The coyotes have been rather horrible of late
Traveling all over the whole farm in very large packs.
Not just the pack, who has decided this is their spot, but packs from on other farms, but close by.
Hanging out wherever they please. Traveling in daylight and dark. They know no fear.
Even coming into the yard now. I yelled at one just outside the back door two nights ago as it made rounds in the cows sleeping by the house. Nasty creature!
They are also scary creatures.
Very Scary.
Our son-in-law, Cliff, said, “Okay, I can help out.”
Then Linkin, our oldest granddaughter, asked if she could also go with Cliff.
Plans were made to head into a dry, cold, frozen morning
Out to the Upper End, the Back Forty, and
To the point of Coyote Hill
Home again later in the morning
One down. Many more to go.
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
P.S. Yes, I know there will be those who will leave nasty comments on the hunting of the coyotes. And NO! Coyotes do not live on ‘nuts, seeds, and berries’. Coyotes are carnivores…coyotes eat baby calves. Coyotes eat pheasants, chickens, Quail, rabbits, ‘wild kitties’, deer, and your lovely house cat/pet, they will eat dogs and puppies…coyotes are NOT friendly helpful creatures.
So, as a warning to you, if you leave me a scathing comment, your comment will be put in spam. Therefore, not allowing you to leave me comments.
And, yes, I am a friend…who lives on a farm, who believes in taking care of the farm and all the creatures who need the farm to live.
Linda
Coyotes were shot on sight where I lived before. Ranchers did not tolerate them at all. We didn’t either, and after we shot a few they knew to keep away from the farm yard. Just a shot in the air would scatter them because they are also smart in addition to being deadly. They killed and ate my neighbors dog. We learned to keep our cats inside at night and the sheep locked in the coyote proof barn at night, too. Twilight is a good time to hunt them. Young ones get brazen and show themselves during the day, I sympathize with you, Linda. They will over run your farm if you don’t get rid of them.
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We have reached the ‘run-over-the farm’ point. They are even in our farm yard and pooping on the grass….they HAVE TO GO!!
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I suggest you pack a sidearm when you are outside, especially if they chase you on the ATV. That’s what I finally had to do. Hopefully you are no longer walking around alone at night, either. Poor Boomer would not have survived an attack of a pack of them.
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I stopped when they because MANY. And Boomer became slow and afraid. You are right…it’s time for a side-arm.
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Use “lead poisoning” as my neighbor says about rabbits.
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We are.
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Possibly I’ll attract some angry comments of my own, but I think you have a responsibility as a farmer to protect the creatures in your care from predators.
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I won’t approve of their comments, whether to you or to me or anyone!
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Your solution is the only solution. If you can’t get them all you can at least put the fear of the Lord into them. I get very irritated by people whose closest encounter with a predator is their computer screen, but they have plenty to say to people who actually live with them. I could tell a lot of horror stories about what they have done here. From cats and kittens to calves and down cows they are responsible for a lot of killing.
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Me too. They are hideous creatures. Hideous.
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BTW, forgot to say, your new header is spectacular! Becky gets some of my photos printed, I think by Amazon, for about 3 to 5 dollars and we frame them with clear frames from Walmart. This one is more than worthy of being hung on a wall. I love it!
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Thank you. You can use it if you want. 🙂
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We’re having the same problem with several packs on our farm. Sadie carries on every night when they start howling. We have a professional hunter coming to help Eddie with them. Bear hunting starts today and their dogs usually run them off but they always come back. Nasty creatures!!!!!
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Nasty creatures. I hope you can get them under control. SOON!
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I hope Cliff and Linkin will be able to put a dent in your problem.
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Me too. Terry and I have had them chase us and follow us on the four-wheeler…very scary
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The coyotes have been howling here in Kansas too but I’ve only actually seen a couple so far. There used to be a bounty on them. I think it was something like $2 for coyote ears!
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No bounty here. Just the requirement of a small game license.
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That was one of the things my Dad always dreaded, but it has to be done. When they become so prolific and fearless, they are a danger to people. When the population is so high, they also become diseased and pass it on. They are probably fleeing the burned out areas and are short of their normal food. Farming is a hard and thankless job, and this is one of the most difficult aspects. Just one more thing you don’t need to deal with right now!!
Katie
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You are so right. I had another one in the yard on the road last night. Scary things.
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No scathing comment from me. We have the blasted things here in the big city. You have to go out in a fenced back yard with your dogs so they don’t end up dead. They sashay down the middle of residential street in broad daylight and some of the idiots actually feed them (and the raccoons) and tell you how the poor things are being forced out of the rural areas because of the mean nasty humans who don’t understand how the coyotes lives have been disrupted and they only need some love – until one of their pets is taken or their kids threatened. We’ve been fortunate that no children have been attacked – yet. We are to blame in a way, living was a lot harder before we were keeping farm animals for them to help themselves to and there were wolves, bears and mountain lions who kept them in check. It isn’t something anyone wants to do, but controlling coyote populations is necessary for the safety of the whole community.
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Thank you. I appreciate your comment and hope all my commenters read this.
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They are a horrible menace – just like the Aussie dingoes.
They kill quite often just for the thrill………..no mercy
shown here to dingo packs.
You and Terry have my 100% support.
Colin
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Thank you. We move forward.
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Coyotes—-phfffttt! Over on Cheri’s ranch they have a guy who asks to come out to take care of that little problem. I have seen what one can do to a newborn calf and that image will shut the coyote huggers up right now!
MB
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Cheri posted that on her blog…it was graphic and TRUE…nasty creatures.
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Well said! Besides Coyotes, we have Mountain Lions! It is scary when you come upon a deer kill covered in grass in your back pasture. Our dog’s hair stood up on her back when when came upon it. They come back to feed on it again later. When you have young grandchildren your worry. Not allowed to shoot them in CA! No funding for a government trappers any longer. We also take care of the rattlesnakes. As long as they stay elsewhere they live. In our garden, etc., gone! Many coyotes means the population is out of control. Stay safe. Sending “Hugs.” Miss Boomer, too! Bev in the very North of CA!
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Like you we HAVE to keep the population down when they become aggressive …scary creatures. Good Morning, Bev!
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whoa…..they’re getting too close for comfort, Linda. In the last place we lived, we had neighbors who hunted coyotes after they were killing calves on their farms. Their hunting dogs chased one right up into our driveway one day and the dogs killed it then and there, even though the men had rifles on them, they weren’t as fast as the dogs. Good idea to keep the number of them down. Sounds like they’re multiplying way too fast in your area. Do you have to deal with wolves too?
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No wolves yet, but they are coming in January…planted in here. Sigh.
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They know that Boomer is gone…they are horrible creatures. We were always afraid for Chance when we took him out at night. Far Guy always carried a walking stick when he went to get the mail with Chance. We hear them howling on the back road…sure wish they would catch some squirrels. Tell the hunters good luck! 🙂
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Okay shall do. You have wolves also. They are coming to our area in January.
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Very plainly, coyotes are awful. Best of luck with the hunt.
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Thanks
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I am 100% with you! Caring for your farm and its creatures means getting rid of predators that will destroy the lives you’re nurturing. So scary!
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Thank you, Genevieve! They are scary and brazen.
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Oh, you’re gonna love this. These guys:
https://www.ncwildlife.org/
They actually released Coyotes all over the place. They did it, supposedly, to combat a growing deer population. I’m not sure how people found out what they did (they certainly wouldn’t announce what they had done) but, the backlash was immediate. They announced that Coyotes could be shot on sight, day or night. Coyotes are not native to NC. These morons really screwed up. Some Coyotes moved into NC over time with the destruction of wolves and big cats but, the Coyote population just suddenly jumped and people started to investigate.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article237295759.html
Here is a cached article on their “killing them is ineffective” bulls***:
https://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=nc+wildlife+releases+coyotes&d=4913232245296205&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=47BUDLBsiI-6R8t1Rdnz1CG1JJr0N8AC
Here in Hillsborough, we’ve heard reports of Coyotes roaming the area, especially around the river. I’ve never seen one on the Riverwalk but, I have seen some Foxes. I suspect that the hunters out in the county have made quick work of them. We have a lot of deer hunters around, esp. in the northern part of the county. Down south is Chapel Hill and they are all anti-gun.
Boggles a thinking mind.
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I can’t understand this need to transplant in predators and then claim they were only helping out. Coyotes are horrid…terrible horrible and NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING
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I agree, Mama. Once again, you have those arrogant types that think they can control nature.
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Besides reading you wonderful blog each day, I have a few others I follow and enjoy. All are farm blogs, and vlogs, as I was raised on a farm until the age of 19. The other day, one of the vloggers had a run on mice in their expensive grain bins. He killed 2 mice that were running around the floor. You should have read the remarks about how could he kill innocent mice, in cold blood. At first I thought the people were joking, but NO, they were mad. Well I know what mice can do to a grain bin if not controlled. Cats are great hunters, but you would nee a thousand or more to keep up with the mice on a 5000 acre grain operation farm, with 12 , 50,000 bushel bins. I no longer worry what some say about rodents, coyotes, and the likes. One doesn’t farm to feed every creature that finds their way onto your farm. Hunting is good, as it keeps the herds from getting out of control, which they are in many refuge areas. Here in Minnesota, we have too many people who do not mind their own business. Keep up your wonderful blog, it makes my day, everyday!!! Love from Minnesota.
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Wow! How nice to meet you and to read your comment. You are so right that people really don’t understand. I would love to send those commenters some mice 🙂 Just say’n. Or say a male and female coyote…so they can have a pair for themselves. 🙂 Thank you for commenting, Charles.
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So sorry to hear that you have a problem with the coyotes Linda. How frightening to have them chase you
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They are scary beasts, that is for sure!
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