Residents are howling at the sight of coyotes

[tellner]

From Christopher Moore's hilarious "Coyote Blue"....

Coyote, the Native American Deity, has invaded our hero's yuppie LA lawyer life, trashed his apartment, eaten the neighbor's cat and is currently making the Sign of the Aardvarking Bandicoot with his firm's secretary in the Senior Partner's office

If G-d didn't want me to have cats and ugly women why did He make them so easy to catch?

 

[Lonestar]

Now there's an interesting study in ethology.

Do coyotes tend to watch traffic more in high accident areas?

I kid you not, I have seen stray dogs in the middle of a city look both ways before crossing a street. Just a matter of time before the Yotes adapt and start going into the cities to thin the homeless population

Seriously though I am noticing less wildlife in PA state game lands and more in patches of woods and parks in the suburbs, but when someone suggest a control hunt to thin the deer populations, all the anti hunting residents start to protest. Well more game in your neck of the wood is going to draw more predators. Now the suburbs are having more Coyotes, Eastern Cougars, and black bears. Serves them right.

 

[jrou111]

Alas, the environment of the metro-sexual male has been encroached by invading wild garbage bandits


If only they knew that there is a tool on the market to take care of this problem

 

[shermacman]

If only they knew that there is a tool on the market to take care of this problem

But is that tool available at Brookstone?

 

[jrou111]

But is that tool available at Brookstone?

Yes, Brookstone pawn and gun.

 

[Zoogster]

Discharging a firearm within city limits in CA for any reason other than immediate self defense against something posing imminent danger is against the law. So shooting a coyote, even if it is in your yard or killing the neighbors pet is illegal, and your likely to see the inside of a court room, especialy if it is publicized and animal rights groups get wind of it.
If it is killing your own pet it is still technicaly illegal unless it is "livestock" which a dog or cat is not.
To be technicaly legal you would have to be breaking up the animals and have the yote turn on you. However I have even seen it held against people in court if the wound was not a part of the animal that would be presumed to be facing you during an attack, such as the head, chest or back with the wound channel corrosponding to the proper direction. So even if it is in the process of attacking you and you hit it in the side it will count against you. CA laws are crazy. A felony animal cruelty charge is also optional for the local prosecutor or responding officers in many states. Even shooting a rabid animal not immediately attacking someone could leave you a felon. The only legal option is calling animal control/police, which will usualy mark that as a low priority and respond within a couple hours, at which point the animal is gone and free to return later.

 

[Zoogster]

Here is a former sheriff's deputy that felt in danger from a dog: http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2006/10/28/news/local/doc45431fd5e47ab748939925.txt Prosecutors said this: Prosecutors said in their closing statements that a reasonable person would have contacted McHenry County Animal Control or police.
Here is a case where someone decided to kill thier pet because they felt thier pit bull was vicious, they all became felons : http://azstarnet.com/sn/crime/163988
Here is one of a teen shooting a dog chasing his car and becoming a felon http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/52804.html
Here is a guy that felt in danger from a growling dog smelling like a skunk and shot it with a a shotgun to become a felon http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/Week-of-Mon-20040209/019178.html
Here is one of a guy shooting and killing a dog fighting with his own dog, and then pointing the gun at the owner of the dog he shot who was likely very emotional. The prosecutor says he made them fight, and it is possible he is a jerk, but he shot a dog killing his dog, and then escorted the owner of the shot dog away at gunpoint and now faces 15 years and is guilty of 2 felonies. http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Press_Releases/2006_Archives/Jan_2006/06016.html
Here is a guy that shot a police dog that wandered away from it's owners house and was on his property. He faces much more serious charges simply because it is considered a peace officer by law, and technicaly he can be charged with homicide if the prosecutor chose to. http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/16382937.htm

So while I didn't look long enough to find the perfect examples of shooting an animal, I just wanted to cite some quick references to people shooting dogs that all became felons in multiple states, and the dogs were either thier own animal , or on their property. So do not think you will not be facing charges even if you are in the right and have to shoot a dog. It is also at least one felony, even if it is a wild animal like a yote in many states Unless you have a license, and your not in a location where that license is not valid, like city limits, or even unincorporated places in CA.

Here is another guy charged with multiple counts when he had a dog on his property and was bitten by it securing it and decided to put it down on his own. http://cbs4boston.com/topstories/local_story_102135323.html So even though the dog would be euthanized by the state for such action, him doing it himself makes him a felon, it was not self defense.
"Shooting a dog, either on or off of the owner's property unless the dog is in the act of attacking a human being or livestock." Cited in many places as a felony.

 

[gunsmith]

Zoogster

Thank You

I once followed a big stinky yote on my motorcycle in San Francisco
and it turned on me, I was very tempted to shoot it because it was growling me and staring me down like it wanted to fight.
I revved my bike and flashed the brights in it's eyes and it gave up.

If a yote was going to eat my little friend Sparky, (the tactical Rat Terrier)
I would shoot it, then bury it.
(shoot the yote that is, not my little friend Sparky)