Damn Coyotes !!!

[MikeBjerum]

The ewes have been out on pasture for less than six hours, and the coyotes are already closing in.  Top it off with an rainy day that is starting to break up, but only a sliver of a moon and lots of haze.  The spot light will penetrate well enough to get a general shape and get the eyes to light, but not a clear picture.  Some shining around and lots of noise have quieted things, but I'm sure we'll be awake a lot tonight.

[ccd]

Night Vision gear is worth it's weight in gold for ranchers. I know it doesn't seem like a good expense but it is. One of the many reasons I could never see getting into raising sheep. Don't you have any local teens you could pay to hunt the coyotes(bounties work wonders) around there at night? Is your local ag extension guy able to offer any assistance? The more intense and long term the pressure you can put on them the better.It has to be a year round emphasis. Hope you don't lose any.

[MikeBjerum]

We have several people that hunt throughout the winter here, and a few of us that "eliminate" year round.  Most people are afraid of getting in trouble for shooting them, but I've talked to the local sheriff, and he told me that if I see ANYTHING that might cause harm to the livestock to "don't ask - don't tell."  He also told me that if I get in trouble with the wildlife people that he will back me. 

This was a tough winter for hunting them.  No one knows where they all went to, because there were very few around.  However, late in lambing season they started to return, and now with calving in full swing they are here.  I've never lost anything off our place, but we have had packed up wild dogs spook show calves to the point they tore down a fence and disappeared for a day, and we have had many animals taken down on some of the more wooded pastures. 

I don't know what is happening to all the hunters and shooters either.  I know some of the best were high school students that left the area for school and aren't returning.  But, I am one of the few adults left also.  I have had more offers to come and hunt on so many places I am getting permission to pass on to others that will shoot.  I guess it is just one more area of lowered interest in shooting sports.

Hopefully we can get a few more taken care of this spring before the crops get too tall.

[ccd]

I have a real HATRED for feral dogs, used to work on a relatives dairy that was within a triangle of three urban areas within an hours drive at the most. Learned to appreciate the 22WMR for its moderate power and low noise levels. Also shot who knows how many feral cats(rather see foxes or bobcats around.) Coyotes probably went where ever the deer herded up for the winter. Good luck with the coyotes!

[Bidah]

We don't seem to have that problem here with either the Coyotes, Wolves, bears, and what have you.  We have a problem with the cut loose dogs, as was said before.  I am not sure how many my wife and I have shot, and the neighbors as well.  I can have the chickens out, and the goats roaming, and the wolves go by right behind the house and the chickens and never give it a second glance.

My wife already did one patrol this morning with no shots fired and nothing to report about.

-Bidah

[Sponsor]

[wisconsin]

Came home this early afternoon from my rifle club and there in crop field was a coyote jumping up and down. I guess going after mice.We have a real problem with them here. A couple of guys I meet at one of our range work days was telling me that they shoot them on regular basis. Still I can't tell you the number of times they howel too close to our windows. One of my wifes dogs almost bit the dust a few years ago. She was cornered by a couple of coyotes. Wife let 3 of her big males out and that stopped that. I have no love for coyotes.

[Rastus]

m58..getting in trouble for shooting them?  Harumph!  That's a shame.  You need a supressor...if your state will allow one.

They keep the busy body interest down.

www.advanced-armament.com
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[twyacht]

I noticed from the avatars the states Wisconsin, Minn, and Montana, are the coyotes that bad? You all have a similiar theme from a large amount of geographic area. and I didn't know it was that intense to have "patrols".    Good Luck!

Here in coastal NC, no coyotes, just possums, and raccoons, they harass my cats at night, Grandad's 410 or the tweaked up 10/22.( I have damn neighbors ), or it would be footage like the prairie dog "hang time" video posted some time back. Nothing like more caliber

[cookie62]

We have lots of coyotes here in Illinois also, they are all over my brother inlaws farm. We sit on the porch and shoot them. they take down small deer.

[Pathfinder]

Hunted them in Wyoming, fun, interesting to hear a guy call them with no tools, just his voice. Only problem is you get up at 4:00AM to do the hunt, and as anyone who has been on this site for a while, I am just not a morning person.

Also had them on the cattle ranch here in ND, always had to listen before putting the dogs out for the nasties little call. Didn't want to lose my Aussie to a pack. They never came close to the homestead though and were infrequent enough that I never needed to hunt them.

Also fun to watch is a herd of pronghorn running off a coyote. Yeah we had pronghorn on the place, especially the spring in the hills.