Coyotes losing their fear of people?

[Denali]

Coyotes have always been crossbreeding, with both dogs, and gray wolves(thats what many used to think the red wolf is/was). Coy-wolves have been id'd in both northern Minnesota, and northwestern Wisconsin, there are reports of same from upstate NY, and Maine as well. They are right in the middle as to size, bigger then the coyote, smaller then the wolf. We have also discovered that they maintain the coyotes boldness, and have no qualms about living in close proximity with humans.

As to coyotes losing their fear, well thats not necessarily an accurate interpretation, coyotes have always been bold, wily, and opportunistic around human settlements. The problem of this, is greatly amplified due to the almost total extermination of gray wolves from their historic range. Gray wolves are/were mother natures check on the coyote, and while individual wolves will/have bred with them, pack wolves will mercilessly depredate coyotes...

I've hunted coyotes for decades, I admire the hell out of the little canines, they are just so damn adaptable, most ranchers/farmers despise them, which is ironic, its because of ranchers/farmers merciless persecution of gray wolves, that the little coyote has become so prolific.

[mallowpufft]

Coyotes have always been crossbreeding, with both dogs, and gray wolves(thats what many used to think the red wolf is/was). Coy-wolves have been id'd in both northern Minnesota, and northwestern Wisconsin, there are reports of same from upstate NY, and Maine as well. They are right in the middle as to size, bigger then the coyote.

I grew up in the "mountains" of western Taxachusettes and can recall seeing many of coyotes that had cross bred with dogs and roamed in packs of yotes/wild dogs/hybrids. Pretty big dogs, almost the size of German shepherds.
Not too comforting when you're twelve and out camping in the woods with friends in a 35sq. mile town with 1200 people in.

It's best to blame my misspelled words on autocorrect.

[SeriousStudent]

Some have-a-hart traps might be good. Then you can shoot the Coyotes with a .22 and let the pets free.

That is one of the solutions we are applying. We did get one of what we think are three coyotes that way.

[rljatl]

I have lived in metro Atlanta for 43 years. Saw plenty of coyotes when visiting my sister in Arizona, never in Georgia until recently. Within just the last couple of years, coyotes have been seen all over metro Atlanta, especially on the North Side. In fact I personally saw one around dusk standing in the middle of the road not more than 100 yards from my house. There have been many reports of coyotes killing small dogs in the metro Atlanta area.

Coyote mauls Roswell family's dog
http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton...s-1418998.html

[AKDoug]

Wolf eradication in parts of Alaska have caused an explosion of coyotes in those areas. Wolves kill the hell out of coyotes just like Denali says. I can't imagine that a coy-wolf would be any bolder than a normal coyote. Wolves sure aren't bold in 99% of cases. I've been winded by them at 400 yards and they've run like hell.

I snared two coyotes in my grandma's retirement village outside of Palm Springs about ten years ago (right off her back deck) and killed them with a golf club. Quite an education for my California cousins

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

I live in Northern Colorado, right at the foothills of the rockies in a rural suburb. My mom's house is on a few acres with a wildlife preserve behind it and a lake in front of it, so we got to see all sorts of wildlife around us. About 10-15 years ago we would see coyote tracks in the snow or hear them yip at night. Rarely would we see them in the preserve, and as soon as they would catch wind of us they would dart. Fast forward to today and she tells me they have seen coyotes and foxes sleeping on the porch under the warm dryer vent, sitting in the yard watching them, and confronting their two australian shepherds. Its a very upscale neighborhood and not the sort of place to camp out and hunt, and of course animal control is no help.

I remember driving through that neighborhood when I was 16 and hit the biggest coyote as he darted across the street at night. I was in a big ol Dodge going about 35 and clipped his ass. He just kept on running.

[Javelin]

Funny this thread came up as I was wondering the same thing. I live in the suburbs of North Dallas and the other night about 2am I was out on my patio and I think it was a coyote poked his head under my gate. It had a long slender muzzle and the typical flared cheeks though I didn't get a real good look at it. My dog (~85lb American Bulldog) quickly leaped over to the gate before I could even react bit and held the poor coyotes head. The coyote was pinned by the head between the gate and the ground with my dogs jaws over top of it's face.

Thankfully my dog released the coyotes head upon command as I would probably have a bloody coyote mess to clean up if my dog hadn't.

My guess is that the coyote was probably looking for a small animal to eat but instead found something it didn't bargain for.

Here is a pic of my dog and the gate behind him where the coyote poked it's head through (I opened the bottom of the gate up like that a while ago so that the stupid cats my neighbors own have a chance to get the hell out of the yard when I let the dog out in the mornings).

[glocktogo]

They're still plenty afraid behind my house when I go out the back door. Smart yotes they are!

[CDW4ME]

I wish a coyote would be so kind as to walk around in my yard for a couple of daytime minutes when I'm here.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Man its funny this came up when it did we are having a hell of an issue here in western NY this year. They are stalking around our fenced in yard at night trying to get to our dogs I think. I shot 12 last year but it had no effect. I have been seein gthem in the middle of the day walking right by our house. The fisrt one I saw this year was bigger than my lab and he weighs 70lbs.

I remember back to my boy scout days the coy-dog were a big issue at camp in the Adrondacks.