Coyote dog attack

Paladin

Paladin

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Last night I heard an unusual commotion from my neighbor's old yellow lab about 9 pm. They leave him outside with the garage door open when they leave. My wife went out to see what was going on and starting yelling "Coyote! Come quick!" I figured the neighbor's dog was in a life or death struggle with a coyote because of all the noise. There are no houses behind me. Nothing but woods.

In a flash as the adrenalin was pumping, I thought "Shotgun or pistol?" I pictured the dog rolling around with the coyote; so I ruled out my home defense shotgun—which is always ready and loaded with buckshot (screw the Mass. laws). I raced to my pistol box, unlocked it and grabbed my GLOCK, slammed in a loaded magazine and picked up a flashlight.

I ran outside, but my wife had just chased away the coyote by screaming at it. I searched their yard with my flashlight. The night sights on my GLOCK were really useful. [grin]

The dog was untouched and unhurt, and I then went back into my house after my daughter put the dog inside the neighbor's house.

Later when I went out with my dog, I had my Surefire flashlight and my shotgun.

Has anyone ever had to shoot a coyote attacking a dog? Which would you recommend: pistol or shotgun at that point? I am proficient with both and no nearby houses to worry about hitting.

My first thought would have been to fire into the ground to scare the coyote off the dog. Then as he ran, I would have taken him out.

In hindsight, I think I should have grabbed the shotgun first since it is less forgiving to aim.
 
I had to years ago at my grandfathers house. I was probably 12 or 13 years old. it was night out and his two little dogs were in the yard on long leashes. my grandfather handed me a 22 and he took the 30-30.
i shot one and he shot the other after me. no one called the police or anything. of course this was 10 years ago and everyone knew my grandfather and things were different. If he were alive now and he did it a suspect cops would show up and there might me problems arising from killing it.
 
If a coyote is alone, they are easily scared away by an adult.

Last year hunting, I was walking along this ridge. All day long I kept seeing sign of coyote, so I knew they were around. I was walking along this stone wall, and wanted to get on the other side to a valley that was beyond it. To get there, I could either climb over the wall, and jump to the ground about 6' down, or walk 300 yards farther up the hill to a break in the wall, go through, hop down the incline, and walk back up 300 yards to where I started. I figured what the hell, so I slung my shotgun across my back, climbed up on the wall and jumped. When I landed, I landed facing the dirt drop-off on the back side of the wall, and there laying right in front of me, in a slightly hollowed out part of the hill was a coyote that had been sleeping. I started to fumble for my gun, but there was no way I could have gotten it in time if he tried to attack me. Instead I yelled at him, and stomped my foot while making a lunging motion. He took off like a rocket, and never looked back.
Then I checked my pants, and continued hunting!
 
small dogs

About two years ago our neighbors small dog was taken by a coyote at about noon on a Saturday afternoon while they sat on their deck.

They have a large yard surrounded with an invisible fence.

I spoke to a Mass Wildlife biologist at the end of a hunter safety class last week and her/their position is that there are predators out there (which weren't there 20 years ago) and we all need to change our lifestyles a little because of that. The predators have their place in the environment.

Mass Wildlife only needs to know about animals which are not behaving normally like the bear in Carlisle MA going into barns.

Coyotes taking small dogs & cats and bears damaging birdfeeders are 'normal'. These animals should be afraid of people and you should (a) scare them off when you can and (b) don't make life easy for them.

Bill
 
Can you legally shoot a coyote on your property? Is there a defined season for them, for which you need a hunting permit? My scrappy little pooch wouldn't stand up to a coyote for a minute, but I don't want to go to jail either.
 
This year, the coyote season is from Jan1-Feb28th 2007, then from Nov1-Feb29th 2008.

As for shooting them on your property, well I guess that all depends on where you live. If you are shooting the animal to protect a family member or pet, that is being attacked, you would most likely only have to contend with violating any firearms discharge ordnances. Then again, in this communist state your chief could see that (along with anything for that matter) as a reason to find you unsuitable.

I keep a can of this handy at all times. Bear repellent It's the best stuff made, and would probably be a LOT safer than trying to shoot if your pet is in a struggle with a yote!
 
Here's the coyote season update from Mass Wildlife
New Coyote Hunting Regulations (Aug 1)

At the July 31 Board Meeting, the Fisheries and Wildlife Board voted to promulgate the following new regulations relating to coyotes:

* Expand the season for coyote hunting season by approximately 5 weeks (including during the shotgun season for deer), beginning on the first Saturday after Columbus Day and ending the following March 8, all dates inclusive.
* Allow licensed Problem Animal Control (PAC) agents to control coyotes, provided such agents meet certain standards of certification and training.
* Clarifying the requirement that all furbearers taken during the hunting and trapping seasons or by PAC agents must be tagged.
* Clarifying shot sizes permitted for coyote hunting.

These regulations will take effect for the updcoming 2007 fall hunting season. More details will be posted in September.

For general information on coyotes, see the Living With Coyotes fact sheet.
Click to expand...
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/whats_new.htm
 
So basically, unless it's trying to gnaw on my leg, I have to just try and shoo it away. Wonderful. I hope there isn't much rabies in the coyote population.
 
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We're thick with them. Where I live, if you keep an outside dog - it won't be for long. Cats as well. Between the Fishers love of eating cats and the coyotes fondness for killing dogs, we keep our animals close to home. As for ammunition, I'd go with a frangible .40 S&W - in fact, that's what I use when I hike with Roxie off lead. I worry about overpenetration and also hitting my dog with buckshot during a scuffle. We've not had any close calls at all, but they have started yipping a few times when we were out at night and it scares the shit out of her. A couple of weeks ago, they were literally a few feet from my window going crazy at about 2 in the morning. In that case, me and Mr. Benelli went out for a look-see, but they were gone. As far as legalities go, if a coyote decides to attack my dog - it's toast. I don't care what season it is.
 
It's not so much the coyotes.

Its the coydogs you've got to worry about. We've got both out here.
The yote's are solitary scavengers and yeah, you can scare 'em off pretty easily. Unless you're a pet or a small child. [hmmm]

The coydogs are wild enough to be wary but these guys are still part dog so they're not entirely afraid of humans, and they hunt in packs. There was an incident a while back in the Spirit falls area of the Tully river where a hiker claimed to have been attacked by a pack of "coyotes". Most likely they were coydogs. IIRC the local papers pictures of him showing the bite marks on his arms & legs.

When I go riding my Mtn Bike out where ther's a good chance of running into coydogs or one of those Mountain Lions the DEC says don't live here, I'm carrying my .45.

It's heavy for a trail gun but I'm not gettin' turned into poo. [shocked]
 
I've had coyotes come running right down through the yard. Happened to be one morning when I was scraping my windshield to go to work and didn't turn the outside light on. My mistake.
 
Choke the sucker!

Martlet said:
Real men choke them.
Click to expand...

[rofl] Thats what I was thinking! just make a fist and keep on pounding its head till it turns to mush! might get nibbled a bit, but if you got a real grip on its throat like fingers clenched mean around its vocal cords or something I am sure you can beat it to death an a minute or two. maybe a brick or rock would help speed it up [grin] Im not for killing animals if i dont have too but I got a little havanese that could be looking really tasty for a coyote im sure...
 
We had a really small for a cocker spaniel, that the coyotes would have loved for a snack. winter time we are extremely careful of the dogs. If there is alot of snow they are down in our treeline. You can see them out there.
 
A gun could over penetrate and hit your own dog. If you are really worried about them, get a nice BB gun. It won’t attract the police and it’ll distract the pooch enough to give it a swift boot to the head.
 
I took one out last summer. The coyote was attacking my 70 year old next door neighbor's Jack Russell as she was walking the dog on a leash.

I used a Ruger MKIII. One shot in the spine, and a second between the eyes dispatched it quickly.
 
EddieCoyle said:
I took one out last summer. The coyote was attacking my 70 year old next door neighbor's Jack Russell as she was walking the dog on a leash.

I used a Ruger MKIII. One shot in the spine, and a second between the eyes dispatched it quickly.
Click to expand...

Wow Jim, nice! Outta curiousity, how did the neighbor react?
 
I have a few coyotes visit my chickens. when they are squawking real loud I know it is a yote. My choice is a 20 ga with #6 ( they will feel it for a while). pistol is no good on a small target. usually they are off when they hear the dead bolt on the door.

Since sunrise is about 6:30 now I go try to go out the front with a bow. more neighbors up with kids for school who don't need to know...
 
.223 in the woods to hunt them. .22 short when I see them in the yard. They have taken to many dogs and cat to let them run.
 
I don't mind the coyotes being around the neighborhood. No one around here keeps their dogs tied out or let them run loose. No one has any livestock either. The coyotes keep the cat population down which is fine with me.
 
JonJ said:
I don't mind the coyotes being around the neighborhood. No one around here keeps their dogs tied out or let them run loose. No one has any livestock either. The coyotes keep the cat population down which is fine with me.
Click to expand...

I don't mind coyotes either. I used to hunt them as a kid. We'd get like 3 bucks a pelt or some crap. Honestly, they're just running out of room to live, and the good overlords of the Commonwealth restrict hunting/trapping to the point of idiocy.
 
If you live in a communist craphole and can't shoot them, pepper spray works really well. Either the bear spray or preferably a large can (4oz) of the regular spray will do (I'd go with the latter). And if you accidentally spray your own dog, he won't be happy but will survive.
 
Coyote permit $1 a year(as far as I know) up here in Maine. They prefer you hunt them @ night. A good varmint rifle for the distance shots, my trusty shotgun most every other time working/playing in the "sticks". And cleanup is a snap, don't have to bury it, the others will take care of the carcass for you. And if the other coys don't eat it, I know the wolves will!!
 
This doesn't surprise me a bit. Wildlife is getting squeezed all over but also becoming less afraid of humans. For the first time in my life I have seen rabbits in my own driveway twice this summer. I have lived here for about 8 year, so I know they are not normally seen in my neighborhood.

Not exactly coyote related, but I would advise caution to everyone based on my friends experience (about 14 years ago). He is an older guy, 50's at the time, respectable and long time MA gun owner. He lives out near Fitchburg, but I can't remember the exact town. Long story short, a bunch of racoons are tearing the hell out of his wifes "house" cat in the driveway. She freaks out and tells him to do something. The guy takes a 22 out in the backyard and pops a few racoons. Neighbors call the cops and he
gets arrested and charged with discharging firearm in a residential place or something like this. The guys was just trying to save his wifes cat from getting torn up, but he got screwed with pretty hard.

Didn't lose his license, but it cost him a pretty penny in lawyers fees. Be careful in MA even if you are in the right, the laws here are not forgiving.

SOX
 

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