Coyote problems

My stepsons live in a residential neighborhood but not inside the city limits. They have a coyote or two coming in their yard harassing the dog and it already killed a chicken that someone set loose that was hanging out in their yard.

If it was me, I'd have just looked for the right opportunity to kill it. But my wife and her kids had other ideas. They called the sheriff dept and was told to call animal control, called animal control and was given another number to call because they don't do coyotes. That number said it was a private matter and to hire an exterminator. My wife called the sheriff office back and was told it was illegal for her or her sons to shoot the coyote.

What would y'all do? I figure it's best to just shoot them and hope nobody complains. Would have been easier to play dumb if they hadn't made all those calls!

 

I would apply the 3 "S" method of control. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up. This also calls for using "quiet" .22 ammo if you can find it. Since it has been brought to the attention of others I would allow some time to pass before taking action. And next time don't call anyone!

 

I would check the game laws for their state. In NC they are a invasive species and have no season, no bag limit, and we can hunt them with any weapon and use night vision. In the neighborhood open enough to allow the safe use of a firearm I use 17 grain polymer tipped .17HMR. It's enough power for a humane head shot and the tiny bullet comes apart into flakes/dust when it hits something so there is reduced risk of ricochet. And the report (bang) is mild, lacking the boom of larger calibers. I don't like slower velocity stuff like .22LR because the relatively heavy, slow moving bullet remains intact when it hits something presenting a ricochet risk.

 

My wife talked to the game warden and he said he'd come by and check it out but since he can't camp out over there, he may or may not be able to do anything. He advised my wife or her sons to shoot them. I would have never made all those calls but nobody asked me, just told me after the fact. The boy has a 410 so that is what will likely get used if they shoot the coyote.

It's mostly .75 acre lots although I bought a corner lot and had it divided so I could set 2 trailers.

 

They are pretty smart and learn quick. He likely won't have to shoot every one. Often shooting one or two can be enough to teach the others that that is an area to be avoided.

 

I'm out in the boonies, and we used to have an abundance of Coyotes around here; but they were somewhat shy . . . . except when traveling in packs; or when they've become rabid.
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About 10 years ago, Rabies wiped out a goodly portion of the Coyotes and Foxes; but they've made a comeback recently. Last Christmas, I was barbecuing outdoors, and made intermittent runs into the house in between grilling activities; but on one of my return trips the grill, I discovered the tracks of at least three (3) Coyotes within 12 feet of where I had just been standing flipping steaks. Certainly got my attention . . . . now I consider packing a rod after dark.

I'd be leery of Rabies in a singular Coyote who's ventured into a residential neighborhood.

 

I would ignore it..............

 

Like the standard response for "stand your ground" you were afraid for your life, if they do shoot one of the cyotes and it becomes an issue, then say, it looked rabid and had chased me inside earlier. Basically, come up with some language that gives you a reasonable cause to shoot it.

0.75 acre lots are on the dense side to be discharging most guns. Expensive, but a crossbow with a scope would be silent if legal to own.

Bud

 

I have removed a number of nuisance woodchucks and raccoons over the years, and would have no qualms of doing likewise with a coyote that I considered problematic. And we have plenty of them around us, hear them almost every night and see them quite often. I carry a pistol with me quite often when we go for a walk, particularly around dusk, not because I fear a coyote, but because I don't want to stumble onto one dining on roadkill in the tall grass a few feet away. Otherwise, I don't give them a second thought. And we are pretty spread out, 10 houses now on the full section plus that we live on, so one always still needs to be aware of their shooting lanes, but we have plenty. On the other hand, shooting just to shoot, which might be the case in shooting an otherwise non-threatening coyote, is a higher risk than a coyote in a more densely populated area. And, in my opinion, coyotes are not necessarily bad. Being a couple of miles off the pavement, we don't have much traffic, but still a lot of roadkill, and there have been more than a few times that I have been glad to see the coyotes and vultures strip a deer or other carcass before it got ripe. Honestly, I think of them as opportunistic, and doubt that they are after a dog, or even a puppy, as they are after the neighbor who lets chickens run. In fact I had this very conversation with a neighbor down the road this spring. He'd heard the coyotes around just as we had, but didn't see much of them until his teen daughter started raising chickens. Sure, turn them out in the yard for a while, and you think something might be watching from the dense cover across the road or back in the woods? So, if they are of concern, or particularly if they appear sickly, remove them. Otherwise they might be a symptom of the environment, and someone needs to keep closer tabs on their chickens.

 

They have became such an issue there's licensed hunters with permits to hunt them for you.
Most will do it for free.
The game warden should be able to give you some names and phone #'s.
In my area they have been killing dogs, cats, calves, fawn's, only thing they ask is to report any that have been killed.

 

I agree!! For the last month or so there have been 2 chickens hanging out in their yard, then 1 disappeared. A few days ago the last one disappeared but left a pile of feathers scattered in the yard so it's likely a coyote ate both of them. The area used to be farm land although a lot of the farms were subdivided into house/trailer lots with a few farms remaining.

I agree but a lot depends on the direction you fire. The front of the property has a 5'-6' high bank that goes up to the highway so for the most part any shot fired in the front yard should be safe. I assume those boys have enough sense to look beyond what they are shooting at.

 

I'm curious why the local sheriff said it's illegal to shoot the coyote. They're not protected...is there a general ban on discharging a firearm in that jurisdiction?

 

Maybe the Sheriff thought the neighborhood was in the city limits.

 

I didn't talk to the sheriff dept so I don't know if he knew it was country or thought it was city but you'd expect him to assume in the county or they would have called the city police.

 

Sometimes there are restriction for how close to a home one can discharge a firearm. Up here I think it's 300'.

They recently changed our laws to allow suppressors. Not as effective as a silencer but they do reduce the report. Not sure what your laws are, but getting set up to be able to do this more than once may be a good idea.

Bud