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Coyote danger? (GDG)

11K views 75 replies 39 participants last post by  BigKahuna13 
#1 ·
About 3 weeks ago, a guy out here to do some maintenance work at our house, lost his little dachshund when she got out of the truck. She has traveled with him regularly, never ever gotten out of sight from him. He had been working on a well pump, looked up and pup was just gone. He had been distracted for less than 5 minutes. He immediately took off looking for her to no avail. He (and Ralph and I) prowled the neighborhood for over a week and never saw a single sign of her. Posters were placed everywhere, craigslist consulted, Animal Control called and everything we could think of. This was a tiny dog, not quite 11 pounds. Even though it was mid day and people were around, I thought first of coyotes. I know I see them all the time in the fields around. Now, my neighbors across the street have lost a 3 month old chocolate lab pup. She is bigger than the dachsie, maybe 20# or so, I'd only seen her once. It happened the same way. Pup was playing in the front yard with the older dog, lady went inside to answer phone, came out a few minutes later and both dogs were gone. Shortly, the older dog came trotting back, but no pup. The search parties were activated again, no luck. This was yesterday and nothing has been seen of her. Have any of you heard of yotes so bold they attack in broad daylight with human activity all around??? Its not like they need easy food, we are surrounded by prairie dogs and bunny rabbits. Now I wonder if any of the dogs are safe if one yote has gone rogue and gotten so aggressive? Who knows, the dogs could have been grabbed by a human predator, but if so they sure were slick and quick in their getaways. Any thoughts?
 
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#2 ·
here in the desert southwest the coyotes are very bold in the golf communities,the rabbits and squirrels may have attracted them but muffy and buffy are no match for a coyote or a family of them, people get careless and leave pet food out on their porches and coyotes can smell leftovers/scraps in garbage cans.Some people turn their dogs loose to air in the evening and are shocked when they dont come back..One of the golf courses I used to work for had a resident coyote that was a big as a small german shepherd, saw him one night when I had to reset an alarm on one of our on course snack bars. Lanse is starting to see more of them in Montana, I was trying to show him which electronic caller to buy so he could call them up and dispatch them with his long range rifle
 
#3 ·
We have had coyotes here in New England that frequently come into people's yards and snatch small dogs with the owners standing there. Recently I was hiking in a state park that is surrounded by developments and was stalked by a coyote for better than a mile. He kept hopping and yodeling,trying to get my dogs to come out to him. I had the pittie on a leash and the 2 goldens I kept close to me. After I thought he had finally given up and left I heard a noise behind me and he was coming out of the woods towards my female golden,who is on the small size. My male golden went after him and they had a big fight. When I called my male back, the coyote tried to grab him by the back leg and id had enough of that mutt so I grab a big tree branch and went after him. He took off running as soon as he saw me coming for him. In the scuffle my pit got off the leash and took off. I found her back at the car with some punctures on her, but no real damage. I haven't seen or heard the coyote since. I am hoping the pit kicked hell out of him and he left the area.

Dawn
 
#4 ·
Usually when an animal gets that bold they are starving or have a disease like Distemper or Rabies.
 
#22 ·
Not the case with Coyotes... when they get urbanized and realize where the easy prey is there is only one cure.... a .223 to the vitals. They are ruthless and do hunt in packs. Watch all the bad press that the wolves in Yellowstone are getting in regards to killing cattle, well Coyotes may not be as big as wolves. But have the same genetic drive and hunt in the same manner.

Coyotes and Cougars around here will be seen in the foothills and other urban areas. There are three reasons for it, 1) easy food.... the poodle down the street, table scraps ect. 2) They are young, and have been pushed out of prime habitat by a bigger Cougar or Yote and are searching for their own territory. And 3) out west Water Rules.... All creatures need to have access to water, urban sprinklers, golf course ponds, cattle watering ect has water which is necessary to sustain life. THe Coyotes know that too
 
#6 ·
We have enough daylight coyote attacks here, I wouldn't discount it. Small dogs get taken from yards in front of their owners, or snatched while giving chase out of their yards. I have coyotes come up and sit watching us out back, regularly enough that I keep guns loaded and handy. I wouldn't dare leave a pup outside unattended even in the fenced yards. Sometimes there are human thieves on the prowl for dogs, but, given where you live and the fact you see coyotes, wouldn't be surprised it was some sort of varmint, even a large bird of prey, for the small dog anyway.
 
#10 ·
12 coyotes down this year alone. The Foxpro caller is amazing. I am always aware and watching for them. Never let your dogs out of site.
yup thats what we bought for the boys so they can use the new assault style weapon their dad got them to dispatch the song dogs
 
#8 ·
I know of at least 2 cases here where a small dog was snatched by a coyote right off the leash while walking with the owner. They are fearless.
 
#9 ·
Wow, I did not know these attacks were so common. I think my own 70 pounders are probably allright, but to have these two incidents happen so close together . . .
Well, my dogs don't get to go out of my sight anyway. I think I will just be extra vigilant and warn neighbors. There is one house down the street that has 3 little yappers in the same yard as 2 Rottweilers. Think they are safe?

This morning my Chessie, Scout was attacked. By a Chihuahua! He has learned well to do the right thing, as soon as "Killer" came for him, Scout ducked behind me and said "Mom, you handle this". Don't know if he would do the same if it was a yote after him.
 
#11 · (Edited)
There's a video going around on youtube via FB showing a coyote trying to take a small dog right on the driveway of their house. Just as you're thinking that little dog is done for, here comes a Rottie, who hits that coyote in a cloud of dust and runs it off. If I can find the link I'll add it here. Never underestimate the lowly coyote, they are fearless.

Here it is.
 
#39 ·
#12 ·
Very often a lone coyote is not alone. They will sometimes try to lure a dog further away where another two or three are waiting. Do not take chances with your dogs regardless of size. We have a lot of coyotes here and they are very bold in residential areas. Last year while dove hunting we watched several just on the fringe of some vineyards. They were definitely interested in the dogs. All were Labs, 70 lbs+ The coyotes were not too intimidated and never far away.
 
#13 ·
I'm a little skeptical. I find it hard to believe that neither dog would have made a sound when a coyote came near. Maybe a coyote could have grabbed a dachshund and killed it before it got a squeak out, but a 20 lb lab? If there were a lot of prairie dog holes around, it's possible the dachshund went into a hole, which is what they were bred to do. I've heard of terriers going into holes and getting themselves wedged in so they couldn't back out. Prairie dogs attract badgers, too. If the dachshund went into a badger hole, I doubt he'd come out, except as badger poop.
 
#14 ·
I have also heard of one coyote luring a large dog out to the woods, where a pack were waiting and finished it off....
 
#16 ·
That dog would have fed Wiley and his family for a year! I don't think we have badgers here, but there is no way to know what happened. When the lab pup disappeared it was following the older dog out of the yard. So was not near enough to hear a fight if there was one. Who knows, but 2 dogs gone in 3 weeks is enough to keep me on high alert.
 
#60 ·
I have a double fenced dog zone to keep them in but I do not trust a regular fence (the IV fence just keeps the dogs from getting out) to keep the Yotes out. I have seen them in daylite on other parts of the property. I'm not in the wilds. The Yotes have taken down cows on the farm behind me and that backs to a huge county park and golf course.
 
#17 ·
How big are the yotes in your area? The ones I have been seeing around here probably don't go 35lbs.
 
#18 ·
At least one went at my 85lb lab. Tore his hind end up and needed quite a few stitches to close up the bite. He was no worse the wear after a while. They will send in a female and try and sucker your dog away while the others lay and wait a short distance away. A farmer friend watched them try and lure his St. Bernard away. He was plowing his fields and could see 3 others waiting in the far fence row. The Bernard was no fool and didn't fall for it luckily. They take calves and sheep frequently in my area, so you need to be vigilante. Especially with a firearm at the ready.
 
#19 ·
I started hunting coyotes in the last year and let me tell you they will do whatever it takes to eat! Anyone that thinks their dog is safe and is too big for even a 20# coyote to take down is wrong!!! People are right, they will send in a female to lure another dog away, then it is game over. I saw a video last year of two coyotes taking down a perfectly healthy 200# whitetail buck. If they can take a deer that big down a dog doesn't stand a chance.

Bottom line, try to kill every coyote you see because the one you let go might be the one that takes your dog out.
 
#20 ·
Carol, there is a big deal going on in the front range just north of us with coyotes, people, and pets. Warnings include no unattended pets in the backyard if you are up against open space. My brother-in-law saw two in his backyard; they are up against a horse pasture in the middle of suburbia. His next door neighbor no longer has ducks in the pond in his backyard, and the chickens are gone too (which is probaby why the coyotes were there).

If I can find the link from the Colorado Front Range I'll send it to you. They produced a youtube video about the proper way to haze coyotes as opposed to how not to haze coyotes (shoo, little dog, shoo).

I watched a coyote set up where a single coyote tried to lure a dog out - and there was a small pack of coyotes waiting in the wings. This was when we still ran HT at Bosque del Apache. After a half hour they gave up and the whole pack came out of hiding.

You're 70 lbers could probably take a single coyote. But not 6 or 8.

Several of the stories offered here are exactly correct - coyotes tend to hate domestic dogs and sure like to kill them just like wolves kill coyotes. When I have my dogs out, I have all of six of them running so i don't think any pack of coyotes will try - they never have - but even a big dog

The .223 cure keeps them in line, but without some kind of strong negative reinforcement, they have no fear.

I don't know your county - in Bernalillo County there is no discharge of firearms. Here in San Juan County, its fish and game rules, no discharge within 150 yards of a house without written permission. Bon has the right idea.
 
#28 ·
I find it interesting that many of you would move to the country & then attempt to citify your surroundings. Predators are there for a purpose, had nature not intended them to thrive, she would not have nurtured their development. The two legged predators in the city are much worse than the 4 legged & winged are in this setting.

We have always lived where there are not a lot of people around, by choice. The wildlife we view on a daily basis, & their trust in our presence, says something about how one conducts themselves in their environment. At no time do we try to make them so unwary that they cannot exist in their environment.

Coyotes have tried for a couple of our laying hens & gotten a mouthful of tail feathers as a result. Funny how the hens stay by the house when out of their pen, which in turn keeps the household bugs down.

Predators serve a purpose, they eat lots of rodents & feral cats, don't leave things out that they might like to eat & they will no longer cruise your area on a regular basis. A blank pistol, such as you use for training, will make them keep a healthy distance or at the least, eat the neighbors stuff :).

You folks remind me of those who move to the boonies, yet expect nothing to interfere with the way of life enjoyed by the city folk. If you don't eat it, shooting it is only the choice of last resort.
 
#29 ·
I guess around here the only ones that are killed that have taken a pet is sick and starving. We don't have any (reported on anyway) that are bold enough to do what these are doing. Have heard of it many times but never here. Must have enough space that they have enough wildlife. Well, that and the ones seen around here are usually shot soon after. lol Have lost a dog to a Mountain Lion, and it is a terrible feeling. People have moved into the hills and pushed them down into the country. That and we have TOO many cats around. Should be open season on the cats here!
 
#31 ·
I think the problem is worse where there is no more country left, urban encroachment into habitat is a recipe for disaster. We are overloaded with yotes, more get taken out by cars then guns around here. I live in the boonies, lots of space and still they are constantly coming up to the yard from the wetland. :) Fair game Marvin-if they stay down there and eat geese we could call a truce. As it is-no animal gets to threaten my Weezie.
 
#32 ·
I understand that Nancy. However, I'm betting Weezie isn't ever put in a position to be snatched. I'm not saying don't protect your territory at all. We are responsible to not put our pets in a position for that to happen. Give the Weezer a big kiss for me........not Bart. lol
 
#33 · (Edited)
True. I do the best I can to watch them, use the fenced area etc. Accidents happen and I feel for those who have lost their pets to mother nature. It sucks. Last month we were out in the yard and I see her crouch down funny-look up and imagine my surprise there flys an eagle. Beautiful bird. Small dogs went inside.

Weezie is so kissable!!! Thanks Tim!!
 
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