Red Alert Last Night

[iamhistory]

So it was about 10:00 last night and I'm sitting here reading through some threads when I hear my wife open the front door and try to call the dog in for the night. Cold air eventually started coming across the floor of the room I was in and I found it odd that she would have the door open that long to allow the sub zero cold we are having to come into the house. I was just pushing my chair away from the computer to see what was up and I hear a commotion. Suddenly she bursts into the room with urgency in her voice that something is outside after our dog.

I hear the dog really barking now and growling like she normally doesn't do. (my puppy is an almost 4 year old golden retriever who wouldn't attack a ham sandwich. great alert dog, not much of an attack dog.) We live out in the sticks and I figure the bear might be out after the garbage or something. I grab my G23 as it was closest to me, a flashlight, slip into my boots at the door and 30 yards off my front porch directly in front of me are 2 coyotes circling my dog and approaching the porch. (I've seen coyotes run through our field and even stop and look up at the house, but usually they are 300 yards away. They've never approached the dog before and especially haven't been this aggressive.)

I hit the light and stepped off the porch, calling my dog off......G23 was out of the holster and in hand.........she wouldn't budge as she felt threatened and was standing her ground. The coyotes weren't even bothered when my wife discovered what was going on and had the door open to call the dog. I stepped off the porch and they began to run. One made a beeline off to my right and down over an embankment......I couldn't get a shot. The other was still facing off with my dog and I hit it with the light and took a few more steps. It turned and started to run directly out in front of me, all the while looking back at me and kind of taking its time! I raised the Glock and went to fire when my dog ran in the line of fire after the coyote. I couldn't shoot. I called her off, tried to get a shot and by then that coyote had notched it up to full speed and was gone. It was dark, but there is snow on the ground so I could still see a shadow going through the field. He was moving and disappeared in a heartbeat.

I followed him for a 100 yards or so in open field just to get a look at his tracks to be sure that's what they both were. My dog was still going nuts, sniffing his tracks and growling. We got her back in the house and checked her out for wounds, but nothing, Thank God. We must have interrupted a potential fight right at the start.

We let her out this morning and she ran right back out into the field on those coyote tracks. I checked out the snow where I made initial contact with the coyotes and you can see an obvious pattern of tracks where they approached and started to circle my dog and she was trying to face both directions to protect herself.

So.......a little excitement at least. Those darn things won't come to my calls when I set up for them, but they seem to be getting awful bold or awful hungry. At least I got a chance to make a quick response to a "situation" and found my gear placement worked out well. As long as my wife and kids leave my boots at the door and stop taking flashlights out of their positions...........things will be just fine. The guns they don't touch. They know better than that and have some basic training on them.

 

[Standing Wolf]

...they seem to be getting awful bold or awful hungry.

Yep. I'd have been inclined to send a few rounds in the coyotes' general direction just in the hope of persuading them to think twice before returning.

I'm glad you were on top of things.

 

[joshuap]

Extremely bold and hungry coyotes

I live in San Diego on the edge of a canyon. After numerous years of drought, we have coyotes regularly hunting through the neighborhood. The "Lost" cat signs have become commonplace. About two years ago, at around 4:00pm in the afternoon, broad daylight, a coyote came out of the canyon, grabbed a West Highland Terrier from two boys (around 10 or 12 years old) on its leash. One of the fathers in the neighboorhood was out pitching baseballs to his son and saw the incident. He grabbed the bat from his son, chased the coyote into the canyon and after a few swings on the coyotes head, saved the dog.

Times like this, you wish you had a gun.

 

[DarkKnight01]

The next time you see them near your yard, dont even mess around, get a rifle (not a pistol) and end them... unless you want your dog or one of your kids to be their lunch sometime... I dont believe in interfering with nature.. but when it comes to me and mine whatevers causing the problem I have no trouble or remorse in killing it. Next time you see them, grab your scoped rifle and put one thru their ribcage... their a nuisance get rid of them... if they werent a nuisance they would be out where they belong.. not in your yard trying to kill your family pet.

 

[Bob F.]

Thread elsewhere last year re: lone coyote baited Rotty into brush at end of yard. Rotty died 10yds in when 5-8 coyotes ambushed it. You're lucky!
Stay safe, and armed.
Bob

 

[Remington788]

When I lived in the country in southern IL our dogs would get chased on a regular basis by the local coyotes. That is until I figured out a way to thin the population. We had a pole light that came on when it got dark that provided good lighting on one side of the house. After deer season one year the dogs dragged one of the skins out in the area of the pole light. That night a coyote came to chase the dogs and found the skin and started to eat on it. With the help of the light I was able to shoot the coyote with my .243. Over the next two weeks I shot seven coyotes and after that they avoided our house like the plague.

 

[Shorts]

Glad to hear your dog was ok. Your scenari oreminds me of home. And we lost numerous cats to coyotes that got brave and decided to hunt through our subdivision at night. Dad and I got tired of it one night and we laid out in the backyard with the rifles. The coyotes normally crossed by on the ridge of the canal and in moonlight, it was a perfect sillouhette. After several nights of this, we got rid of them.

One ofthe thingsa my grandma use to do on the farm to get rid of coyotes was of course poison them. She'd tie up the dogs and put the cats away. Then she'd mix a big batch of junk/ground meat with either antifreeze or crushed light bulbs. She then distributed the meat way out on the property. It got the coyotes, and sometimes it got the neighbors loose dogs (grandma didn't mind...if neighbors dogs are coming over from the farm a mile down, she had no mercy)

Anyway, take care of 'your stuff'

 

[LiquidTension]

I was visiting a friend in the mountains in October. His neighbor had already killed over FORTY coyotes since the beginning of the year. I wonder what the final count was at the end of the year?

 

[El Rojo]

My dad and I are pretty proficient coyote callers. We celebrated the MLK holiday by humanely dispatching four of the vermin. If you are in the sticks with no neighbors, I vote next time you double tap one with your Glock. I wold love to get a coyote kill with my Glock. I got a kill with my 11.5/5.5 Bushie FAB-10 Monday at about 30 yards or so. That was fun. I have also got a coyote with the M1 Carbine at about 60 yards too. Nothing is funner than shooting coyotes. Well squirrels.

 

[ruger270man]

theres been a coyote in my back yard a few times, so when we let the dog out to do her business at night we have to keep an eye on her.. i dont have a handgun yet, (not 21 yet), but ill be sure to take it out there when I do, coyotes are fair game 24/7, 365!

 

[firesafety3]

Down in my area they have cleared of lot of trees and the coyotes have taken to the fields for cover. At night they roam pretty much everywhere.

I have stepped outside to see five or six coyotes cut across my yard, and the next night to find a bobcat stalking a rabbit. While this is somewhat entertaining, I have three kids that play outside until dusk.

Someone here a while back posted a link to coyote and bobcat attacks on people, mostly children. I remember reading through the info and deciding that I can't leave it up to chance. The loaded Marlin hangs above the doorway.

 

[2t2 crash]

bein a city boy in the PRK, i cannot imagine that situation. I have had to deal with big raccoons and possums before though.

it's always compforting to know you can quickly respond to a situation.

 

[DigMe]

We must have interrupted a potential fight right at the start.

More likely you just interrupted dinner right at the start. We've been having to keep more of an eye on my boxer and my parents' aussie shepherd when we go out to our land. The coyotes have been getting more and more bold there.

brad cook

 

[Cool Hand Luke 22:36]

I have had the experience of suprising groups of 2-3 standing in my folks driveway, less than 20 feet from the front door, when stepping out for a smoke at night, back when I used to smoke.

Funny how well adapted they are for suburban life in western Mass. The automatic motion sensing lights over the garage didn't even phase them, nor were they particularly impressed with me shouting at them, they just sauntered off at their own pace.

 

[DarkKnight01]

Funny how well adapted they are for suburban life in western Mass. The automatic motion sensing lights over the garage didn't even phase them, nor were they particularly impressed with me shouting at them, they just sauntered off at their own pace.

Thats when they become the most dangerous, when they stop fearing humans... soon theyll be on the porch... Kill them before it comes to that. Their scavengers and over populated... time to thin it out

Also contacting your local game warden and let them know their becoming a nuesince may help, depends on the state and how motivated your game wardens are. Just a thought

 

[TallPine]

This is one of the reasons that I almost always grab a rifle when I go outside to check things out (like our dog(s) barking).

So far we haven't had any trouble with coyotes, and our cats are outside a lot on warm nights. The only predator that I have shot is the neighbor's dog that came right up on our porch and killed a kitten in broad daylight.

You never know what might be out there, although usually it is nothing important.

 

[MrMurphy]

Ruger270man, you only have to be 18 for rifles and shotguns.

Get a 12ga.



Friend of mine has a wild pig herd on his property (90 acres he lives on, only person there) and occasionally he hunts them when he's there (off at school sometimes).


He either stalks them, or buries some garbage (meat, vegetables, etc) a few inches deep in a patch a few yards across, then sets up his ambush.

Sometimes he's gotten four or five in one night.

Coyotes, similar ambush can work too.

 

[Arc-Lite]

Not knowing what part of the country your in, or anything about the other creatures that roam your woods, here is an idea that has worked for me. I went to a bow shop, and picked up some lion scent and put this in the general direction of the coyotes entry and exit points.... one smell of this, and the red flag goes off for the coyotes.... good side it worked, down side, it could have brought the lions in... but, in a general area, your coyote population will be far greater then the lion population, so if use correctly, you can get the word to the coyotes without making the lions curious. Chances are, what ever the reason they came in the first place... they will be back, might be time, for awhile, to keep your four legged family member company, while in the yard...if you saw 2, chances are there were more.

 

[Powderman]

When I was stationed at Ft. Bliss, we spent a lot (and I mean a LOT) of time on McGregor and Dona Ana Range during field exercises.

One night while I was standing guard at a bunker well removed from the main battery area, I started to hear yipping. Pretty soon, it came closer and closer, and finally I saw at least five 'yotes. They seemed to be sizing me up and circling, getting closer and closer.

I hadn't eaten anything in my position, so I guess they were pretty desperate and hungry. They got a bit closer, and I turned my flashlight on them and gave out my approximation of the meanest growl/snarl that I could. At the same time, with entrenching tool in hand, I started to throw sand in all directions while shuffling around in some sagebrush. I was trying to give the impression that I was a lot meaner, and a lot BIGGER than they were!

I guess it worked; they went on to better things, only circling once in a while. I then swigged about two canteens full of water, and whizzed on every brush I could around my position.

As you might know, during field exercises the Army does not issue live ammunition--and most of the time not even blanks.

From then on, though, I made sure that I had a full magazine of .223 softpoints squirreled away in my back pocket whenever we went to the field. Just in case......

 

[cordex]

In my experience, individual 'yotes are less dangerous than most individual dogs. Unless they've been feral for a long time, dogs often aren't as good at working as a pack as coyotes. A pack of 'yotes making hungry eyes at me or mine would definitely make me itch for something with a bit more ooomph than a pistol and more cartridges than a shotgun. An SKS or AR would be my 'yote gun of choice, but when speed is of the essence, can't beat a pistol by your side, right?

 

[P95Carry]

Saw some strange tracks in snow in my yard this morning .... thought deer first of all but - not right for that. Could well have been a loping yote ... we know there are more round here last year or two.

Solo yote not too bad - but get a few that pack hunt - and they'll take all sorts.

 

[moa]

Recently read in the papers that Rock Creek Park in Washington DC now has coyetes. I sure it will not be long before they are in my neighborhood in nearby Maryland.

I think I might invest in a crossbow. I doubt if the local authorities would appreciate me using a firearm, regardless of the threat.

Understand a coyete can get as big as 50 lbs.

 

[sturmruger]

Iamhistory what part of the US do you live in??

 

[Jmurman]

Recently read in the papers that Rock Creek Park in Washington DC now has coyetes. I sure it will not be long before they are in my neighborhood in nearby Maryland.

they are already here. I live in Baltimore County and have seen them on numerous occasions. A .22 LR to the ribs will send a fairly quiet yet deadly message to them.

I used to live in Oregon and hunt them there. Coyotes are very smart. They dont circle dogs to fight, but to kill and eat. If you miss one, then you have taught him a lesson that he will use the next time, rest assured.

 

[Azrael256]

One of my best hunting experiences was sniping coyotes that were killing grandad's goats. It's a rural area of central Texas that has some very rapid development going on. Coyotes getting run out all over the country down there. I took a girlfriend with green hair and piercings I don't want to think about up there with her SKS. As soon as I saw one, she would have a round through its head. Not a bad shot at 200 yards and about 80 hours of range time in her whole life. Freakishly good shot, she is.

I hate to say this, as it makes me quite uneasy, but the pack doesn't learn if one of them just doesn't come home. Killing them in vast heaps only seems to attract more scavengers of various descriptions, and did little to discourage future incidents. Sending them home with three legs would stop that particular pack from invading again.

Also, dogs like Great Pyrenees can be helpful. I guess it isn't so handy in your situation, but we finally got one to herd the goats. Once she reached maturity, we would find her with a few scratches to the face, and a gruesomely dispatched predator draining into the pasture. Those dogs are killing machines. They will happily eviscerate you if you don't tie them up when handling the goats. She proved MUCH more effective than anything else we tried. She didn't wait for the coyotes to start circling, she would see one and just go kill it. If he had friends, she killed them, too.