OMG A Coyote

On Saturday, we saw an animal sitting out back beside our pond. We were looking out the bedroom window. He went to get the gun and I went to get the binoculars. Needless to say the animal didn't wait and he disappeared. Tonight I got up from the table to refill my water glass and there he sat again. It was a coyote. Because our cats live outside, the only choice was to shoot this critter. Our cats live within a fenced in area, but coyotes dig under. I guess this is just something that goes with living in the country. I know my cats are safer than cats that run free, but not as safe as if I could have them inside. We are surrounded on three sides by crops, right now wheat, and we never know what is going to be in our yard.

Your best bet would be to eventually build a solid - either wood or metal fence around their fence. If you could build it to include their pen and up to your backdoor you'd have the added security of having a space that's safe for you to be out in, too.
I like being able to go out into the section of my backyard that the cats are in and know that I'm not going to encounter anything other than a cat or bird.

DH and I were driving home on our road with the fog lights on one night. A rabbit ran out in front of us from our next door neighbor's yard, a coyote right on its heels. The coyote was so pitiful looking...it was skin and bones and looked like it didn't have hair. I used to sit out on the front porch before daylight waiting on my ride to nursing school and I could hear howling in somewhere in the distance, but I wasn't sure if it was coyotes or dogs. Now I am scared to sit out in the front after dark. I don't think coyotes are native to NC; I think they were brought here for some reason by hunters. Whatever the reason was, it wasn't a good idea.

^Coyotes are native to pretty much all of the states, including North Carolina. There's also wild red wolves there.

Originally Posted by nurseangel

DH and I were driving home on our road with the fog lights on one night. A rabbit ran out in front of us from our next door neighbor's yard, a coyote right on its heels. The coyote was so pitiful looking...it was skin and bones and looked like it didn't have hair. I used to sit out on the front porch before daylight waiting on my ride to nursing school and I could hear howling in somewhere in the distance, but I wasn't sure if it was coyotes or dogs. Now I am scared to sit out in the front after dark. I don't think coyotes are native to NC; I think they were brought here for some reason by hunters. Whatever the reason was, it wasn't a good idea.

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I agree with you about the coyotes. I have been in NC all my life. When I was growing up, there were not any in the county where I live. It has been told that the fox hunters brought them in. They got loose and now we have them by the thousands. Coyotes will kill anything. They are worse than bobcats.

If you go outside here at night you can hear them howling....I have not lost any farm cats to them in the 5 years they've been fixed. (The cats don't wander & the coyotes won't come in the yard) Still eerie.

My husband has a shop out back. We leave a radio playing there. I read that music or talking will make the coyotes think people are close by.

I've never seen a coyote around here, but we have seen lots of foxes.

And although "experts" say that there are no mountain lions in our area, I came home from work one night and I'll swear that there was a lion sitting at the top of our driveway. DH made fun of me, until our neighbor found big cat prints in his yard. Not too long after that, he also saw what he thinks was a mountain lion.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

On Saturday, we saw an animal sitting out back beside our pond. We were looking out the bedroom window. He went to get the gun and I went to get the binoculars. Needless to say the animal didn't wait and he disappeared. Tonight I got up from the table to refill my water glass and there he sat again. It was a coyote. Because our cats live outside, the only choice was to shoot this critter. Our cats live within a fenced in area, but coyotes dig under. I guess this is just something that goes with living in the country. I know my cats are safer than cats that run free, but not as safe as if I could have them inside. We are surrounded on three sides by crops, right now wheat, and we never know what is going to be in our yard.

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You shot a coyote? I am flabbergasted.

Originally Posted by butzie

You shot a coyote? I am flabbergasted.

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I am sorry you are flabbergasted. When they are in our yard, there is no choice. These animals are often rabid. Also my cats have to live outside in a fenced in area. The fence is chain link and the coyotes are well know for their digging efforts. We have lots of wild life here. As long as it stays in the fields around the house it is safe. When wild animals come in the yard with my cats, they are in danger.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

I am sorry you are flabbergasted. When they are in our yard, there is no choice. These animals are often rabid. Also my cats have to live outside in a fenced in area. The fence is chain link and the coyotes are well know for their digging efforts. We have lots of wild life here. As long as it stays in the fields around the house it is safe. When wild animals come in the yard with my cats, they are in danger.

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I am also "flabbergasted".

Please at least take responsibility for making a choice though. You did in fact make a decision, a choice, to kill a native animal who was doing nothing but sit by your pond. Not attacking your cats, not attacking your children.

Not sure where you get the info that "they are often rabid." It reminds me of people who choose to kill feral cats rather than TNR because "they carry disease." Just like killing ferals it will do nothing to the to others. There are ways to scare them off without harming them - blow whistle, air horn, shake can of marbles, make sure not to leave food outside, etc (altho outdoor cats ARE food). Maybe if there is no other water in the area but your pond, put a bucket of water away from your house, on the other side of the fence. And there are ways to make fences so that animals can not dig under.

Btw, you might want to put up a sign so all the wild animals will know to stay out of your yard.

Add me to the "flabbergasted".

I've always thought of The Catsite as one where people treasure the lives of all animals.......where alternatives to "shooting" are available, people who love animals would use them....such as:

Originally Posted by techigirl

There are ways to scare them off without harming them - blow whistle, air horn, shake can of marbles, make sure not to leave food outside, etc (altho outdoor cats ARE food). Maybe if there is no other water in the area but your pond, put a bucket of water away from your house, on the other side of the fence. And there are ways to make fences so that animals can not dig under.

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I'm sort of sorry I clicked on this thread now, as I keep picturing that little coyote just sitting there. It's spring - it may have been a female with a family.

Originally Posted by nanner

I've always thought of The Catsite as one where people treasure the lives of all animals.......where alternatives to "shooting" are available, people who love animals would use them...

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There used to be several snake killing threads on here, including some with pictures. I finally got sick of it and ask people how they could call themselves animal lovers and post that - especially the pictures. I don't know if that stopped it or if the mods have kept an eye out since.

Coyotes don't give me warm cuddly feelings, they're quite thick where I live and not all that shy. I remember being chased by a big pack of them when I was 4 - I was exploring too close to their den.

However, I believe prevention is the best in way to deal with animal issues. Enclose the cat fence and backyard in a solid buried fence or get a big loud dog. Save yourself from having to make a tough choice.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

There used to be several snake killing threads on here, including some with pictures.

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Whoa! That would, indeed, be very upsetting.

So I guess some of you folks are against hunting animals too. Where is live if there was no season on hunting animals, you would not be able to drive on the highway for deer and bears.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

So I guess some of you folks are against hunting animals too. Where is live if there was no season on hunting animals, you would not be able to drive on the highway for deer and bears.

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Nah, I'm from Oklahoma and spent some time in Michigan. Raised in very pro-hunting environments. IMO, if you kill it, use it. I don't like waste of any kind.

But since you can't use a coyote for anything and you can't be out there watching 100% of the time for others, it's best to make sure you and your cats have a safe zone.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

So I guess some of you folks are against hunting animals too. Where is live if there was no season on hunting animals, you would not be able to drive on the highway for deer and bears.

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I am not here to attack you for the coyote killing, although some of my forefathers consider the killing of coyotes, bobcats & moutain lions akin to killing people (I think, tho, that it is because killing predators really skews up the food chain). IMO, your DH was just protecting the kitties, showing good family man instincts. Heaven only knows why the coyote was there.....
....and so, I'd like to offer some advice (old-time cowboy technique): have your DH and any other unneutered, mature human males, "mark territory" around the boundaries that you wish to set (yes, I mean with pee, just like a tom cat).
Marking territory is "coyote speak" and the coyotes will understand and stay away. It is how I manage to keep them off the home area of our 10 acres. Bears, deer & cougar also respect that language. (Raccoons, unfortunately, don't.)
Again, I feel badly for the coyote, but would feel MUCH WORSE if you had posted how you heard the screams of a cat or little puppy being carried off in the night (something all us country girls have heard much, much too often)

Originally Posted by strange_wings

But since you can't use a coyote for anything and you can't be out there watching 100% of the time for others, it's best to make sure you and your cats have a safe zone.

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You can - fur coats but that is politically incorrect too. besides so many of them have mange and bad fur anyway.

Mange is what happens when there are too many coyotes for an area because there is no population control. They have very few natural predators in this area and the population grows madly, then most die off because of mange. Rabies is also very common when the population gets large. Bold coyotes usually have something wrong.

Originally Posted by sk_pacer

Bold coyotes usually have something wrong.

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Depends on the area. They can get rather bold if humans have encroached too much and they get used to people. So can cats - I'm sure everyone has seen the pics of bobcats living in foreclosed California homes.
There are some foxes around the edges of town that aren't that shy, either, they behave comparably to a feral or even just a stray cat.

But yes, I've seen more coyotes recently that look rough and seeing them out during the daytime is a huge red flag. Especially in summer here, nothing is very active and if an animal is something is wrong.

Originally Posted by nanner

Add me to the "flabbergasted".

I've always thought of The Catsite as one where people treasure the lives of all animals.......where alternatives to "shooting" are available, people who love animals would use them....such as:



I'm sort of sorry I clicked on this thread now, as I keep picturing that little coyote just sitting there. It's spring - it may have been a female with a family.

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It was a male. Someone suggested a fence. That is not feasible. This yard consists of three acres. Coyotes dig under fences. As for marking the territory, well that is a new one on me, but I will tell hubby. How many times would he have to do that to surround three acres. Also I am glad someone posted how they get mange and sickly if they are over populated. I am glad someone else pointed that out for me. That is true of all animals. If they are over populated they get sick and die out from disease and things much worse than a shot. As I previously stated, we love wildlife. We love sitting on our porch and watching the deer and bears in the field. When they decide to step the ditch and come in our yard by our house, then we have to think safety for ourselves and our cats. A bear, yes you could scare him off because he is not in the yard after cats anyway. A coyote, he will kill anything.