Coyotes

[Cowpuncher]

We let hunters go for coyotes on our place.

The favored method here is to use hounds.

Last week they caught 17 in one day. We saw 7 coyotes in the area of one of our herds. They caught 4 of them.

They finally had to quit because the dogs were burned out.

Calling them seems less successful, but they still get a few.

Brute force seems to outdo finesse.

 

[RRoss]

Right now we seem to have more deer and rabbits than I care to have, so I have not hunted or allowed varmint hunting. I'm hoping coyotes start to put a check on the deer/rabbits.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

For what is's worth i was told that increasing numbers of gophers (richardson ground squirrels) will support more coyotes but coyotes don't decrease the number of gophers as much.

 

[Cowpuncher]

I don't think hunting coyotes is very effective in reducing their numbers.

RThe only time I remember coyotes being under control was when they were using coyote bombs with cyanide. Read somewhere that when coyotes are controlled, they have more pups. Dunno

 

[Anonymous]

Cowpuncher-- I look at your avatar and I think of something as bad as a coyote in ways- altho they are a lot prettier....We have lots of eagles around here in the spring (about calving time)--Have seen as many as 20+ sitting around within a couple miles of the house.....I have never had a problem with them and calves, but when I see one sitting a few feet from a newborn eating the afterbirth it sure sends chills up your back......They have sure created havoc with the sheepmen and lambs tho....

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

What has made sheep ranching the most unprofitable in the US? Is it coyoes eagles or the loss of wool payments.

 

[TXTibbs]

Yes, coyotes breeding habits during periods of stress or population control change. In such a way that if their population is plentyfull the ole bitch will only have 1 or 2 pups, but that same bitch on a year where the coyotes numbers have been drastically reduced may have 6 pups or more. Their clever that way......

Also interesting, an Armadillo can control what sex its pups are going to be....AND they always have 4 identical babies.....meaning they are all of the same sex every time!

:lol:

 

[RRoss]

Cowpuncher-- I look at your avatar and I think of something as bad as a coyote in ways- altho they are a lot prettier....We have lots of eagles around here in the spring (about calving time)--Have seen as many as 20+ sitting around within a couple miles of the house.....I have never had a problem with them and calves, but when I see one sitting a few feet from a newborn eating the afterbirth it sure sends chills up your back......They have sure created havoc with the sheepmen and lambs tho....

I believe they are called "over-rated vultures"

 

[Faster horses]

In the late '70's and early 80's I worked for some people in that owned a shopper in Western Montana. They would not believe that an eagle could swope down and pick up a baby lamb.

Took me quite awhile, but with the help of some other ranchers, I finally convinced 'em. They were from Washington state and had never been out of the city. Had some pretty lofty ideas about Mother Nature.

 

[Silver]

Cowpuncher-- I look at your avatar and I think of something as bad as a coyote in ways- altho they are a lot prettier....We have lots of eagles around here in the spring (about calving time)--Have seen as many as 20+ sitting around within a couple miles of the house.....I have never had a problem with them and calves, but when I see one sitting a few feet from a newborn eating the afterbirth it sure sends chills up your back......They have sure created havoc with the sheepmen and lambs tho....

I believe they are called "over-rated vultures"

Isn't that why Ben Franklin ( at least I think it was him) wanted the wild turkey for the US national symbol instead? Really, it would be more apropriate. Dang that stigma... :wink:

 

[RRoss]

I don't think hunting coyotes is very effective in reducing their numbers.

RThe only time I remember coyotes being under control was when they were using coyote bombs with cyanide. Read somewhere that when coyotes are controlled, they have more pups. Dunno

I feel they can be kept in check or controlled by proper and consistant hunting.
Work on the adults,
Look for dens in the spring,
Call the pups in the fall after they have been kicked out of the den,

 

[Soapweed]

An Armadillo can control what sex its pups are going to be....AND they always have 4 identical babies.....meaning they are all of the same sex every time!

:lol:

So TXTibbs, do you "arm-a-dillo" to preg check them and find out all this stuff? :? :???: :wink:

 

[Northern Rancher]

Haven't you heard the old saying'Shoot one coyote and seven more come to the funeral.' we don't have much trouble up here and we have lots of coyotes-we don't poison out our gophers but we do blaze away at the 'yotes from time to time-about the only calves they take are the odd extra twin-during calving I see them every day looking for cleanings and such. Isn't an eagle just a raven with a white head lol-they seem to fight over the same dead skunks on the highway. Hey OT go check that bronc picture I posted.

 

[Kato]

We have been told that if you have coyotes and they are not bothering your livestock, don't shoot them. If you do you stand a good chance of having them replaced with coyotes that will. :shock: I know we've got some in our immediate neighbourhood that never bother the cattle, but 5 miles south of us there's a bunch that have killed and maimed more than a couple of calves. I think for now we'll just stay with our locals and leave them alone. Otherwise that other bunch may wander in, and give the donkeys a job to do. :wink:

We've found them handy for keeping the geese out of the corn too!

 

[PureCountry]

I leave the dogs be, til they come near the stock, then the gloves come off and ole' Lucille comes out. Remington 500 in 30-06 Springfield - she's my baby. Course a couple nights ago the wife and I were watchin alittle CSI, and somethin came trottin in the yard lookin about half the size of our hound, Molly. I stood up and looked out the picture window, and here's a darn yote not 20 yards from the house! I grabbed the 12 ga. b/c it was right handy, stepped out the door looked him in the eye and pumped a load uh buck.....into the gravel between his legs. He was so darn close the pattern didn't have time to spread -I shoulda known better - juvenile mistake, and by the time I jacked another shell, Molly had ran him down across the road in the field. All ya could hear was her roarin and snarlin and the yote yelpin. Sweet music to the ears. :wink:

 

[cowzilla]

Brother in law traps a few each year on my land and conveniently leaves a couple for next year. Cows don,t let them get to close at calving time. Don,t think the pelts are worth much any more. When they got to thick about 10 years ago mange set in a wipped a bunch of them out. When they lose there hair and its -30 in January thats got to be a cruel way to die :!:

 

[PureCountry]

Yeah, isn't it great? :twisted: :twisted:

 

[theHiredMansWife]

Read somewhere that when coyotes are controlled, they have more pups.

I read the same thing TXTibbs posted about litter sizes adjusting for population. Saw it in NebraskaLand a year or two ago.

We have the live and let live philosophy, too. So long as they're not running around in the calving lot or something, we leave them be. Too many PDs not to! lol

 

[Itrap4u]

Actually TXTIBBS, most breeding pairs have more than 1-2 pups each year avg is around 5.3 in alot of areas, yes they can have more pups but when you put it into 10 year avgs they don't change much. If you can increase across the board about .6 to .7 pups over a longer time spand that does add up.

Calling can be the most effective tool on coyotes, but if your looking to do good then fall/ ealry winter is not the time to kill your coyotes for maximum benefit, you kill out the young of the year and some adults, but through dispersal by the time they pair up in late winter and you have decent habitat the ones that will be the livestock killers will be in place.

Calling coyotes is very effective and one of the quickest ways to end depredation, you start in Late April- July peak periods you can call in the adults, take then dens ealry and then mop up the pups after they get mobil from the den with calling,snares and traps.

If possible take the bitch first, she alot of the times is the lagging coyote when you call the males alot of the time not all of the time, are the more agressive coyote, he can be called back in with more success than the bitch "most" of the time. Also some have nurse maids 1 year old females that never paired up and will help the others raise the pups. Trying to get them dead the first time is key as they will move the pups early in the season at the first hint of danger.

To trully keep coyote numbers in check it takes a balanced approach, one tool used to much in a given area will lead to avoidance, it has been proven with almost any tool, but the trap is a tool that has been used for coyotes for many years and by keeping things natural and scent free a trap is a tough tool to beat or for a coyote to get wised up too.

Calling too much in area will lessen the effectivness of that tool, exspecially if you screw up more often than not. I am always learning when it comes to coyote control and they are a trully awsome predator and you keep learning a lifetime, once you think you have them all figured out they will throw you a new wrinkle, but man alive there fun to match wits against!!!

 

[Silver]

You know, we have tons of coyotes here, allways have. And I don't believe we've ever lost a calf to coyotes that wasn't nearly dead already. And then I think I could count those on one hand and have fingers left to grab a pinch of cope. And coyotes here are a lot bigger than what I've seen down south. Mebbe those southern critturs is just meaner.