Coyotes in Raynham, MA

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"The coyotes have already killed five goats and one dog, and tonight the big concern is for the children."

This from the over-the-top newscaster on Fox news tonight. Despite the silly reporting, the story featured a guy holding a little goat. He lost a miniature doberman too. He seemed sad and pissed, and I don't blame him.

So, get yourself to Raynham and get to work.

*Disclaimer: I have no idea if one can actually shoot coyotes in Raynham.
 
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I heard the reporter on the newscast saying that the police chief is allowing them to shoot the coyotes and the guy that lost his goats said they have a few hunters on the case.
 
I live where there are many coyotes. I've had one dart out of the bushes and roll one of my 50 pound keeshonds over right in front of me. I ran ahead and gave it a tremendous kick - and missed. Landed flat on my back Charlie Brown style. Got up and spent the next several minutes trying to keep it from getting behind me and at my 2 dogs. Both of my keeshonds were scared to death of the coyote. Eventually I ran it off, but it never went more than 50 yards away. The wife once woke me up screaming early one spring morning as she walked our dogs on a leash. She only had them on a leash because we'd been having a lot of sightings at that time. Anyway, I get up thinking she's hurt herself or something and see 2 adult coyotes of about 70 pounds circling her and darting in at one of the male keeshond. Out the door I go in my underwear and a Sam Snead 48 degree pitching wedge. Closed on the most agressive one and grounded my club nicely in his back. He left in a hurry. The other animal went with him.

Several other times in the last 15 years I've lived here on the North Shore I've had coyotes follow me and my dogs home from walks in the woods. And always at this time of year when the male coyotes are getting randy. I think they see my keeshonds as rivals. After a few encounters I'll carry a handgun on my own property but get tired of that quickly as the damn coyotes I swear know what you're up to.
 
The disturbing part of this story is not just that the coyotes killed the mans animals, but that as the reporter put it they "murdered" one of his mini-dobermans.
 
I heard the reporter on the newscast saying that the police chief is allowing them to shoot the coyotes and the guy that lost his goats said they have a few hunters on the case.
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The police chief doesn't speak for the EPO's.
 
machocheese said:
The disturbing part of this story is not just that the coyotes killed the mans animals, but that as the reporter put it they "murdered" one of his mini-dobermans.
Click to expand...

Ha...my wife and I were watching the news when we heard that from Sara Underwood. We looked at each other and at the same time said, "murdered?" I mean, yes, it's a shame the dog was killed...but murdered? If it had been Lassie, would they have called it an assassination? Typical Media.
 
I almost hit one by mistake the other night on my street with my wife's Expedition, it darted up my neighbors driveway to get away. They don't seem to be running away as quickly as they did 10 years ago, I think they've lost their fear of humans a bit. I'm in a close set neighborhood so I think shooting one would be tough, the houses are too close together.
 
S. Kelly said:
I almost hit one by mistake the other night on my street with my wife's Expedition, it darted up my neighbors driveway to get away. They don't seem to be running away as quickly as they did 10 years ago, I think they've lost their fear of humans a bit. I'm in a close set neighborhood so I think shooting one would be tough, the houses are too close together.
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That begs the question, if you're on your land & carrying and you or a loved one is being attacked by a Coyote, do you shoot? If you're not on your land, but properly LTC'd, walking your dog around the neighborhood and you're approached by a Coyote, do you shoot?
 
BBQ.Uncle said:
That begs the question, if you're on your land & carrying and you or a loved one is being attacked by a Coyote, do you shoot? If you're not on your land, but properly LTC'd, walking your dog around the neighborhood and you're approached by a Coyote, do you shoot?
Click to expand...

Define loved one. As I understand it, if a non-human is in jeopardy, no you get to sit there and watch the dog/cat/whatever get ripped to shreds since pets and anything non-human are property and there is no right to defend property in this state. If you are with the dog and you or another human is in jeopardy, then yes. Both on and off property. Best to avoid them if you can see them. Maybe someone has more details since IANAL.
 
terraformer said:
Define loved one. As I understand it, if a non-human is in jeopardy, no you get to sit there and watch the dog/cat/whatever get ripped to shreds since pets and anything non-human are property and there is no right to defend property in this state. If you are with the dog and you or another human is in jeopardy, then yes. Both on and off property. Best to avoid them if you can see them. Maybe someone has more details since IANAL.
Click to expand...

IANAL, but that is my pretty much my understanding as well. You can try to shoo the coyote away, but you can't shoot it unless you are hunting it (and obeying all of the hunting regulations at the time).
 
terraformer said:
... the sheer stupidity of the situation in this state.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the reality isn't that bad. If your dog is attacked by a coyote, I can't imagine having difficulty explaining that you shot the coyote when it turned on you. Who really would stand by and watch their pet get ripped apart?
 
I picked up a new dog I adopted last night at Logan Airport at midnight. Since I already have a very high energy boxer at home, the wife and I decided to take the two of them for a walk together to introduce them. We were walking until about 1:45a.m. Very unusual for us to be out at that time but it was a special occasion. We were walking on a sidewalk by the entrance to the woods where a reservoir is that I regularly walk my dog around and heard the most evil cackle of what sounded like a very large group of coyotes out in the woods. Not too far away either, perhaps 100 yards or so. Not quite howling, it sounded more like they had killed something and they were working out the "pecking" order of who was eating first - almost like hyenas (sp) sound. It was loud. It actually made my hair stand up and kind of freaked the dogs out. We turned around and went home right away.
 
terraformer said:
Define loved one. As I understand it, if a non-human is in jeopardy, no you get to sit there and watch the dog/cat/whatever get ripped to shreds since pets and anything non-human are property and there is no right to defend property in this state. If you are with the dog and you or another human is in jeopardy, then yes. Both on and off property. Best to avoid them if you can see them. Maybe someone has more details since IANAL.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback.

My take on this, and for sure IANAL, is if I'm out in public or on my land & walking my dog and we're approached by a coyote that seems intent on harm I'm shooting a coyote & then calling the police to report an attack on a human. I think they'd have a hell of a time arguing that the thing was after my dog and not me if my dog is on a 6 foot leash attached to my arm.
 
BBQ.Uncle said:
My take on this, and for sure IANAL, is if I'm out in public or on my land & walking my dog and we're approached by a coyote that seems intent on harm I'm shooting a coyote & then calling the police to report an attack on a human. I think they'd have a hell of a time arguing that the thing was after my dog and not me if my dog is on a 6 foot leash attached to my arm.
Click to expand...

Exactly. [wink]
 
SA John said:
I live where there are many coyotes. I've had one dart out of the bushes and roll one of my 50 pound keeshonds over right in front of me. I ran ahead and gave it a tremendous kick - and missed. Landed flat on my back Charlie Brown style. Got up and spent the next several minutes trying to keep it from getting behind me and at my 2 dogs. Both of my keeshonds were scared to death of the coyote. Eventually I ran it off, but it never went more than 50 yards away. The wife once woke me up screaming early one spring morning as she walked our dogs on a leash. She only had them on a leash because we'd been having a lot of sightings at that time. Anyway, I get up thinking she's hurt herself or something and see 2 adult coyotes of about 70 pounds circling her and darting in at one of the male keeshond. Out the door I go in my underwear and a Sam Snead 48 degree pitching wedge. Closed on the most agressive one and grounded my club nicely in his back. He left in a hurry. The other animal went with him.

Several other times in the last 15 years I've lived here on the North Shore I've had coyotes follow me and my dogs home from walks in the woods. And always at this time of year when the male coyotes are getting randy. I think they see my keeshonds as rivals. After a few encounters I'll carry a handgun on my own property but get tired of that quickly as the damn coyotes I swear know what you're up to.
Click to expand...


I find it ironic that this is a forum for gun owners and I am reading about someone defending their wife and pets with a golf club. I understand why, but it made me laugh, none the less. Gotta love Massachusetts.
 
BBQ.Uncle said:
That begs the question, if you're on your land & carrying and you or a loved one is being attacked by a Coyote, do you shoot? If you're not on your land, but properly LTC'd, walking your dog around the neighborhood and you're approached by a Coyote, do you shoot?
Click to expand...

Why WOULD you?

economist said:
... If your dog is attacked by a coyote, I can't imagine having difficulty explaining that you shot the coyote when it turned on you. Who really would stand by and watch their pet get ripped apart?
Click to expand...
Yeah, but he said "approached", not "attacked". Big difference. I think most police would be lenient.
 
IANAL, however I remember reading something along the lines of: If you are in a public area or on your own property, you can shoot an animal that you have reasonible fear of attacking you provided you do everything possible to minimize the animal's suffering (i.e. kill it quickly) and call animal control afterwards. If those conditions are met, it is not a crime. IANAL so take this with a grain of salt.
 
Coyote33 said:
Why WOULD you?

Yeah, but he said "approached", not "attacked". Big difference. I think most police would be lenient.
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I probably shouldn't have used the word "approached". If I see a coyote nearby, I'm moving away from it. I meant if the coyote comes at us, appears hostile and won't retreat. There's only a very fine line of a few seconds between a wild animal that is 10 feet away and advancing and one that is now attacking.

With that said I am a conservationist & animal lover by nature and it would really bother me to have to shoot an animal that is probably only defending its territory and its pups. However, it would bother me a great deal more to take an injured family member to the ER or have to put down or bury my dog because I acted too late.
 
BostonFJ40 said:
I find it ironic that this is a forum for gun owners and I am reading about someone defending their wife and pets with a golf club. I understand why, but it made me laugh, none the less. Gotta love Massachusetts.
Click to expand...

If you maintain your situational awareness, you shouldn't need a gun, and a golf club should be all you need, if you're a real man.

Or something like that.
 
tele_mark said:
If you maintain your situational awareness, you shouldn't need a gun, and a golf club should be all you need, if you're a real man.

Or something like that.
Click to expand...

No way. A real man would kill the beast with his bare hands, skin it with his teeth, eat half of it on the spot and make a claw necklace as a present to his woman.
 

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