I watched a few minutes of a TV program about the problems residents in Phoenix AZ where having with coyotes in the suburbs killing family pets especially cats and small dogs. One woman had one of her yappy toy dogs snatched and killed on the property during a family party. Apparently the coyote jumped over the wall, snatched and killed the dog then run across the back yard with the dead dog before jumping the wall again into the neighbours back garden. Whewre it left the now dead dog before hightailing it out of the area.

The local pest control guy said that they kill and eat the cats but just kill the dogs. Is that true?

Firstly, it just blows my little mind that I might actually talk to someone so far away. Isn't technology just grand!
I'm not an Arizona resident, in fact I live on the other side of the country. Whereas Arizona is a desert like climate where coyote have made their homes since time forgotten; my home is a lush, green decedious forrest landscape with some fairly large mountainous terrain. Coyote populations in my home area are still relatively small, at least compared to a lot of other places.
Nevertheless, our scant expierance with the Wiley Coyote have been very educational. I can tell you for certain that coyote exhibit behavior such as you have described. I have witnessed such goings on and the aftermath thereof first hand.
Here coyote will group around a small farm where they know there are domesticated dogs about. A female will howl and make mating calls in an attempt to draw out a prospective mate (victim). Once the domestic dog is away from home and near the decoy, a group of coyote will set upon him, killing him if at all possible. My Grandfather has had a couple of hunting dogs attacked and some of those killed whilst those dogs were in the field hunting.
My best estimate, based on reading everything I can get my hands on in the quest to be a formidable hunter of coyote and based on what I have learned from others; coyote behave in this manner because they perceive other dogs, even domesticated dogs, as competition. When resources are limited, food, water, territory, every man is a wolf; to the other man. I know it's Charlie Darwins dream come true, survival of the fittest and all that, but there is a lot of good common sense to be had here.

Here is another interesting fact, if you are interested... Did you know that coyote are among several species of mammals that adapt the rate of their population growth based on the availability of resources such as food and water?
A female living in an area where coyote are prevalent may have a litter of only one or two pups. The same female living in an area where there are few coyote but plenty of cottontail rabbit and field mice may have six or eight pups.
In a small way, nature attempts to limit the coyote populations so that the food chain remains intact and well balanced. It is only the introduction of man ( and his small fluffy poodle ) that messes things up.
But that is nothing new, is it?

Just as a matter of curiosity, where in the UK do you call home? Also, what is the local equivalent of coyote there?

I'm very interested to note that the cat and dog killing behaviour isn't restricted to the SW states. The luring of intended victims by females calling is something I have not read or heard about. Do you have any further examples of that happening elsewhere? The Uk is relatively small so being from one part or another is unimportant in regard to predatory species.

We don't have any preditor that matches the coyote in the food chain and never have. Foxes and badgers being our largest mammalian preditors. We managed to kill the last wolf about 400 years ago.

A point of clarification, if you would. Are you looking for examples of coyote acting together to kill prey or examples of predators who work as a group? Or, on the other hand, is your interest confined to predators who use this particular technique of employing a femme fatale?
Either way, the fact is, for an insight to the tactics of North American predators; well, fact is I'm not really the fellow to talk to. My expierance is limited to the so called Eastern Coyote and only those coyote who happen to live in my little corner of the country.
If that's not enough to persuade you to seek council elsewhere, I will attest to some following facts.
Examples of coyote using the decoy technique have been relayed to me via some likeminded hunters and members of a separate Internet forum dedicated exclusively to hunting here in the state of Kentucky. A mentor whom taught me a great deal about hunting the elusive coyote began a thread on that sight, complete with recordings of the coyote that frequented the area near his small farm. Other forum members, including one fellow who happens to own a very successful coyote and predator calling manufacturer business, began to write in and share their expierances and observations.
Those who sampled the recordings agreed that the call in question was the howl of a female who had lost a mate and was attempting to attract another. ( this howl is particular in that it distinctly differs from others by sounding sad and mournful, even to human ears ) Calling experts, agreed that they had witnessed this call employed elsewhere, very often prior to finding domestic dogs attacked and often killed.
How common of an occurrence is this? Well, it's not like it happens everyday, I suppose, but it has happened enough that several hunters were able to identify the sound and then subsequently relate their expierances. However, I must offer, in the intrest of pure honesty, I have witnessed this happen myself.
I can tell you that I have witnessed coyote attacks on dogs under similar, but not identical circumstances. As a younger lad I liked to go with my Grandfather and some Uncles on trips to hunt fox. Now, you have to keep in mind that we do things a bit differently here and especially here in the mountains. There are no horses, bugles or exciting classical music envolved. Fox hounds are turned loose to chase the fox, but the humans don't chase after them, if you see what I mean.
On occasion we would hear coyote howling on these trips and at times the hounds would go to them. Upon their return, if they returned, those hounds were many times injured as if they had been in a terrible fight. More than once a good hound died of his wounds after responding to coyote calls in this manner.

All of this is, as I am careful to point out, just supposition. If one hears coyote calling, your dog disappears running in the direction of the call and then returns a beaten and bloody mess, what is one to suppose happened?
If you really want to delve into the predatory tactics of coyote, I recommend looking at sites dedicated to them. I reference Predator Nation many times when looking for information or inspiration. A quick search with your favorite search engine should turn up enough material for someone to read themselves to sleep for the next twenty years!
Let me know if I can be of further service.

Jools
I live within 4-5 miles of the capital building of Virginia, in the small community of Bon Air.
One of my neighbors set up an infrared camera in his yard to find out what was tripping yard lights.
Aside from the usual raccoons, oppossums, fox, dogs and cats, he got a hand full, four or five coyotes.
I'm sure there's coyotes in my area because my cats will refuse to go out or take to the trees.
We've got deer and turkeys in the area also.

Jim

yeah the dog world has a pecking order.
wolves will kill coyotes.
[and yet will sometimes tolerate their presence]
coyotes will kill foxes.
it even happens with domestic dogs.
my dogs will go after the neighbors dogs because their "territory" borders each other.
and have had my inside dogs carry on and beg to go outside in the middle of the night,
just to end up with the outside dogs fighting with coyotes out in the pasture.

so most of the behavior exhibited by coyotes are also the same behaviors most people overlook in domesticated dogs.
and the same behaviors exhibited by wolves.

I'd certainly be interested in further examples of coyotes deliberately acting as a group with a female of that group being seleted to act as a decoy.
I'm certain no animal behaviour expert but that sure looks like a complex social stratergy for any canine species to adopt. Personally I would offer the following as a less contrieved explanation. A lone female coyote calls for a mate which attracts not only the coyotes in the area but also the local domestic dog. Male Coyotes would naturally compete for the priviledge of joining up with the calling female but with the arrivail of the domestic dog have a common enemy and so turn their attentions towards it rather then continue their squabbles to see who wins the calling female.
i.e the calling and killing is an incidental occurance due to a given set of circumstances rather than a deliberate act by the group from start to finish.

I have read about the release and wait method of fox hunting you describe. I must admit that I could never figure out the attraction of it. Being a traditionalist I have always had great enjoyment from followng hounds, watching them hunt, finding a line and following it. The horse riding, red coats, and horn blowing simply enhances my enjoyment of watching and listerning to the hounds doing what they have been bred to do best.

I'll certainly take a look on Preditor Nation and Coyote Gods.

Just my 2 cents here. I live right smack dead center of coyote country, i hear them sing every night them and sometimes in the day a well. Sightings are daily, just while driving to town or running an errand. We hunt them by calling and ambushing them. They are capable of some pretty complex thinking i believe. I've heard of the females luring a male dog out however, i'm more inclined to think the female was calling to attract a new mate and the dog was collateral damage. Dogs and coyotes are natural rivals, however there is also an odd mating of the two on occasion. They are called coy-dogs. Its has been well documented that on occasion a female coyote will mate with a domestic male dog. The pups are raised by the pack and become part of the pack, this is the most dangerous kind of 'yote as they are less afraid of humans and seem more likely to visit your backyard and dine on fluffy the cat. Dogs are usually just killed and left.
I have a friend in the state of Maine that is a Conservation Officer, he told me of a study they have done on coyotes that have been killed by car collisions. They were surprised to find that in almost every instance they find remains of pet food in the stomach of said 'yotes! Leading to the conclusion that people are actually without realizing it "baiting" the coyotes into their backyards! Coyotes are highly adaptable and are excellent survivors to the point of instead of being called "top predator" they should be called "top survivor"!
Most of my local farmer friends accept having em around, lots of hunting fun and not really much livestock lost around here. I'm sure others may have a different view.
I believe the human encounters you read about in the papers are mostly sensationalised by the media. And probably of the hybrid coy-dog variety. I have had a coyote raise a litter of pups in an old culvert on my property. At that time i also had several outside cats that spent nites in the trees, and knew how to avoid the larger predator.
The coyotes belong here and are descendants of the Great lakes wolves. That is confirmed by DNA tests and they have adapted very well. I have respect and would never want to see them hunted to extinction, though i dont believe that would be possible anyways.

As we don't have anything resembling Coyotes here in the UK and never have. I find what appears to be their very complex social structure and human interaction traits very interesting.

Its been suggested by the "experts", that their social structure is quite similar to wild wolves. One big difference is they den up in creek banks and places like that to bear young, and are more comfortable on the plains, where they can scavenge up a meal at anytime. Where as wolves are usually associated with forested areas, and hunt much larger game, and require fresher meat.
Once again Coyotes are more of a specialist in the game of survival, and the wolves are more of a specialist in the areas of top predator.

One of the stressful moments flor the Quasi-Naturalist/Animal Lover is reaching the understanding, that the larger the predator, the larger its food base.

Not only will coyotes take out cats and small dogs, but so will bobcats and great horned owls. just because something is a human pet, that does not mean wild critters view it as such, to them it is a food item.

Nature is not the kind/benevolent environment many modern people think it is.

As Alfred Lord Tennyson's wrote
"Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw".

Something modern urban dwelling supamarket shoppers often seem to forget.

I, for one, am open to the idea of the domestic dog as collateral damage scenario. That line of thought makes about as much sense as any other explanation.
I will also agree with the comment that wolves and coyote are the same, only different. Thankfully, I have no local wolves to observe, but do I understand correctly that they pretty much roam around without calling one particular "core area" their home? As I understand things, coyote will more or less occupy an area of about 5 to 7 square miles (some say more, some less)until they are displaced by some outside circumstance such as man or another stronger "alpha male".

We too see the coyote/dog hybrid in our area, though I am more inclined to referr to them as wild dogs. I guess it rolls off the tongue better than coyote-og or dog-ote. Personal expierance has led me to believe that this hybrid mix is potentially much more dangerous than a regular coyote.
As stated earlier, they do exhibit behavior that would imply an increased level intelligence and less fear than a regular coyote. Just for fun and the sake of debate, do you suppose that this is the origin of some of the incidence of coyote killing domestic cats? Imagine Rex telling his new mate (a female coyote): "Hey babe... How's about we go out to dinner tonight? I know where we can find a delicious tabby cat. Maybe later we can have some alone time and sniff each others butt and howl at the moon?..."
O.k. So it probably didn't happen that way. I suggest that the more intelligent and less fearful hybrids have "taught" coyote that humans sometimes are dangerous but they also have small tasty edible creatures around too. Then after the coyote has learned where and how to pick up an easy meal, it teaches it's offspring how to do it, just the same as pups are taught to dig out field mice or cottontail. I don't think that thi is an entirely impossible scenario. In fact, we easily may be watching an evolutionary step for the present day coyote taking place before our very eyes!
Coyote are smarter than most people ever give then credit! Honestly, my coyote hunting career began as I watched the Primos guys on t.v. And I thought, "hey, that looks like a lot of fun and it looks pretty easy too!" Little did I know that I was in for an education. While hunting coyote can be fun, it is far from easy. Those little buggers have outsmarted me many times, especially when I first started hunting them. Still now I learn a lot of new things about them most every time I go out to hunt.

Just think, if today's coyote are smart enough and brave enough to do the things they are doing now, imagine how intelligent and brave they will be in future generations!
What comes next? Will they ring the door bell?!

I think your on to something about Coyote evolving before our eyes. Every week there's a media note about a Coyote here in the city or at the airport, or somewhere their really don't need to be or were in the past. A large part of that is because of the urban sprawl and more folks moving to the more rural areas to get away from what they moved into the city for to start with!
With the crops coming up its tougher to see em now, but they still let their presence known. Funny how much they vocalize, far more than dogs.

At one time my brother in law was an animal control officer in eastern Utah. He had live trapped a female coyote and kept it in his backyard for a while on a chain with a swivel based pole. He was trying to determine the best solution in the circumstance as normally he would have put it down but there were some other government entities wanting possession of it for some now forgotten reason.

She was in heat and when the neighboring male dogs would smell her and attempt to get close enough to breed her she would kill and eat them. Two of those male dogs were about double her body weight but that was no problem. She killed 3 dogs in 2 days.

Wild animals are extremely strong and tenacious fighters and look at domestic dogs and cats as a buffet. No contest.

Someone once said that after the Big Nuclear shoot out at the end of the world there will be two species remaining. Cockroaches and Coyotes.

Coyotes aren't picky.They will kill and eat anything they can bring down alone or in a group.I only wish we had a longer season in NY.They are very prolific.Even if we had a year round season as some states do we wouldn't be able to keep up.

Here in Illinois we have the year around hunting season for the Coyote, and winter months for the trapping season. Still cant make a dent in the population, if you take alot of em one year they will produce even more the next year. Its like they just breed to fill the void!. Its a real problem for the suburban folks as they cant hunt there but have Coyote everywhere. Around where i live we just blast em any chance we get. Everybody goes for em, and they are still all over. See em everyday. hear em every nite. Kinda cool to listen to em. Lot more fun to blast em, only trouble is its very flat here so rifles are tough to use without safety issues.

I'm rather skeptical about a female coyote "luring" a domestic dog out to be killed. The male dog is like a teen-aged boy. he doesn't care about the peril just th p***y.
Anyone that has live on a farm or remote area and had a dog come in season will understand. It's amazing the strange dogs that will come lurking.
In a study by Memphis Univ. when the coyote was first filtering onto the east coast, it was determined that when the coyote population is thin, coyotes will readidly breed with dogs. (some will remember the scare articles about the "super coy-dog" that was gonna decimate game and live stock on the east coast and endanger humans) One of the bits of info from the study was after there is a viable population of coyotes, they will kill domestic dogs.

This was relayed to me by a ranchers wife. Her cattle dog was let out to do his business and took off. She called him, but he kept going. Being the ranch gal, she went back in and got her 22 and followed in the direction he went. When she saw him again, a female coyote was playing coy with him, running a bit further away each time he chased her. So grandma, takes up the 22 and starts zinging shots over the coyotes head. Well that spooked the bitch coyote and the other 2 or 3 hiding out at the end of the fence row.

Dog would have been dinner if he had kept following her. She said other ranchers in the area had seen similar setups in the past.

JR

I live outside chicago and my wife has quite a few friends who work for various vets in the area and coyote attacks on cats and dogs are very common, most are against smaller dogs who are either killed or seriously injured, only reason they where not killed was the coyote was run off by the owner or could not get through or over the fence with its prey. There are many instances of dogs both smnall and larger dogs that disappear, most likely due to coyotes. I train Labs for a hobby and I had one instance wherein a single coyote kept enticing one of my dogs to chase it it. It continued for 10 minutes, even though I ran out after the yote yelling and screaming,lucky I had an electronic collar on the dog as he gave the yote a couple of looks I do-not know what sex it was but I have heard many stories of this type of behavior to get their victims where they want them.

So the wiley coyote really does exsist. Sounds like you really do have a problem on your hands.

If rabies gets loose in the coyote population as it has in the european fox population you really are in trouble.

quote:

If rabies gets loose in the coyote population as it has in the european fox population you really are in trouble.

Surprisingly, here in Texas we have periodic rabies outbreaks among coyotes, but they seem to stay localized over a specific area. Then it clears up and shows up in a different area several counties away.

One of the things noticeable about coyotes in the area where I live and work is the prevelance of mange. It is somewhat rare to see a coyote in this area with a full hair coat.

Problem on our hands indeed! As of right now coyote are more or less a nuisance. Sure, they kill the occasional domestic dog and cat, they cause a bunch of trouble with ranchers and are trouble makers in general.
But I submit to you, and anyone else who cares to ride along in this discussion; that the coyote' although advanced a predator and smart as he is, has yet to fill his full potential.
"What exactly do you mean by that ol' chap?" I hear Jooles asking....and I'm glad you asked!
Let's suppose the good Lord, in his infinite wisdom decides that time shall continue. What does the coyote of the future look like? What are his hunting tactics? How smart can he evolve and be? Good questions all.
I think that if you combine coyote with domestic dogs, the way the species are know to inter-breed, they will slowly but surely get bigger and stronger. Add a dose of the coyote who slips into the backyard and eats the domestic dogs crunchy doggie kibbles, which is packed full of protiens and vitamines that they have never before had in the wild. If Wiley don't eat the doggie's kibbles and bits, let's say he eats the doggie, Kibbles and his bits (if you get the sick and twisted humor there...) The resultant tendacy tword increased calorie and nutrient intake points tword coyote growing bigger and healthier.
As if this were not enough, add a bit of good ol Charles Darwin, who proves that the biggest, strongest and smartest of a species is the most likely to pass along his genetics. I think these factors all point tword a future coyote who looks very different than the coyote we are witnessing today.
And I foresee those coyote being far more intelligent too. As humankind spreads out into never before populated areas, the coyote must learn to cope with us. All of us here know well that a coyote who is not very bright will not last too long. Thus, it stands to reason that the coyote who has never before lived near man must adapt his way of living in order to survive.

At the risk of sounding like a crazy doomsday prophet...("The sky is falling! The sky is falling!")
I wonder how long it will take for the smarter, stronger, braver and more desperate coyote to attack a human? Do any of our readers have a report of this happening before? I wouldn't be surprised to hear of an attack, especially on a small child. Then, once news of this gets around, in the coyote community that is, how long before they do it again an again. Is it possible that incidence of coyote attack on humans becomes as common place as are attacks of coyote are on our pets today?
Don't be too quick to laugh or scoff! After all, it has already happened before! Look at what happened when our ancestors came down from the trees and had to deal with wolves. Some science type people, such as frequent the Discovery Channel, argue that the expedited evolution of modern wolves came about as a result of some of the same circumstances as I have cited in my theoretical future.

Yes Jooles, I agree emphatically, we most certainly have a problem on our hands! It's serious enough today and I speculate that by the time that mainstream society perceives it as a problem it will have grown to immense proportions and to crisis levels. Before the "powers that be" admit there are problems with coyote over population and allow full time and unrestricted hunting of coyote..... Well kids, I don't know what will have to happen! (Sometimes I despair of some of our bleeding heart, bunny hugging, liberal politicians)Perhaps if a pack of coyote jump the fence of the White House, attack and carry off the "first pet" or the First Lady, them maybe; just maybe, the politicians will start re considering their positions, re: gun ownership, hunting and similar issues. ....and then again, maybe not!
But I digress.
I propose that the clear best idea would be to introduce legislation, now, that encourages the disposal of coyote. I understand that some states, Utah for example, actually have bounty programs on coyote! I read where the price is 50 bucks a head!
I doubt that we will ever eradicate all coyote, not in this millennium anyway. Perhaps their numbers can be depleted to "controllable" levels. I think this is one area where Jools and his countrymen have it exactly right.
He tells me that they finished off the last wolf about 400 years ago. That sounds about right for me.

....and speaking of wolves... They are actually a protected species! Look for them to repopulate to the point that our great-great grand children are fighting with wolves the same as our great-great grand fathers did!
Truly, history does repeat itself!

After viewing these trail cam photos I have a different opinion on coyotes, I understand they serve a purpose in the big picture however let them do it somewhere else

http://hunting.outdoorzy.com/c...e-kills-deer-photos/

Rabies and mange are both limiting factors in coyote density.

That's why myself and my redneck friends shot the hell out of em whenever we can. They are much tougher to hunt than the whitetail deer in the photos.
I hate to think about a super coyote because they are smart enough to outsmart hunters alot already! Seriously, they almost can think in a 6th sense, i know that sounds a little dramatic, but they really do. They are supreme top predator and think like one. A friend once told me they think like a big cat, in Africa! He has done the Africa safari thing, and says Coyote are tougher than many of the other things he has on his trophy wall! They know how to work the wind, they don't miss anything if you, move your busted, if your calling is bad they wont come in, of course there are some dumb ones too, but they don't last long.
So i guess one could argue the hunting them may be selectively making smarter Coyotes by eliminating the dumb ones!

Hey guys, i have to say i have really enjoyed this topic about the Coyote. I hope we can keep it going with fresh ideas/info. as Coyote are part of my daily life. I have lots of respect for them and enjoy hunting they probably more than anything else i hunt. Too bad they are not table fare.

I will second the motion from brother Oneshotonly in that coyote are almost too smart by half to begin with and seemingly getting smarter every time you go out to hunt. The ones who frequent my little happy hunting ground have fooled me more times than I care to admit! Coyote are very quick learners indeed.
...and about the thing with eating coyote.....
I read a post on another hunting forum, of which I am a proud member, suggesting that coyote could be eaten. According to the correspondence between these two members, the back straps of a coyote, dipped and fried in a beer batter concoction make for good eating.
Let's be clear about something right here and now. I have never attempted to eat coyote meat and looking ahead on my appointments book, I don't see it happening anytime soon! Were these two jesters making a sick and perverted joke? Truth is; I really don't know. And too, I'm not sure that I would care to find out.
I have always said that I was willing to try almost anything twice; once to find out and the second time to be for sure. But this might be carrying things a bit too far!
Has anyone else heard of Coyote Stew?

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Rabies and mange are both limiting factors in coyote density.

Mange is wide spead in our urban fox populations. Fortunately we have managed to irradicated rabies from the country due to until recently having very strict quarrentine laws.However this is not the case in mainland europe where foxes are one of the main vectors in the spread of rabies. Unfortunately 2 cases of rabies in humans have been reported here in the UK only last week. These were IIRC due to contracting the virus whilst on holiday in mainland europe.
We have also had a hanfull of fox attacks on humans reported over the last 24 months mostly on small childern left unattended in the family garden.Although in one case the fox entered the house and bit the toddler in the face and neck.

Like your coyotes our urban foxes are becoming larger and they regularly attack and kill domestic and feral cats. Which they readily eat. When, and it is a when, rabies manages to get a toehold back here in the UK. Its establishment and spread will be via the urban fox population. We will then really have a problem on our hands.As their numbers run into the tens of thousands.
Just what the bunny huggers and fox lovers who like to feed them on their patios will do then is anyones guess.

This kind of answers a question I posed during a reply I made. Earlier I had asked about reports of coyote attacking humans and now I know.
I referred to another forum, which I would name upon request, where lo and behold a turkey hunter posted a report complete with pictures, of a coyote on human attack!
Apparently, it is freakishly common for coyote to jump into blinds Ect. with turkey hunters. The hunters are left to conclude that the coyote in question mistake the people for turkey! That puts a damper on our comments about the level of intelligence exhibited by coyote!
....I KNEW there was a reason that I never took up turkey hunting....

quote:

Originally posted by jaybald1:
I referred to another forum, which I would name upon request

Coonsider a request submitted

Why certainly ol chap. The address is www.kentuckyhunting.net. It is a site dedicated to hunting/fishing in my home state. As far as I am aware, anyone is free to stop by and browse through the site and even become a member.
Here is a tip Jooles: if anyone asks about your location being U.K. Just tell them you referr to the University of Kentucky. Everyone will be your friend then. ( And probably try to score some basketball tickets from you! )

At any rate....
Once you arrive upon the site, go to the "forums" portion and scroll down until you find the section dedicated to "varmit hunting". A quick search in the search box, located in the upper right should include something like "attack and coyote".
You will have to be a patient fellow, the server must be slow, but it should eventually reveal several different threads. From here it is a matter of pointing and clicking upon any story that takes your fancy.
The story that I cited in particular was started by a fellow calling himself Lungblood...don't ask me why. Here you can see the pictures taken of this guy's shoulder where it is fairly clear that he was bitten by something that has a canine jaw structure and teeth.
Lungblood claims that he was physically attacked by a coyote whilst hunting for turkey. Is it the truth? Well, I wasn't there, thank goodness, but the story is convincing and the photo evidence does, as I say, point to a canine. I can point out that the date his thread originated is consistent with the Spring turkey hunting season here in K.Y.
What is perhaps the most damning, is the reports of other hunters, mostly hunters of turkey, who all report very similar occurrences. This makes sense, considering the methods employed by said turkey hunters of this area to take their game.
In pursuit of turkey here, hunters are allowed to doff their hunter orange when they get to their hunting spot and often are covered in camo from their heads to their toes. These hunters will of course use cover scents to mask their human odor. Hunters will often sit at the base of trees, to give them back support and better concealment. Other times hunters will hide out in a blind designed specifically to blend in with the surrounding environment.
While some hunters employ decoys to lure in their prey, others do not. All, however, use various and assorted devices to mimic the sounds of turkey. They may pretend to be a female looking for a mate, or a male looking for a fight.
It is, I think, entirely possible for a coyote, especially one desperate with hunger, to sneak upon an area where he hears his food calling out and sees or smells no source of danger. Only further investigation would reveal if this is the first case of an actual injury being sustained as a result of an authentic attack of a coyote upon a human being.
I hope you will find this and other accounts reported on this hunting site to be educational and entertaining.

Consequently Jooles....
My evolvement with this discussion began with my commenting about coyote attacking domestic pets. You can also find an account of a pet owner who witnessed a coyote attack their dog whilst they had that pet on a leash and were walking him. You should see this thread come up as a result of searching the forum as I suggested earlier.

I never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, as they say, but it seems that we have a documented case of a coyote on human attack right here on our forum!
For anyone who hasn't already done so, go over and read that report and compare it with the one from the K.Y. Hunting forum. The stories are very near identical.....
Almost too identical?

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I'm rather skeptical about a female coyote "luring" a domestic dog out to be killed. The male dog is like a teen-aged boy. he doesn't care about the peril just th p***y.

In the suburbs around Los Angeles there have been many reports of coyotes "luring" domestic dogs away from their home so they could be killed by a pack. I think it is more a matter of the dogs becoming excited at the prospect of playing with other "dogs" and running off to join in the fun only to be killed by a group of coyotes. I have spoken to people there who often hear a local domestic dog's playful barks turn into yelping shrieks of terror and pain --- and then silence --- and then coyote cries.

I m not saying that they never lure a dog out. But i think its far easier for coyotes to hunt rabbits, mice and phesants with no chance of injury than to prey on dogs that can fight back a little at least.
As to eating Coyote, well i know some ole boys that told that story as well, however i know they personally have never eaten it! They are usually loaded with parisites to start with, and damn thats just plain gross even to think about! To be honest i have eaten about everything that walks in the woods or swims in the water. But i have to pass of the strap of 'yote!!

I live in Arizona. The coyotes are everywhere, you see them in downtown Phoenix running down the street at night.

The problem is people who feed them and think they are just skinny dogs. They know how to act around people so they are wary but in most cases do not run far. There is an area of town where there are all retired people and the coyotes run along the tops of the block fences until they see a bowl of food or a yappy dog.

My father lived in a part of town with one acre lots and the coyotes would come up to the chain link fence around the pool, he would yell at them and throw rocks. If they came back he would shoot them with a 22 CB. With good shot placement they would run off to the wash (a dry creek) and die.
His cat did not get eaten.

Mark

Growing up in S.E Oregon I was around ranchers and farmers a lot. The stories of coyotes luring dogs out was common. We hunted and trapped them, and the ranchers were always quite friendly to us. The coyotes caused more problems than bears or Mtn lion.

I've seen a pack of coyotes kill & feed on a calf that wasn't even all the way born yet. It happened on a ranch that had not been very open to us gaining access. We were on neighboring property but not his. We stopped by his place to tell him a cow was down birthing and what was happening. He asked why we didn't shoot them. Upon reminding him that he had denied us permission, and that we were respecting his decision, he said that we should have shot them anyway. Long story shortened we wound up with permission to hunt & trap.

Coyotes are very wary. They don't miss much and I can attest that they do learn to avoid hunters. While working in California I found an area between private land that was BLM. I thought I'd found a less abused area to call. I snuck in called and watched a pair of coyotes move right through what should have been a travel path and continue on. We moved from our stand, walked quickly back to the truck and drove a couple miles ahead of them in a roundabout unseen fashion. We walked up a draw into a saddle looking down into a wide shallow draw that came from the direction they were heading when last seen. Sure enough after calling for a while they came into view. They paused looked in our direction and dropped into the draw picking a path away from us. The wind was in our favor, we were cammied up pretty well, and have plenty of experience calling. We're not used to being ignored.
Some weeks later I ran into a guy pulled over on our company road in full camo. I stopped to ask what he was up too, and found he was "calling oyotes". When I asked him how he was doing he was quick to tell me how they won't come in and he thinks 300 yards is a close shot. His method of choice was an E-caller, and a "long range" coyote gun.
I had never had to shoot one that far because they wouldn't come in. I had just the opposite experiences, most often feeling like CQB weapons should have been chosen!

Coyotes are far from stupid.

I hunt most everything, but coyotes are my favorite. Very adaptable, willing to eat most anything that doesn't eat him first.

There have been numerous coyote attacks on humans. Several children have been killed by coyotes since the early 1990's. A few years ago, an 18yo woman was killed by 2 coyotes in Canada.

Since coyotes live by killing, they would be better equipped to kill dogs, even bigger dogs, than your average Fido is at killing coyotes.