• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Calving in coyote country( graphic pics)

A cow can usually do well with a dog or even two, but when they get too many, the cow will end up trampling her calf as she fights. I had 4 coyotes on one the other morning, but ran them off before they finished their dirt. I can't imagine what wolves would be to deal with, and I don't want to try! I lost one to domestic dogs last year. It was chewed up on the ears and front feet and not eaten, so it must have been dogs vs coyotes.
 
Shortgrass said:
A cow can usually do well with a dog or even two, but when they get too many, the cow will end up trampling her calf as she fights. I had 4 coyotes on one the other morning, but ran them off before they finished their dirt. I can't imagine what wolves would be to deal with, and I don't want to try! I lost one to domestic dogs last year. It was chewed up on the ears and front feet and not eaten, so it must have been dogs vs coyotes.
Click to expand...

Strange how a dog will do that.

Years ago, I ONCE and briefly had a dog that started chewing on a sick calf's ears. I had put the poor lil bugger out of the barn to get some sunlight and fresh air.

Later that day, I came to check on the calf and there was the dog, just a young fella, chewing on the calf's ears. Poor calf was trying to twist away from the dog but was too weak to get up and shake him off. Dog had the ears chewed to nubbins.

You might say it was the dog's last supper. Only time I didn't regret shooting a dog, as he had a history of doing many similarly stupid things . . .
 
We had one neighbor lost a few calves to a pair of wolves about ten years ago-they travel in a pretty big circle he'd lost one every ten days or so till they moved on. By the time we calve they are more interested in killing stuff they can pack back to the den. They did a study on them in the Prince albert Park and they lived on beaver of all things in the summer. Coyotes are alot more trouble at calving-the guys along the river get into some trouble with wolves running yearlings in the late summer teaching cubs. But for the amount of wolves we have close by they haven't caused 'US' much grief-the Provincial Forest is only three miles south of me-alot of habitat!!!
 
I think in my deal there was a pair of wolves denned nearby. Lost a young calf one night and a newborn and his mom the second night. Rifled the big dog the third night while he was carrying away another calf. Five head counting the snared heifer.
I was proud of the little first calf heifer that got killed. The ground was torn up in a 50' circle around her calf so she put up a valliant effort.
Sucked to have no compensation for my loss. Like NR said most times you just notice a calf missing, in this case I darn sure know what happened.
 
The best wolf bait is a dead dog-freeze him in a standing position then set traps around him. Most guys drive a circle on their skidoo than set traps off the back.
 
Part of my job is pest control, so I run into all kinds of situations. I was called out to an acreage that had a horse killed. i was shown this carcass. It appeared thgat 3 yotes had cased out these mini horses for a day or two, then chased this one on top of a snowbank where ita short legs fell through, trapping it. This was all that was left of it after one night. A tough lesson for the people, but yote was just doing there thing.

 
starvin'dog said:
I think in my deal there was a pair of wolves denned nearby. Lost a young calf one night and a newborn and his mom the second night. Rifled the big dog the third night while he was carrying away another calf. Five head counting the snared heifer.
I was proud of the little first calf heifer that got killed. The ground was torn up in a 50' circle around her calf so she put up a valliant effort.
Sucked to have no compensation for my loss. Like NR said most times you just notice a calf missing, in this case I darn sure know what happened.
Click to expand...

We have found that you will eventually locate any cattle that have died of causes other than predator loss.
Wolves will even go to the extent of licking the blood off the grass. On small calves they will eat everything including the bones.
A grizzly seems to always leave some clue of his deeds. Twice now I have found the scene of a grizzly killed baby calf where all that was left was a small piece of a shoulder blade.
If you find a carcass that has been eaten on, a little skinning over the shoulders and on the hindquarters will tell you if it is bear or wolves.
We have a compensation program here but you have to find the kill early enough to prove the culprits.
 
We lost 2 calves and 1 cow to wolves.
we have seen a black pair out here several times. My son saw them last fall while out on his 4-wheeler, he nows goes out with his .22 mag and he also stays away from the area we believe they are at.
 
I'd be more worried about my kid getting hurt on the bike, or hit by lightning, or just about anything other than wolf eaten.
If you're in big country a loop or two a week with a quad might be enough human presence to make them move on.
I'm quite a bit bigger, although maybe not quite as tough as any wolf and I'd hate to take a slug from a .22 mag.
Remember the story of a native lady, .22 short and some kind of record Grizz up in GCreek's country years ago.
 
We've never had a coyote problem. Could it be the 7 donkeys? :wink:

We've got lots of coyotes around too, because every time the train blows it's horn, it's like a choir out there. They seem to know where the fences are, and have learned to stay out. As have the local dogs. I know for a fact that these local coyotes do kill deer, so they have the ability and skills to do calf damage if they want.

Since they do eat a lot of rodents, as long as they behave, we'll leave them alone.
 
starvin'dog said:
I'd be more worried about my kid getting hurt on the bike, or hit by lightning, or just about anything other than wolf eaten.
If you're in big country a loop or two a week with a quad might be enough human presence to make them move on.
I'm quite a bit bigger, although maybe not quite as tough as any wolf and I'd hate to take a slug from a .22 mag.
Remember the story of a native lady, .22 short and some kind of record Grizz up in GCreek's country years ago.
Click to expand...

I know Mrs Lulua, her husband Casmile passed away sometime in the last year.

I asked her about killing that bear, she said " That bassutt kill my calf, what I gonna do?"
She shot him twice with .22 shorts at about 20 yards in the dark and went back in the house. Next morning they found the bear about 50 yards from where she shot him.
The bear was mounted full mount and stood at full height in the Chilco Lake Lodge for several years. When the owners came in to spring clean one year the bear was gone. Apparently someone came in with a plane during the winter and flew it away. To my knowledge it has never been found.

And NR, that "old squaw" is more of a lady than a large majority I've run across. Regardless of race. :wink:
 
We lost 2 calves a couple of months back. They were both mothered by heifers. I thought I had the yotes killed off but surprise, surprise. We have been killing them pretty good since then. I have one that's nocturnal and won't show very often. Sorry to hear about your loss.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top