Help!!! Severe coyote problem!!!!

Okay monkeys---I know I hardly post, but I need some serious advice from some weathered coyote experts.

The setup: 30 acre farm, surrounded by 100's of acres of uninhabited timberland on 3 sides. All 30 acres is pastureland with a few trees along fence lines and tree lines on 3 sides.

The problem: DOZENS of coyotes! They've learned that there is a food source--chickens, goats, rabbits. Chickens and goats are put up at dusk, but the coyotes got smart and started getting the chickens during the day--about 30 over the course of a year. We only have a small group of free range chickens now---the rest are penned. We've shot at them--they don't care they keep coming back. They are quite bold to be out during the day. I used a call and got 7 to come out in the daylight.

You can hear them yipping all the time. They don't care if they see you, but they are too smart to get close enough to shoot until the sun goes down. Once night falls they'll get within 50 yrds, but its too dark to get a good shot without some type of night optic. We've held off on poison because of our own dogs, but now they are stalking the goats pretty hard.

Today, however, was the worst. They ATE our Boston Terrier, in our field at around 1pm. She thought she would be brave and ran at them barking--well they got her. We weren't there, but pretty sure that's when it happened. We were gone for two hours and when we came back, the other dogs didn't seem right. Well, there she was in the middle of the pasture, half eaten. The coyotes were out that morning, we saw one--it didn't care. She was an old dog, but what a heartbreaking way to go.

We are at our wits end. 25 years here and they've never been this bad. Anyone have any advice? We don't need to kill just two or three--we need to take out dozens. They just keep breeding and there's no natural predators. If you had $1000 to spend, what set up would you use. We need to be able to shoot them at night. Any comments are welcomed.

 

I have had really good results using an electronic caller, a 10 ga. scatter-gun, and a red-lensed Wheat-light. They can't see red light spectrum and will come within a few yards, if you mask your scent and stay down-wind. Here's a link http://www.fntpost.com/Categories/H...arts+Accessories/Headlamps+Parts+Accessories/

 

I've got a huge spotlight--you think putting a red lens over that or red cellophane would work, or is a spotlight too much? I had no idea about the red light thing.

 

Just saw your edit. Thanks for the link!

 

Poison would be most effective...or just plain lightbulb glass...or botulinum...maybe even nicotine...

 

I'm thinking coyote coats and bedspreads are nice

 

What caliber are using? Get a good varrmit rifle with a good scope and you might want to invite some friends to hunt on Your land and have a big coyote shoot.
XR750

 

What state/county are you in?? If close by I can get a dozen folks with a varmint shooting desires to come. I have a 220 Swift just itching for some 'yote yelps.

 

Put a bounty of $25 each and invite some trusted friends. It will be fun.

 

Deer, fox, bobcats, and other curious critters will come to the predator call as well as the coyotes. I am sorry about you dog and the loss of your animals; that is what happens when things get out of check and balance. We have a similar thing going on with politicians and government. Get a good call, they make them with pup yelps as well as distressed animal sounds. Most of your good calls will have a free video instruction on how to most effectively lure them in. I prefer a shotgun with number 4 shot at night because you can never be too sure of your shot direction.

 

1. how much can you get for coyote pelts?
- if enough to cover travel costs + ammo (you've got a lot of coyoyte's then lol) ...
2. and how does the meat taste?
-and if the meat tastes good

- then maybe we can plan a trip!

 

Antifreeze
cheap dog food

bye coyotes

I seen this done in AZ 20 years ago, never seen so many dead coyotes in one place.

The county had a $2 bounty on them cuz they carried plague.

Just a washtub with cheap dog food, add antifreeze put away from your house and pets and do nothing but come back in a few days and bury the dead coyotes.

Coyotes will eat their own dead, they like the livers. If they eat a dead coyote that died from the special mixture they die to.

Good Luck,

Dan

PS we have lots of coyotes here, but never bother us. We do have gray wolves and that is another problem, but not mine. The ranchers here have trouble with them.

 

Horology - That seems like a very plausible/efficient solution! I wonder what it is about anti-freeze that attracts canines?

Do "all" anti-freezes work?... Or do you need to make sure it has a certain ingredient?

 

Currently using 5.56, but we need a magnifier for the eotech. The husband is an expert shot, we just need to invest in a good optic for that distance. I've got a decent optic on a .22 but its only sighted in at 100yds. Farm is in GA, we're stationed in Fl. We don't get to make it up there as often as we like. If we lived there full time--this would have already been handled. Mother lives there--and she's not gutsy enough to get the job done, which is understandable. But she's about to lose some goats if we don't nip this in the bud.

So we're thinking---start trapping on the trails, we know the paths they use. Bait them at night and lure them in to shoot. Get a new call-ours is kind of a cheapo. Get a better optic. And keep the shotgun close by. We can go back in two weeks and we'll see what develops.

Then maybe learn how to tan some hides!

 

Lots of curious horses,dogs, goats, chickens---not ready to poison yet. We're a little afraid mom wouldn't keep the animals out of it, unintentionally of course.

 

I lost my favorite Dobie to antifreeze. He was purposefully poisoned (murdered). Never did find out who did it. But after that, my brothers' car was broken into in our driveway almost a week later.

Enough about that.. when can I come hunting! lol

 

Yeah def get the friends together for a good ole fashioned 'yote hunt! Wish you were closer to MT. I'd be there in a flash to help out.

A .243/.270/.308/30-06 bolt gun set-up with a decent scope and a good shooter should have no problem reaching out well beyond what they think to be a safe range. You'd have a few weeks to thin the population before they shifted back to nights.

If you do go the antifreeze route only do it when you have some time to be there so you can closely monitor the bait. All kinds of critters will get into it if left out. Probably best to make a week trip of it and do as QS suggests and set the bait as near to their dens as you can. As much as I hate the poison route it is effect on pests and vermin. Given the chance I'd much rather shoot them but poisoning is more effective on a mass scale though the animals die slower. That said, you have to do what it takes to protect livestock.

Good luck.

Byte

 

You might want to talk to your state game and fish department, here in Texas we have state/federal paid trappers that will come out and help with predators. One of the best methods is to use a cianide gun over bait. Poison always works best. If you can't get help that way, I would discuss the issue with our neighbors, and go the anti-freeze route.