Callin' all varmint hunters!!

[Christian Fox]

Our cat was attacked by two coyotes this morning. By sheer chance, my wife happened to open the door to our backyard at the moment it was happening and got to our cat before she was a goner. The cat was attacked, got away injured and hid. The coyotes were homing in on her for the kill right as my wife found her. Thankfully, it looks like she is going to survive her injuries. She is a much loved part of our family. The scary part was this took place 15 feet from our back door at 9:00 in the am. According to my wife, they looked like they were ready for the westminster coyote show; big, healthy, shiny coats. They didn't seem too scared of my wife, either. Is this normal coyote behavior? We hear them at night and dawn, but never during the day. I'm not a gun guy, but would a pellet gun be a decent deterrent if they start coming around more often?

[-HvA-]

Not unusual for cats and smaller dogs to disappear here around Albuquerque, at least close to the hills. Yes, at this point it's not unusual for them to roam in packs very close to humans without being very scared. If you see erratic behavior they might be sick (rabies, etc.) but otherwise they're just hunting for smaller creatures.

Most people here get very tall fencing, not sure about the pellet guns.

[-HvA-]

PS: Hope the kitty has a speedy recovery!

[sjauch]

I will say don't waste your time with a pellet gun. It would be inhumane and would not kill the coyote. A .223 bolt gun would do the trick or if you're at close range a well placed .22 Mag would be ok. That is assuming you're allowed to shoot them in your backyard.

[christian]

You can't hunt with a firearm within 500 feet of a residence in CT. Your best (only) bet, if they become a nuisance, is to trap them. (Well, you can bowhunt, but, well, no...) And no, an airgun won't help. It'll injure them and would be inhumane. If you do trap them, the pelts of Coyotes must be tagged.

[Tom]

Use a blowgun and a poison dart.

Or throw an M-80 at them.

[caleb]

Your best (only) bet, if they become a nuisance, is to trap them.

An XL Havahart (live) trap might fit a coyote. Once you have the animal in the trap, you can then safely relocate it or move it to a location where it can be safely dispatched. If you go the relocation route, PM me for Steve P's address.

Poison would probably do the trick, but I wouldn't suggest it due to potential unintended damage (to your cat, other wildlife, yourself, etcetera). Unless, of course, you were thinking of blasting "Talk Dirty to Me" on loop at them over a loudspeaker. That might be a great idea.

I agree that the pellet gun is a bad idea.

And, check the regulations before you do anything. You may need to get some sort of nuisance animal removal permit in order to be legal.

[Christian Fox]

You can't hunt with a firearm within 500 feet of a residence in CT. Your best (only) bet, if they become a nuisance, is to trap them. (Well, you can bowhunt, but, well, no...) And no, an airgun won't help. It'll injure them and would be inhumane. If you do trap them, the pelts of Coyotes must be tagged.

Holy crap! Trappin', taggin' I can only handle so many apostrophes at once. You are correct, I cannot bow hunt. I would kill myself or at least put an arrow through my foot. I guess a pellet gun is a bad idea; I don't want to maim the thing, I just want to scare it off.

[Christian Fox]

Or throw an M-80 at them.

this is something I am capable of

[Cookietruck]

maybe it's time to get a large dog.
or just be ok with the fact that there are the hunters and the hunted.

[RickM]

Our cat was attacked by two coyotes this morning. By sheer chance, my wife happened to open the door to our backyard at the moment it was happening and got to our cat before she was a goner. The cat was attacked, got away injured and hid. The coyotes were homing in on her for the kill right as my wife found her. Thankfully, it looks like she is going to survive her injuries. She is a much loved part of our family. The scary part was this took place 15 feet from our back door at 9:00 in the am. According to my wife, they looked like they were ready for the westminster coyote show; big, healthy, shiny coats. They didn't seem too scared of my wife, either. Is this normal coyote behavior? We hear them at night and dawn, but never during the day. I'm not a gun guy, but would a pellet gun be a decent deterrent if they start coming around more often?

Coyotes vary in size and temperament based on geography and a few other things. Where do you live? We talking eastern coyotes or western. Also, I know this is unsolicited and a bit preachey...but cats really don't belong outside..be it country or city. Every cat that goes outside is living on dumb luck and borrowed time. Also..no pellet guns. You will only hurt the coyote and it will die some miserable death by infections, etc.. If you're going to kill something, do it cleanly. If you don't like/need/want a gun...DONT get one. And no poison. Probably illegal, definitely inhumane.

[Jason Musgrave]

blowgun...air rifle...are you guys serious? We're talking about a decent sized dog here. If you're gonna kill, it sure as heck better be a clean kill imho.

**cough**cough**wink**wink**

[RickM]

blowgun...air rifle...are you guys serious? We're talking about a decent sized dog here, clean kill only imho.

**cough**cough**wink**wink**

I'm gleaning that he lives in a populated area and doesn't want a firearm or know how to use one. A .223 is great, albeit loud and could kill some kid 3/4 of a mile away. The tried and true of game poachers everywhere; .22 long rifle fired out of a weapon with a baby bottle nipple fitted over the muzzle. Makes a little spitting sound, and if you use a locked breach non-auto rifle...or a revolver..you don't get any slide-slap. Gotta get head shots, tho, except for deer..where you have to nick the spine at the base of the neck and then take the ballpeen hammer to 'em. And no, I've never personally poached/bludgeoned a deer..but I did grow up in Pennsylvania, if you know what I mean. Used the baby nipple method on plenty of illicit coon hunts, though.

**NOTE: I do not endorse this method for shoney's problem. I do endorse just keeping the cat inside. If the coyotes don't get it, a fox, fisher cat, car, nasty kids, trap, etc.. will.

[christian]

Are you advising Shoney to lure the animals at least 500 feet away from all houses, to a site where he has hunting privileges, and _then_ shoot them with a .223? If he had those type of mad coyote-hunting skills, do you think he'd be posting on a bicycle message board for advice?

[false_aesthetic]

Recently I heard a biologist talk about how coyotes-- unlike bears, wolves, mountain lions, etc-- thrive in urban/near-urban environments.

I see them all the time riding in/around Los Angeles/Hollywood and unlike other wild animals, they're totally not afraid of humans -- loud noises and throwing objects doesn't phase them and I've had one even trot alongside me in Griffith Park.



Also, poison often leads to household animals dying. Growing up, two kids lost their dogs cuz they ate some type of poison.

[Christian Fox]

maybe it's time to get a large dog.
or just be ok with the fact that there are the hunters and the hunted.

I'm ok with it, I live in the country. I grew up in Nowheresville, New Hampshire. A pet peeve of mine is when people move to the country and erect 10 foot deer fencing and light up their yards like a prison escape, then complain about wildlife all the time. But I'm not a fatalistic person. If there is a reasonable way to deter them/scare them off, I'm all ears.

And the inside cat thing...we get it, we know she's at risk. She's inside 90% of the time and when outside usually very close to the house.

[RickM]

I'm ok with it, I live in the country. I grew up in Nowheresville, New Hampshire. A pet peeve of mine is when people move to the country and erect 10 foot deer fencing and light up their yards like a prison escape, then complain about wildlife all the time. But I'm not a fatalistic person. If there is a reasonable way to deter them/scare them off, I'm all ears.

And the inside cat thing...we get it, we know she's at risk. She's inside 90% of the time and when outside usually very close to the house.

I honestly can't think of any reasonable way to scare/deter them. Since it can't hurt, (unless your neighbors can see you) take a nightly piss at various locations around the perimeter of the backyard near the house. It may deter them, but if they have kitty in their sights, I suspect it won't.

[xjoex]

I keep a huge can of bear spray by the front and back door of the Soulrun World HQ. I think that'd be a safe thing to get the coyotes off the cat. It might hurt the cat in the short term, but it would be much safer than shooting in your backyard.

-Joe

[Tom]

... take a nightly piss at various locations around the perimeter of the backyard near the house. It may deter them...

That's how I plan to keep the goddamn squirrels off my tomatoes.

It also gives them, how you say, that certain je ne sais quoi.

[Matthew Strongin]

I see them all the time riding in/around Los Angeles/Hollywood

Clearly not what you meant, but this made me think about coyotes riding bicycles, which would definitely help them fit into urban environments.