Problem with an Aggressive Coyote

[OneBadV8]

Conibear trap.

Then maybe a Louisville Slugger to neutralize the threat, I'm sure some would see that as cruelty to animals. So maybe a road trip with your favorite lead dispensing device would work better.

 

[Caleb]

All seriousness, I would use a ruger 10/22 with suppessor and sub-sonic ammo....I would perch from a 2nd story window so the ground would be your backstop. Not the most legal way of doing it, but I wouldn't really care if it's a danger to my 5 month pregnant future wife.

 

[Claddagh]

Joe, where I draw the moral distinction isn't in the species of the animal, it's in the motivation and intent of the human and our personal responsibility for the consequences of our actions, intended or otherwise.

I wouldn't presume to know the mind of the Almighty, but strongly suspect that He wouldn't cut me much slack if the action I chose to take in an attempt to deal with a marauding coyote ended up killing some kid's pet by mistake.

Personally, I have nothing but contempt and loathing for people who inflict cruelty or kill purely for amusement or for spite, regardless of what rationale they concoct to justify their actions. And I do believe that those who do so will eventually face a reckoning commensurate with their deeds, one way or another.

Back to practicalities. I don't know anyone who owns a supressed firearm and couldn't legally borrow one even if I did. Other than to satisfy idle curiousity, I have neither the interest, means or enough personal practical uses for one that it'd take to make me willing to go through what all's involved in the process of acquiring it.

I may start looking into the possibility of swapping something for a crossbow, but even that seems kind of pointless in the face of what I've been hearing since I started asking around town about coyote sightings, etc.

Apparently, there are at least two largish packs or family groups who've been observed living and foraging on the west side of town (we live in Lebanon) around I-65. One group has been hanging around a retention pond and have been seen preying on the young ducks and geese on several occasions, mostly in broad daylight. Members of another group have been scavenging from the dumpsters and parking lots of the Flying J truckstop and some of the fast food places and patrolling the streets and allies in town. Both groups seem to be expanding their activities well into town.

What some of us have been discussing is trying to obtain permission from landowners and the BCSD to try and organize a concerted hunt to at least thin them out and put a bit of healthy fear back into their thinking. We're in the process of trying to put a meeting together for that purpose. It may prove difficult to achieve due to the heavy Interstate traffic and the pack's proximity to homes and businesses, but we'll see what comes of the effort.

 

[BtownBlaster]

What some of us have been discussing is trying to obtain permission from landowners and the BCSD to try and organize a concerted hunt to at least thin them out and put a bit of healthy fear back into their thinking. We're in the process of trying to put a meeting together for that purpose. It may prove difficult to achieve due to the heavy Interstate traffic and the pack's proximity to homes and businesses, but we'll see what comes of the effort.

You might try talking to any farmers in the area. Coyote packs can cover a good bit of ground, and you may be able to get them far enough out that businesses and interstates wouldn't be an issue. Most farmers I know are pretty enthusiastic when I offer to take care of some nuisance animals for them, and you might just find the same.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

This.
BTW, if traps are illegal I'm pretty sure putting a bowl of anti-freeze on your back porch isnt.

If you put it there to poison strays it is, in fact its a felony.

IC 35-46-3-0.5
Definitions
(5) "Torture" means:
(A) to inflict extreme physical pain or injury on an animal with the sole intent of increasing or prolonging the animal's pain; or
(B) to administer poison to a cat or dog, or expose a cat or dog to a poisonous substance with the intent that the cat or dog ingest the substance and suffer harm, pain, or physical injury.

IC 35-46-3-12
Torture or mutilation of a vertebrate animal
(b) A person who knowingly or intentionally beats a vertebrate animal commits cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor. However, the offense is a Class D felony if:
(1) the person has a previous, unrelated conviction under this section;
(2) the person knowingly or intentionally tortures or mutilates a vertebrate animal; or

 

[Caleb]

You might try talking to any farmers in the area. Coyote packs can cover a good bit of ground, and you may be able to get them far enough out that businesses and interstates wouldn't be an issue. Most farmers I know are pretty enthusiastic when I offer to take care of some nuisance animals for them, and you might just find the same.

I think you'll find this to be true anywhere in the country....except for commifornia and new pork

 

[Claddagh]

Blaster, we're trying to sort out who owns which of the land parcels that are adjacent to the areas we've been able so far to determine that the packs might be denning on and the areas where they've been seen most frequently. What's complicating things most is that most of the vacant land on both sides of the I-65 corridor is now zoned for industrial or commercial uses and apparently owned by real estate outfits, local government entities and private investment groups.

While getting most of those to give permission might prove to be next-to-impossible (fear of potential insurance liability, PR hassles from PETA types and Disney doofuses, etc.) we're hoping that if we can get permission from even a couple of private owners in the right places, we could use decoys and calls to bring the animals over to where we can deal with them.

As circumstances allow, those of us who can will be scouting the area with field glasses and/or video gear to try and identify the areas of where they congregate and their movement/activity patterns. We believe that this data along with any photographic and video documentation we can put together will help us both to formulate an effective operational plan and obtain support from the general public in the event that we would have to defend our actions against opposition from "Animal Rights" or anti-hunting organizations. It might also prove invaluable in convincing DNR and local LEAs of the growing seriousness of the problem, its potential to become a threat to public safety and the necessity for taking action now in order to prevent that threat from being realized.

The woman I talked to at the DNR regional office on the phone dismissed the idea that coyotes could pose any threat to humans on the grounds that "we haven't seen a documented case of an attack on a human in Indiana since DNR has been keeping records".

I guess that's supposed to mean that it can't happen here and never will, recent data from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc., etc. to the contrary notwithstanding. Personally, I think that waiting until we officially join them before conceding the possibility that it even could happen here too is bureaucratic wishfull thinking of the worst sort.

 

[printcraft]

Get it something from ACME products.

This is a good one.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQzzjBR9Etw]YouTube - Coyote Super Genious: ACME Roller Skates[/ame]

 

[singlestacksig]

Blaster, we're trying to sort out who owns which of the land parcels that are adjacent to the areas we've been able so far to determine that the packs might be denning on and the areas where they've been seen most frequently. What's complicating things most is that most of the vacant land on both sides of the I-65 corridor is now zoned for industrial or commercial uses and apparently owned by real estate outfits, local government entities and private investment groups.

While getting most of those to give permission might prove to be next-to-impossible (fear of potential insurance liability, PR hassles from PETA types and Disney doofuses, etc.) we're hoping that if we can get permission from even a couple of private owners in the right places, we could use decoys and calls to bring the animals over to where we can deal with them.

As circumstances allow, those of us who can will be scouting the area with field glasses and/or video gear to try and identify the areas of where they congregate and their movement/activity patterns. We believe that this data along with any photographic and video documentation we can put together will help us both to formulate an effective operational plan and obtain support from the general public in the event that we would have to defend our actions against opposition from "Animal Rights" or anti-hunting organizations. It might also prove invaluable in convincing DNR and local LEAs of the growing seriousness of the problem, its potential to become a threat to public safety and the necessity for taking action now in order to prevent that threat from being realized.

The woman I talked to at the DNR regional office on the phone dismissed the idea that coyotes could pose any threat to humans on the grounds that "we haven't seen a documented case of an attack on a human in Indiana since DNR has been keeping records".

I guess that's supposed to mean that it can't happen here and never will, recent data from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc., etc. to the contrary notwithstanding. Personally, I think that waiting until we officially join them before conceding the possibility that it even could happen here too is bureaucratic wishfull thinking of the worst sort.

Are you talking with DNR downtown Indy? Or your local area Officer?

 

[Claddagh]

The number I was given and told I needed to call by the local PD was the district office in Lafayette. They (the PD) also gave me the name of the fellow who's the conservation officer assigned to Boone Co., but no other contact info. There are several folks with that name listed in our phone book, and I'm in the process of trying to find the right one.

Frankly, I'm a bit skeptical about calling the DNR HQ in Indy, but I'll give it a shot. Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but I won't be much surprised if it elicits the same sort of response I got from the district office.

The general impression I got in the course of that conversation was that it's all "much ado about nothing" as far as they're concerned. I mean, it was like "Gee, that's sooo interesting! But since those kittens really didn't belong to anyone, your wife wasn't actually attacked, we've never heard of anyone in Indiana who has been, we're real busy doing Important Things right now and besides, about anything you try to do to that coyote will just get you into trouble, why don't you chill out and go away?

I guess we'll see what comes out of the proposed meeting. If it looks as if there're more folks who just want to wave the baton than there are willing to help carry the drum, then nothing's going to be accomplished anyway and I'll go back to tending to my own knitting.

 

[Arm America]

Man, just go to Dick's, buy a cassette of a wounded rabbit.
Put it in the cassette player out under a light at 4:00 A.M. and set up the 22
It's going to draw any coyotes within a half mile.
Just take em out, be done and go back to sleep.

 

[eatsnopaste]

jennybird, if I knew of anyone who had a Havahart live trap large enough for an animal averaging almost 4' long (not counting the tail), over 2' high at the shoulder and weighing beween 45 and 55 lbs I'd call them

I thing we may be missing something here. This is a damn big coyote, largest one caught according to wikipedia (i know) was 74 lbs. and 5 feet long. If it's that size you may be forced to purchase a Barrett .50 just to keep the neighborhood safe. Darn the luck, but you gotta do what you gotta do for the good of everyone.

 

[calcot7]

Sounds like you got one of those California yotes visiting here. It won't be long before DNR'S data on Coyote attacks on humans changes.

 

[Claddagh]

eats, I'll admit that it's been a good many years since I had regular dealings with coyotes, but this one looked to be about the same size as those back in Missouri averaged. I estimate it as being 3 1/2' or so from nose to butt, about 2' high at the withers and about 40lbs. Roughly the size of a long-ish Border Collie or Aussie Shepherd dog, and a bit taller because of its longer legs. The biggest one I ever killed myself was a male who measured 43" from nose to butt, 26" at the withers, 59 3/4" from nose to the end of his tail and weighed nearly 59 lbs on an old feed scale. There was a $15 bounty offered per pair of ears from the state, so that oughtta give you an idea of how long ago it was.

AA, that's pretty much a big part of what we have in mind should we get permission from the property owners outside the city limits. No offense, but trying that on my property smack in the middle of town doesn't appeal to me much. So far, I've managed to go 61 years without ever being arrested, and I'd kinda like to keep that streak going.

cal, two things got me worked-up in the first place: It wasn't too concerned about roaming around in the middle of town well after daylight and it didn't immediately high-tail it when confronted by an irate adult human. IMO, that's atypical enough to be worrisome, but evidently the DNR doesn't see it that way. What I think is needed is to administer some 'behavior modification therapy' before things can get to the point where they have elsewhere. Otherwise, it's pretty sure bet that the Coyotes will eventually start getting bold enough to be really dangerous, as I think has been adequately demonstrated in other states already.

According to the DNR, I'm wrong.

Maybe so, but I still don't feel uncertain about it.

 

[Buckaroo]

You are not the only one with a wildlife problem!

Chihuahuas Confront Cougar in SoCal Garage - KTLA

Buckaroo

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I think you've got the right idea looking for ways to track them, find out where they are living and trying to bait/hunt them on their turf. I hope you get them soon. We have a pack or two roaming around here as well. Every time I kill a possum or raccoon I throw it out somewhere my dogs won't find it, and pick a night and wait on the coyotes. So far no luck, I seem to pick the wrong nights or something, lol.