A pack of coyotes in my neighborhood - and a bobcat!

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Yesterday I was driving near my neighborhood when I thought I saw a loose dog - unusual, because my area has a leash law.

On closer examination, I saw it was a coyote, and in front of him were two more trotting down the side of the street. I swerved over to get a closer look, honked my horn, and they all jumped into bushes nearby, but kept moving. No fear, just avoidance.

There have been several reports in this area of small dogs and some cats being killed and eaten - either by coyotes or a large bobcat that has been observed (next door!) chewing up a cottontail rabbit greedily. These predators can easily jump fences, so backyard fences pose no problem to access to our back yards.

There is a law against discharge of a firearm within city limits, and these varmints must have read it, because they are in no way afraid of humans.

I'm concerned because of a small dog we own (Booger), and we are now fearful for her safety. Not sure what can be done. Any suggestions?

John

 
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Keep Booger inside unless you're there, amigo. And even then, pay attention (Gina had a colleague here in the neighborhood whose NYC visitors' small dog was taken by a hawk before the horrified eyes of their children).

I've lived in a bobcat/coyote/cougar zone in the foothills for over 20 years, and I've lost count of the number of pets that people saw or knew were taken by wildlife. (One lady moved in with ten cats. I warned her to keep them inside. Six months later - zero cats.) And we're all walled with walls at least 6' high.

And it's not just the coyotes and bobcats - the "Missing Samoyed" signs are going to be going up around here soon when the cougars decide to come back down. Con cuidado . . .
 
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Booger is a cutie for sure. Protect him at all cost. No more letting him out back to play unattended. If you're out and mr yote hops across the fence it is self defense...it was coming after me, I was afraid it was rabid, it attacked me...etc

I have a little guy and he is under surveillance all the time. It would be a scorched earth situation if somebody got to him. That's my little boy!

Keep your guy safe
 
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Keep Booger inside unless you're there, amigo. And even then, pay attention (Gina had a colleague here in the neighborhood whose NYC visitors' small dog was taken by a hawk before the horrified eyes of their children).

I've lived in a bobcat/coyote/cougar zone in the foothills for over 20 years, and I've lost count of the number of pets that people saw or knew were taken by wildlife. (One lady moved in with ten cats. I warned her to keep them inside. Six months later - zero cats.) And we're all walled with walls at least 6' high.

And it's not just the coyotes and bobcats - the "Missing Samoyed" signs are going to be going up around here soon when the cougars decide to come back down. Con cuidado . . .

We've decided to close the doggy door at night; Booger's just going to have to suppress her urge to go out at night to pee.

Gracias, amigo.

John
 
We've had 2 mountain lion sightings just 500 yards north of me.
 
Not a coyote or bobcat, but we lost our Westie 10 years ago. She picked up a poison toad. The toxin killed her. The nearest Vet was in Quartzsite 40 miles away. By the time we got her there she was beyond help.
Our worry was rattlers, coyotes, etc. We never thought about the damned toads.
 
We live in a rural area, mostly farm and pasture country, so it's not uncommon to see the occasional coyote and we hear them after dark often. We also see a bobcat every now and again after dark.

I was talking with one of my closest neighbors at church recently and he told me his wife let out their Yorkie mix lap dog to do it's business after dark and as the dog was not 10 feet from the back door a bobcat pounced out from the shadows, grabbed it by the neck, and was gone, all while his wife stood there and watched. They never found a sign of their dog again.

Doesn't take long . . . .
 
There is a law against firing a gun in the city limits here to as I was recently annexed by the town. Coyote comes on my place, if I get a chance I will give him a load of shot and then let the chips fall where they may. None of my neighbors will complain. Lot of I don't know nothing about anything around here. I figure they would have a hard time convincing a jury around her it was wrong to shoot a coyote.

I see the Fish and Game is going to conduct a community meeting about the grizzly that has moved into the area. That is going to be interesting

Unfortunately if it causes to many problems I see a backhoe in its future. I hope he stays up in the Snowies. Not many roads once your in there. Elk, deer, berries, cherries etc. It is national forest, but private ranches surround it so very little public access, but some cows on the edges..

Lions come into town from time to time, but I think they are more interested in all the urban deer than dogs. I think we might have as many deer in town as we have dogs. I can't remember hearing about any 'lion got my dog" complaints
 
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It’s no joke there multiplying and spreading out. My sons girlfriend hit a big coyote there the size of a female German Shepard and it went under her car doing $2,200 in damage. I said good another one bites the dust.
My dog we watch when he’s out at night. My tamed feral cats know the score when there outside. With the Blackbears den 125yds away he keeps to himself. I seen a weird bobcat it was very tall with long legs. I seen a Canadian lynx. We had a mink get hit by a car. I seen a very fast black flash run through the field one day. Couldn’t get a good look at it. I thought it was a mink. We have a fisher cat too.

At my place in vt I can tell when a fisher is around there’s no red squirrels and chipmunks around.

I’m new in the neighborhood and I hear shots often at night. The natives are killing predators. It’s nothing to hear a 12 ga or 9 mm at 1am.

I adopted six abondoned kittens there full grown now. I have one he’s Rambo II he’s active at night. When I hear noises I listen for the dogs there my first alarm.

I guess it’s time to carry when mowing.

Don’t cut the claws on your outside cats. They need to defend themselves and climb quickly. My two outside cats sometimes stay out at night they won’t come in. One morning both were up in the pine tree outside my window. I checked the trail cam and a Fox was around at 7 am.
 
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I have a pack of coyotes that live on my back acreage. They stay in the back during the day. At night they come to right to the house to catch the cotton-tail bunny rabbits. How close to the house? There have been times when I had to step over the partially eaten carcass of a rabbit just in front of the door. Sometimes the coyotes sing to me in the early hours of the morning.

Mountain lion. There is a mountain lion that comes by to bother my horse. I don't want to kill it. One shot from a .30-30 into the ground near it, and the big cat runs away.

Rattlesnakes. I see a rattlesnake, I shoot a rattlesnake. I have become very proficient with my Browning Challenger. I'm not supposed to shoot on my property, but if my neighbor hears an occasional noise, he doesn't say anything.
 
My brother's outdoor cats sleep in the barn rafters since the coyotes moved in around 1980. The mini horses seem to be able to defend themselves or maybe there are easier meals.

In one summer we lost over 30 cats and 3/4 grown kittens to owls and coyotes. Most years we lost half a dozen to Detroit Steel, but if that's happening now days, the bodies are scavenged by daylight!

Those cute little "cigar box" White Owls can consume a whole adult cat in one night. I had to leave tractors and equipment around the yard, so the kittens had some place to hide many summers!

Ivan
 
Coyotes are survivors. Like most survivors, they are extremely adaptable. Urban spaces are good coyote habitat. Small pets, garbage, gardens and bird feeders bring in prey animals and cat and dog food dishes on back porches are an easy meal. I remember watching 6 coyotes just wander down the street in front of the strip mall I lived by. Just trotting right by like they were looking for the convenience store. I have heard a coyote howl echo off the buildings downtown one late night. My father worked with a biologist from IL. He studied coyotes. In Chicago. Coyotes are wherever they want to be. And you didn't hear it from me, but a wrist rocket slingshot with ball bearings is a good go away tool. Quiet, too.
 

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