at least stay away from that area.

[candyappy]

@Sandysmom

@candyappy, you’re not going to “wipe them out”, just replace them with more coyotes. Possibly more aggressive coyotes. Any parent who allows a very small child to wander off has more to fear from DCFS than coyotes.

Be smart. Don’t leave trash out overnight, remove other food sources such as bird feeders and pet food at night, keep brush and grass trimmed so as not to attract rodents which attract coyotes, keep small pets indoors or under direct supervision, keep small livestock like chickens and rabbits in predator proof enclosures. If allowed, maybe use fireworks to scare them away.

Most of us parents keep a good watch on our small children. Even when you watch them like a hawk they can and will get away from you at some time in their young life.

You can thin down the numbers and make it less attractive for the predators to encroach into suburban areas by lessening the competition for their food sources.

It is like the deer. So many of them that they eat all your shrubs and fruit on the trees and you kill more by hitting them with your car then they can get with a measly 2 weeks hunting in the fall.

[skydy]

Could you try moving quickly towards them and use one of those air horn cans that are used to scare bears? They are loud and effective. It may instill more wariness of humans if they are confronted by a human making that noise.

I don’t see how you can keep them from coming in the barn at night unless you modify your barn doors.

[Bluey]

We had a problem with deer going into the hay barn and eating out of the hay stack.
We used to drive up to load hay and have to wait for them to run out of the barn or get run over.
We added 6’ chain link gates to the front, so as to retain airflow thru there.
Guess what, we still had deer getting in there.
Is hard to keep determined critters from getting in barns where they found something of interest.

[skydy]

Both deer and coyotes can go over a 6ft chain link fence, albeit in different ways.

[Southernboy]

One of my early moments of maturing was learning never to guess the age of a woman. So, “clanter,” please don’t think that I am doing that now in suggesting that maybe you were there before the coyotes. There is a wildlife expert on this site so I’ll defer to her historical knowledge if I am wrong but the coyote is not native to the eastern states. They filled in when the wolves moved out. There were very few coyotes living east of the Mississippi prior to the 70s. The story was that they followed the armadillos east across the river.

[endlessclimb]

If I saw 5 hanging out together, you bet your behind I’d be on an ATV running them off, making them as fearful as possible in the process. And +1 to the paintball idea. Pick a bright color so you can easily see who is the most bold of the group (repeat offender).

[Sandysmom]

I believe Clanter lives in Texas, I’m thinking Hill Country area. Coyotes have been there forever. So Clanter is wrong when he says “he was there first”. Coyotes are smart and adaptable. As humans have encroached on their habitat, they’ve become used to humans. It’s best to develop ways to keep them respectful of humans. Those deluded souls who feed them are just hurting them.

[TBROCKS]

Keep your expectations with the Great “Disapyranese” realistic. We got one thinking it would guard the livestock but he runs when off the leash to anywhere BUT our property. He also sleeps on the bed with me. So, yeah.

[S1969]

@Sandysmom

So Clanter is wrong when he says “he was there first”. Coyotes are smart and adaptable.

Not that it would matter who was there first, anyway. Humans have encroached on open spaces all throughout the country which has changed the way all species have behaved.

Because coyotes are smart and adaptable, they have filled some voids. And that’s just how it is. There isn’t really much we can do about it except change our own behavior.

[endlessclimb]

You didn’t raise him as a LGD if he runs off and sleeps on your bed at night.

[clanter]

problem coyotes yesterday morning at 7:30 jumped neighbor’s fence, two grabbed her dog nearly killing it, vet was able to save her dog, she is not happy

[Sandysmom]

Hot wire on the top and bottom of the fence. Coyote rollers on top of fence.

[clanter]

@Sandysmom

Hot wire on the top and bottom of the fence. Coyote rollers on top of fence.

or a trap to haul them to another area … Electric fences unless for Livestock are not allowed on residential lots by city ordinance … pet dogs are not livestock

[endlessclimb]

Yeah I’d be willing to fight that with the city. Put it up.

[PamnReba]

Damn - hate to hear that about the neighbor’s dog. Would trap and relocate even work? How far away would they take them, and what are the chances they’d return? I have no idea how large an area they roam and consider their territory, but I’d have to think that even if they didn’t return, another pack would just take their place.

[GoodTimes]

Check before relocating, in many areas it isn’t allowed. Relocated animals are at a huge disadvantage in their new environment and many won’t survive. Humanely dispatching nuisance wildlife is often the kinder solution.

Who have you been contacting? A quick Google search says that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department does not implement nuisance coyote control, but Texas Wildlife Services does in some urban areas.

My guess is that people have been feeding them either intentionally or unintentionally which has invited them to your area somewhat permanently. If this pack is removed another will move in to fill the void unless that food source is eliminated. You may want to look into public education for your neighborhood.

[Marla_100]

@clanter Can you tell us how big the neighbor’s dog is? Just curious if it’s small, medium or large and appx. what it weighs?

In my area (Central Fl.)we’ve had packs of coyotes but they move onto other areas (or else the gun happy neighbors dispatch them, not sure).

[walktrot]

The best corn on the cob in the area comes from a local multi-generation farm that raises grass-feed beef, seasonal veggies, eggs and hay, among other things. They plant quite a few varieties of corn that mature throughout the summer. We have different variety every 10-14 days. The wife keeps track of what we customers like. There are usually a few changes the folloiwng year.

This year the absolute finest was during week #1. Very sweet, young, wonderful. The coyotes ate a lot of it. More than their fair share. Coyotes??? They didn’t come back for anything else for the entire summer. The challenge is how to keep them out of the field next summer.

Coyotes? We always figured when a barn cat never returned the coyotes got them. But corn? It was still firmly attached to the stalks. How did they determine that was the only varierty worth going after?

They can be hunted year-round but the hours are overnight.

[Sandysmom]

Yep, coyotes love sweet corn plus melons and tomatoes. This time of year the coyote scat I see is full of persimmon seeds. Like dogs, they are somewhat omnivorous.