Get rid of those coyotes and other varmints.

[scottyb]

We have them here in TN and no one shoots and kills them unless they go after their livestock. Field-Fencing w/a strand of electric at the top and guard dogs also work. That is those who don't get some kind of thrill by killing something alive.

I agree with most of what you say. The problem with coyotes is they adapt to suburban life so well, their numbers go unmitigated. They explode in population and there is no predation to remove them. They consume their natural food sources, rabbits, bowles, etc., then they wipe out the desireables like deer, quail, turkeys, etc. When they are done with that, they start looking for animals like people's pets.and coming into your yards. The 1st 10 years I owned my property we rarely heard coyotes and never saw one. Within a couple years span, they did exactly as I described. I started out firing over their heads with birdshot. Then I migrated to firing at them with a 12 ga but usually at 50 yards or better. Then one day I witnessed them repeatedly trying to lure my male airedale out of bounds of his invisible fence. One would come inside the boundry and provoke a chase, while 2 - 3 others were waiting out about 200 yards. That is when I declared war.

 

[DW_Gray]

I own a working ranch. The darn feral hogs are what is causing me a head ache. I've trapped, and killed as many as I can and they just keep coming.

Hmm... Sounds like a trip to Texas in order. I've killed a few here at Vandenberg AFB and over a 100 are taken every year on base. That doesn't make any dent in the population.

 

[RanCarr]

I assure you, I get a thrill by killing something dead.

No you don't, or you would be using those clay pigeons, old beer and soda cans, pie plates........

 

[RanCarr]

I agree with most of what you say. The problem with coyotes is they adapt to suburban life so well, their numbers go unmitigated. They explode in population and there is no predation to remove them.

This is true in many areas but the food supply is what dictates their numbers increasing. The more food the bigger their litters and the better their survival rate. Too many people leave garbage out where they can reach it. Farmers and hunters dump offal where the coyotes can feed on it rather than bury or burn it. Ranchers don't remove and bury or burn dead cattle and calves. Others let their cats out to soon become coyote food, get another cat, repeat, repeat etc. We've always discouraged coyotes by using those snap-lock trash cans.

They consume their natural food sources, rabbits, bowles, etc., then they wipe out the desireables like deer, quail, turkeys, etc. When they are done with that, they start looking for animals like people's pets.and coming into your yards.

That's where good fencing comes in. Coyotes have never been known to drive any other creature into extinction. When their food supply runs low - not out, coyote (or wolf or cougar) numbers start to drop. But yes, they will, in desperation, enter towns where people leave garbage and edibles for them to find. Alleyways behind food stores and restaurants with trash piled up is going to attract hungry predators as will those dumpsters full of food behind Malls and large grocery stores. This a people problem as well as a coyote problem.

The 1st 10 years I owned my property we rarely heard coyotes and never saw one. Within a couple years span, they did exactly as I described. I started out firing over their heads with birdshot. Then I migrated to firing at them with a 12 ga but usually at 50 yards or better. Then one day I witnessed them repeatedly trying to lure my male airedale out of bounds of his invisible fence. One would come inside the boundry and provoke a chase, while 2 - 3 others were waiting out about 200 yards. That is when I declared war.

Why are you using an invisible fence where you know there are coyotes? This is what I mean about it being a people problem as well as a coyote problem. Rather than kill them, and you can't kill them all, it only takes one to kill your dog (if that was their motive), put up a good fence as I did. The coyotes here would run behind the fence and look at my goats and chickens but they knew running along the top of the field fence was a string of electric wire. No way they were going to get over the fence for an easy meal. In all those years, I never lost one goat to the coyotes.

And the same fence was used for our three dogs. I bought a 330' roll at the Farmers Co-op. We never lost one of them to the coyotes either.

 

[RanCarr]

I own a working ranch. The darn feral hogs are what is causing me a head ache. I've trapped, and killed as many as I can and they just keep coming.

These hogs are causing a real problem here in TN also. They're spreading like wildfire. I wonder if the meat is edible to most people. I would imagine it's a bit rank and tough. Can they be somehow slaughtered and donated to charity to even sold to slaughterhouses for resale in stores? Ground up into a nice spicy sausage would work. Or even used in pet foods. There has to be a use for all that meat and bone. Ground into fertilizer maybe? It's a shame to kill them and let them rot where they fall (easy food for coyotes, cougars, bears, raccoons....).

 

[DW_Gray]

These hogs are causing a real problem here in TN also. They're spreading like wildfire. I wonder if the meat is edible to most people. I would imagine it's a bit rank and tough. Can they be somehow slaughtered and donated to charity to even sold to slaughterhouses for resale in stores? Ground up into a nice spicy sausage would work. Or even used in pet foods. There has to be a use for all that meat and bone. Ground into fertilizer maybe? It's a shame to kill them and let them rot where they fall (easy food for coyotes, cougars, bears, raccoons....).

I've never known one to kill a hog and leave it. I'm not saying the no one ever has. Hogs are good to eat and all I kill are either kept by me or given away to someone in need. Well I did kill one for my cardiologist one time. The best eating hogs around here are those that weigh less than 200 pounds live weight. The 100 pound hogs are best. The unwritten rule here is never kill a wet sow. There are organizations that collect wild game to redistribute to others in need. One is Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry There are some state and local programs as well.

 

[scottyb]

This is true in many areas but the food supply is what dictates their numbers increasing. The more food the bigger their litters and the better their survival rate. Too many people leave garbage out where they can reach it. Farmers and hunters dump offal where the coyotes can feed on it rather than bury or burn it. Ranchers don't remove and bury or burn dead cattle and calves. Others let their cats out to soon become coyote food, get another cat, repeat, repeat etc. We've always discouraged coyotes by using those snap-lock trash cans.

My trash goes out at the front gate within 1/2 hour before it is picked up. In 15 years, I have never (not once) had trash broken into or strewn about.

Good fencing that will stop coyotes, will also stop other wildlife, such as deer. My property has "wildlife management" designation, which is worth a lot of money to me in property taxes. The reason I have invisible fence, is to contain my dogs on the two ac surounding the house. i prefer that they do not run wild on the rest of the property and chase the deer. This was taken 10 days ago about 150 yds off my back porch.

 

[jcarnevale]

Yote taking a dirt nap! From the back deck!

 

[tmcran]

I've never known one to kill a hog and leave it. I'm not saying the no one ever has. Hogs are good to eat and all I kill are either kept by me or given away to someone in need. Well I did kill one for my cardiologist one time. The best eating hogs around here are those that weigh less than 200 pounds live weight. The 100 pound hogs are best. The unwritten rule here is never kill a wet sow. There are organizations that collect wild game to redistribute to others in need. One is Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry There are some state and local programs as well.

Never heard that rule in Texas. Kill the sow with 8-10 in a litter and you kill that many more and prevent more breeding. Yep, they make good sausage and hams on the young ones. Also hunting them is a income source here in Texas. They can be hunted and trapped year round.

 

[porthole]

There are organizations that collect wild game to redistribute..........

Isn't that how them "wild hogs" got here in the first place

 

[tmcran]

Isn't that how them "wild hogs" got here in the first place

What I was thinking

 

[RanCarr]

I've never known one to kill a hog and leave it. I'm not saying the no one ever has. Hogs are good to eat and all I kill are either kept by me or given away to someone in need. Well I did kill one for my cardiologist one time. The best eating hogs around here are those that weigh less than 200 pounds live weight. The 100 pound hogs are best. The unwritten rule here is never kill a wet sow. There are organizations that collect wild game to redistribute to others in need. One is Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry There are some state and local programs as well.

I'm glad to know the meat is being used for a good cause.

 

[RanCarr]

My trash goes out at the front gate within 1/2 hour before it is picked up. In 15 years, I have never (not once) had trash broken into or strewn about.

Good fencing that will stop coyotes, will also stop other wildlife, such as deer. My property has "wildlife management" designation, which is worth a lot of money to me in property taxes. The reason I have invisible fence, is to contain my dogs on the two ac surounding the house. i prefer that they do not run wild on the rest of the property and chase the deer. This was taken 10 days ago about 150 yds off my back porch.

View attachment 21002

What beautiful deer. They're a joy to watch. The deer would jump right over my 4' field fence with the string of electric above the top. They would mingle with the goats at times but they mostly wanted their mineral and salt blocks. An adult deer can sail right over a 4'4" fence.

 

[RanCarr]

Never heard that rule in Texas. Kill the sow with 8-10 in a litter and you kill that many more and prevent more breeding. Yep, they make good sausage and hams on the young ones. Also hunting them is a income source here in Texas. They can be hunted and trapped year round.

Then how on earth are their numbers increasing so quickly? Why the hog population explosion? They have no natural enemies other than man? Cougars and coyotes don't prey on the young hogs?

 

[tmcran]

Then how on earth are their numbers increasing so quickly? Why the hog population explosion? They have no natural enemies other than man? Cougars and coyotes don't prey on the young hogs?

You are correct no natural enemies. Man is the only one that can try to reduce the numbers and we're losing the battle. A sow can mature at about 8 months and breed 2 times per year with about 6-9 in a litter. They carry disease, destroy crops, kill smaller animals, and have been known to even kill fawn deer. If a hog finds a nest of quail eggs or turkey eggs they eat them all. My neighbor and some other ranchers killed 82 in a 200 acre field of wheat in one night on 4 wheelers. The next night they killed 53. That was about a year ago. Recently the Texas Dept of Ag. did a helicopter check and they saw so many they could not count them. Yes, they leave them where they lay or dig a large pit and mass bury them. These nasty things cost ranchers and farmers millions each year. Which results in higher prices for consumers. I could go on but that is part of the picture.

 

[dave10a]

As a kid, living on a ranch in Idaho, I hunted coyotes and wolves to protect the cattle and other farm animals. Now days I fail to see the need to kill things unless they are threatening. In fact I don't think I could kill a coyote and if I have to shoot something I use a camera. As far as shooting guns and bows, which I am very good at, I use targets they make me feel better about myself. I grew out of killing for the fun or sport of it......

 

[tmcran]

Dave 10, I'm much the same way. Coyotes don't bother me. They kill small animals as rabbits,mice and rats. In 25 yrs I have not lost one calf to coyotes. I kill hogs for economic reasons and they kill and run off desirable wildlife. As you can tell I HATE hogs.

 

[dave10a]

As you can tell I HATE hogs.

We had hogs and I know they can get mean and hateful. I had one once the bit the tail off my prized cow. We slaughtered it for food as well ;-0. When I was in the service I had the ability to kill millions of people by depressing one little switch (WCO). Maybe that thought has had an affect on my view of killing things. So I live and let live.

 

[RanCarr]

You are correct no natural enemies. Man is the only one that can try to reduce the numbers and we're losing the battle. A sow can mature at about 8 months and breed 2 times per year with about 6-9 in a litter. They carry disease, destroy crops, kill smaller animals, and have been known to even kill fawn deer. If a hog finds a nest of quail eggs or turkey eggs they eat them all. My neighbor and some other ranchers killed 82 in a 200 acre field of wheat in one night on 4 wheelers. The next night they killed 53. That was about a year ago.

Good grief! It's like an invasion. Where these pigs native here to start with or are they domestic pigs gone feral?

Recently the Texas Dept of Ag. did a helicopter check and they saw so many they could not count them. Yes, they leave them where they lay or dig a large pit and mass bury them. These nasty things cost ranchers and farmers millions each year. Which results in higher prices for consumers. I could go on but that is part of the picture.

It's a shame when any meat is wasted though with so many hungry people in this country.

 

[RanCarr]

Dave 10, I'm much the same way. Coyotes don't bother me. They kill small animals as rabbits,mice and rats. In 25 yrs I have not lost one calf to coyotes. I kill hogs for economic reasons and they kill and run off desirable wildlife. As you can tell I HATE hogs.

Here the coyotes take an occasional goat but people's dogs running loose kill more small livestock and calves than the coyotes. Fox here are a PIA to poultry keepers, but here again, people's dogs kill more than the fox.