Coyote feeding habits?

[BlackRyder]

I was at work yesterday when I got a call from my wife who was (only slightly) freaking out because there in our yard, in broad daylight, was a coyote! Just kind of lurking in the bushes. She took note of where it ran off to and I went poking around when I got home.
I read that coyotes will sometimes make their dens in hollowed out gopher holes, and we have a big embankment on our propert that is riddled with the aforementioned rodent houses (they are mountain beaver holes, it's getting to be a real problem in our yard...)
Anyway, I noticed this...
Here's a pulled out view

Sorry for the poor picture quality, I didn't want to get too close and had to rely on my phone's zoom to get the shots.
That pile of dirt is about 5 times larger than the dirt piles from all the other beaver holes.
What do you guys think? Could this be a coyote den? It's super close to the road, and about 300 yards from our house, but maybe the coyote is so used to being around humans that it doesn't mind the proximity? I've seen sign around that area a few times, footprints and scat. It seems weird to me that a coyote would make its home so close to humans but I guess you never know what an animal will do when it gets used to people. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill or have I found a coyote den in my yard?

 

[jrd541280]

Don't walk but run to your local bi-mart and get a trail cam. They are just on the other side of the counter from the hi-powered air rifles. Most people know a 22 shot. Most people hear a pellet gun go off and say "what was that" if they hear it at all. Just my opinion

 

[BlackRyder]

Part of me is thinking that if it is indeed a coyote, I should just leave it alone and hope that it takes care of the mountain beaver population!

 

[mjbskwim]

Part of me is thinking that if it is indeed a coyote, I should just leave it alone and hope that it takes care of the mountain beaver population!

Some farmers want them dead some let them take care of rodents
As long as it doesn't get into your world let him kill a few. I would bet some have left already.

 

[fatboyi]

Coyotes have an understanding and awareness of their surroundings that it incomprehensible to humans. They adapt very quickly to their environment and learn human behavior and habits. About the only time they eat in one place is if the kill is too big to carry off but even then they will try to tear something off to take with them. They eat very quickly and move on.

This sheds some light on something that happened to us. We found remains (hopefully not my cat) that consisted of only the hindquarters, and were trying to determine if it a coyote or mountain lion was responsible. We are still out looking, but this was useful . . .

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Feeding them lead

 

[OldBroad44]

Buggblegum those coyotes.

By arsenic and leave some steak out.

That problem will resolve its self soon.

You're sure to kill stuff if you leave arsenic-baited meat out, that's true. Other people's dogs and cats, racoons, possums, skunks, maybe even birds, pretty much everything that eats meat. I once had to rush my Siberian Husky to the vet. The vet said it was arsenic. It wasn't pretty. The dog lived but it was a close call. Most likely an arsenic-poisoned rodent had found its way or been carried to the roadside where my dog picked it up. My guess is you would kill all your neighbors' cats a long time before you eliminated the coyotes.

 

[fatboyi]

You're sure to kill stuff if you leave arsenic-baited meat out, that's true. Other people's dogs and cats, racoons, possums, skunks, maybe even birds, pretty much everything that eats meat. I once had to rush my Siberian Husky to the vet. The vet said it was arsenic. It wasn't pretty. The dog lived but it was a close call. Most likely an arsenic-poisoned rodent had found its way or been carried to the roadside where my dog picked it up. My guess is you would kill all your neighbors' cats a long time before you eliminated the coyotes.

I agree. I've lost cats to rodent poison as well. I am all for eliminating coyotes in and around where I live - but I don't want anyone to go through the loss of their pets.
Selective extermination is necessary. Ecologists and wildlife biologists talk about how coyotes compensate by producing larger litters; what they don't say is that there is a tipping point. If you kill off enough they can't sustain the population level. On the other hand, if you let them continue to procreate, the population expands into OUR territory.

 

[Member 5605]

My guess is you would kill all your neighbors' cats a long time before you eliminated the coyotes.

Maybe so... then the coyotes food source would be gone.

I'm really not a heartless person, I just play one online.

 

[11Charlie]

We had two coyotes kill and eat a deer on our property this year. Nice two point buck. took them three nights to eat it all. I'm guessing the deer was hit by a car and they finished it off.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

If you leave poisoned bait / meat out....Be sure it is legal to do so , before hand.

Also...be aware that other critters will be tempted to eat the bait as well...families pets , wild animals other than the targeted animal , which could land you in trouble if you kill a endangered critter.

Having lost a beloved cat to Arsenic poisoned bait , makes me not a fan....it was heartbreaking for us and very painful for our pet.
Andy

 

[Oregonhunter5]

We lost a Weimaraner to a nasty man in Junction City 7 years ago. Man lived a street over. Our dog never left the property. This guy came over one day. His small street had there well water on our property. Weird I know. The guy never called or let us k ow he's popping over. Never even spoken to us before. Another of his neighbors was in charge of the well. He knew our phone number. Well this one guy came over and our dog made a false rush at him. And within 2 feet of him. The guy hauled off and tried to strike old Jake. Well Jake was not mean. He just went back by the house, and the guy did his work and left. Dog was dead in 3 weeks or so. 5 years old. Dearly sick in a 24 hour period. Spent $1,000 on tests. Had to put him down. He wasn't eating or drinking. Just laid there and peed himself on the ground. That grumpy old man just was full of hate...

 

[Ruger Rich]

Truly sorry to hear your story. I lost a good cat to coyotes about 2 years ago. Right in the front yard. SOB hauled her off at lightning speed. I live in a Milwaukie residential neighborhood near LaSalle High School. 'Bout a quarter mile away is a small park, Fernberg Park. To the north of the park is a very large overgrown field that used to be a truck farm. The coyotes live there. Just last week on the neighborhood watch thing for our area were multiple stories about a lady walking her dogs in the park, middle of the day. Coyotes came out from cover and it was apparently touch and go for awhile. I'v spent years in the woods and always hear them, but oddly enough I've never heard the pack that lives in that field. I speculate that the distances between them is not great enough that they have to yelp/howl to keep track of each other.

 

[fatboyi]

Maybe so... then the coyotes food source would be gone.

I'm really not a heartless person, I just play one online.

No - coyotes are opportunistic scavengers and predators. They will eat or scrounge anything. That includes garbage, dogs - small AND large - and anything not fast enough to get away. Think children. We are already seeing that with young, starving mountain lions as their population grows. And I love mountain lions. Imagine having ten to one hundred

 

[JRuby]

No - coyotes are opportunistic scavengers and predators. They will eat or scrounge anything. That includes garbage, dogs - small AND large - and anything not fast enough to get away. Think children. We are already seeing that with young, starving mountain lions as their population grows. And I love mountain lions. Imagine having ten to one hundred

Just a cursory look on the internet but there has only been one fatal attack on.a child by a coyote documented. That was the keen child in 1981 and she was thrre. I am assuming most parents dont let there 3 year old out by themselves. I think coyotes are of minmal.danger to.himans and would rather ignore us.

 

[fatboyi]

Just a cursory look on the internet but there has only been one fatal attack on.a child by a coyote documented. That was the keen child in 1981 and she was thrre. I am assuming most parents dont let there 3 year old out by themselves. I think coyotes are of minmal.danger to.himans and would rather ignore us.

Only one FATAL attack.
From "Coyote Attacks on Humans in the US and Canada"
"We conducted an analysis of coyote attacks on humans in the United States and Canada, including 142 reported incidents of coyote attacks resulting in 159 victims." These are reported attacks.

If you are not familiar with coyotes, they are NOT afraid of people and will let their curiosity override any caution. They enter backyards in populated areas like LA in broad daylight and snatch pets. They become accustomed to human contact VERY quickly and will show no fear. I don't think anyone should have to keep their pets indoors to keep them from being eaten. If they enter human population centers for any reason they should eliminated - not trapped and transported - immediately, as they will return.

 

[JRuby]

143 attacks where is the documented evidence of this? Over what period of time?

 

[fatboyi]

143 attacks where is the documented evidence of this?

Coyote Attacks on Humans in the US and Canada - | Urban Coyote Research

This does not include attacks on pets. Throw these in and there is no justification for their presence near human population centers.

 

[JRuby]

Thanks.

 

[JRuby]

So an attack is classified by someone being bit by a coyote. Want to compare that to the number of individuals bit by dogs on a yearly basis?

There are many nights when I am woken up by coyotes sounding like they are on the war path. I am no fan of coyotes but like any other situation you need to take steps to protect your fur kids. My cats are in by 9:00 PM and my dogs only go out together after dark. Coyotes are a part of our environment and I have no plans to start killing any unless they cause me problems.