# Should I Worry About Coyotes?



## AngC (Dec 5, 2011)

In the past, we've heard the coyotes, off in the distance, nailing some chickens.

(The sound is pretty distinctive; you hear the yowls of the pack and the sound of the chickens... escalating...

and... then the chicken kill-sound.)

Last night, we heard the coyotes, and I think they took out a near-by dog. Will the coyotes attack two mini horsies at night? [One interesting dynamic, I observed, is that our little mare has been being a total bitch and giving our little guy the 'what-for' lately, but in this case she let him take point.] Thanks.


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## Hawks_Eye_Minis (Dec 5, 2011)

YES they will attack mini horses!!! We have a pack of 5 that go thru our yard a couple times a month my horses will NEVER spend the night outside thats why i stall them at night in a closed off barn


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## fancyshadow (Dec 5, 2011)

I, too, bring mine in close at night because of coyotes.


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## Lori W (Dec 5, 2011)

I bring my little ones in at night, too - just because of the coyotes. My three full size horses stay out 24/7 (they have a run-in shed for bad weather), but the miniatures come in every night at dusk. I just don't want to take a chance. I can't imagine what it would be like to come outside in the morning and see the effects of a coyote attack on our little herd.


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## lucky seven (Dec 5, 2011)

We don't have coyotes, but do have coy dogs or just a pack of dogs that run at night. My boy is tucked safely in his stall 'cause sometimes we can hear the pack quite close by our house at night chasing deer or whatever they find. I know in the past they have chased horses and killed cats close by. Don't take any chances.


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## Equuisize (Dec 5, 2011)

Just as a matter of course I bring everyone in at night including my big guy, all year.

I'd rather spend time cleaning bedrooms, every day, than something happening to someone when

I am soundly sleeping away the night.

We do, in the spring, seem to have a single small coyote come and play in our manure pile.

Not sure why...he just frolics around then is gone like a wisp of smoke. He seems more like

a small pup rather than a predator. Never seen more than one.

I'm more concerned that there was a big cat in the neighborhood, this summer and less

than 2 miles from us there is a pack of 6 wolves, that make a wooded area part of their

cruising territory.


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## Allure Ranch (Dec 5, 2011)

_If you hear them and know that they've killed other animals there a threat...._ 

 

_We have have a game fence surrounding our property. However, our neighbor's don't and they feed the deer in the area (not for hunting). Occasionally, they typically find a few deer each season that have been killed by the packs that roam the area. We've actually heard them being killed on a few ocassions._

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_Therefore, I make sure your horses a safe....._

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## Hawks_Eye_Minis (Dec 5, 2011)

the pack we have here comes right up to the house even.. My dad was out with hubby on the deck talking while dad was having a smoke... one of the coyotes walked up the ramp and came with in 4 feet of them before they realized it was there


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## Munchkie (Dec 5, 2011)

I would suggest looking into your hunting regulations and 'encouraging' someone to hunt them....


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## StarRidgeAcres (Dec 5, 2011)

Wow! I'm learning something new here. I had no idea that something the size if a coyote was a threat to any size horse. I assumed my cats and any small dogs would be at risk but didn't know about the risk to horses


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## little lady (Dec 5, 2011)

Should you worry about coyotes...yes and no. As a rule coyotes hunt in pairs and prefer mice, rabbits, ground dwelling birds(smaller prey), they also have been known to eat cats and smaller dogs in urban areas, but if hungry or if the right opportunity presents itself they will eat what they can catch. They do live in packs of about 6 closely related mix of adults, yearlings and pups. Putting your horses in of a night might help but they do hunt during the day also. Just this spring we were doing some landscaping and yard work, the tractor had been running, the hedge trimmer was in use, four wheeler, our Shih tzu was out with us and had ventured into the pasture less than 50 yards from us. When we looked up he was face to face with a coyote!!!!



We yelled and started walking towards him and he looked at us and started walking to us and the whole time the coyote just sat and watched us. My husvband headed to get a weapon and I snatched up the dog. Needless to say that coyote will not bother anything else. It was a young male so he was probably venturing out to find his own territory. It is not the first time we have seen them during the day "hunting". Every evening we hear them. I personally would be more frightened of wolves. They hunt in packs and have been well known for taking down larger animals(moose, caribou, etc).

I would also suggest find someone to hunt them providing it is legal where you live.


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## mydaddysjag (Dec 5, 2011)

Yes, I would be (and am) worried about coyotees. In my area, they DO go after larger animals. We get them here, this past summer they were circling my parents, about 20 feet back. The neighbor guy is into hunting them, so had no problem taking care of them. They wiped out the HUGE stray cat population, which was the first hint they were around. I lock all of my horses in stalls at night just because of coyotees. If you have a facebook, check out this link - Coyote taking down a white tail buck


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## Charlotte (Dec 5, 2011)

Also Many of the 'coyotes' in this country have crossed with domestic dogs and seem to be less wary of humans and livestock. Then there are the neighborhood dog packs......those are REALLY bad. And only takes 2 to make a 'pack'.


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## Double T (Dec 5, 2011)

Coyotes are an opportune preditor. I can attest that it doesn't matter how much 'natural prey' they have around, if they find a dog, cat, or whatnot easy enough to get they'll go for that over their natural prey, any day. Mine come in at night to the pens, becuase i don't want to chance it. I know they'd take a foal easy as pie, not entirely sure of a grown one, but wouldn't put it past them. They'll take calves if they can get them, and we always have one or two come in missing tails or ears becuase of it when we wean, so there isn't a lot of difference in size there really, so it's a chance i just don't take. Plus we have bobcats and mnt lions too, just a lot safer at the house in the pens at night here.


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## Katiean (Dec 5, 2011)

The place I am putting my minis has coyotes. They said that if one walks through the pens, the horses just watch them. If they go too close to the horses. The horses chase and try to stomp them. I think Dusty will protect the girls. He even gets agressive to the dogs because Brandi will move them when she thinks she is protecting them. Besides, There is a ton of little rabbits and stuff out where they are going.


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## LAZY J MINIS (Dec 5, 2011)

WE HAVE COYOTES HERE TOO, THATS WHY I HAVE GUARD DOGS. THE DOGS STAY OUT AND GO AFTER THE COYOTES,SCORE HIGH FOR DOGS AND 0 COYOTES. THE DOGS KILL THEM AND DRIVE THEM AWAY. MY HORSES ARE CLOSE TO THE HOUSE, WE KNOW WHEN THE DOGS GO OFF.


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## cretahillsgal (Dec 5, 2011)

WOW! You guys must have "super coyotes" or something. I live out in the middle of nowhere in coyote country. Have a pack behind my house and one right accross the road. Knock on wood, I've never had an issue with them.

I have known them to attack a cow calving or goat, but only when the cow is down. Or if there is a sick one. I certainly wouldn't want to leave my foaling mares outside. Or leave an individual horse out alone. I do have a pyrneese dog who patrols at night and probably helps keep them away from the animals.


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## Double T (Dec 5, 2011)

Ours aren't super, they aren't really that big body wise compared to other parts of the country. But they aren't scared of people, or their surroundings either. They'll take what is the easiest to catch, and 9 times out of 10 around a home, it's your pets.


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## valshingle (Dec 5, 2011)

I have lived in coyote country (CO and TX) for quite some time now. I have lost cats and small dogs to coyotes. I have not had a miniature horse attacked - YET.

That being said, my area of the country (TX) has been in a severe drought. Lately, I have seen a pack of 5 coyotes circling the miniature mare herd. There are also 4 large burros in the same pasture. I have a Great Pyrenees dog and an Anatolian Shepard cross dog. The Great Pyr recently completely tore his ACL chasing off the coyotes. He's now laid up for 5 weeks and may never be able to resume his 'job' without tearing the repair job. The vet who did the repair said that a pack of coyotes will work a single LGD to exhaustion so they can kill him. I'm sure that the coyotes in my area are starving, due to the lack of their usual prey (rabbits, etc impacted by the drought). I imagine that a pack of coyotes can take down a miniature horse if they are hungry and bold enough. My mares are now in a pen by the barn at night and we are in the process of hunting down the coyotes (1 down, 4 to go). I also plan on adding some more 'aggressive' burros to the herd. I may need to add more LGDs as well. Right now, I'm waiting for the weather to improve so we can hunt the coyotes again. I'm also keeping all the dogs in the house during prime coyote hunting time (dusk and dawn).


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## barnbum (Dec 5, 2011)

Lori W said:


> I bring my little ones in at night, too - just because of the coyotes. My three full size horses stay out 24/7 (they have a run-in shed for bad weather), but the miniatures come in every night at dusk. I just don't want to take a chance. I can't imagine what it would be like to come outside in the morning and see the effects of a coyote attack on our little herd.


Exactly! We have them around here. Better safe than sorry has always been my motto. My five are stalled every night and the sliding door is secured a bit with cement blocks from the outside. Does it make more work to clean five stalls 365 days a year? Yes. Do I want to have less work and take a gamble? Nope.


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## Riverrose28 (Dec 5, 2011)

Ilive on the east coast, just 90 minutes from the Nations Capital. We wiped out the coyotes, then someone got it into their head to reintroduce them, well they had a pack attack a cow accros the road from us while she was calving, they shot three but two escaped, I don't trust them, and one of our neighbors allows their dogs to run, I don't trust them either. Better to be safe then sorry.


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## Sandee (Dec 5, 2011)

Our stallion was attacked by a neighborhood dog who was being "walked" by his owner on the nature trail behind our house. The dog just took off an went thru 2 fences and grab hold of our little 32" guy in broad daylight. The owner and my husband had to seperate them. He punctured the jaw and the lip and left scratches on his face. This was one dog alone so I would never leave my horses outside over night by themselves. When we had our big QH mare, she was scared to be out after dark alone. And we live in the country but in a housing development.


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## Magic (Dec 6, 2011)

There aren't any coyotes in our immediate area, but there are plenty of mountain lions, along with dogs that people let run free, of course. We fenced our place with woven wire, 2x4" spacing, five feet tall, and we currently have two Livestock Guardian Dogs who have access to all of the property. They protect the horses ferociously from any potential threats, including airborne (whether eagles or ultralights or kites, lol!) Around here, burros or llamas just aren't going to cut it as protection animals. We've had the LGDs for over six years now and they have repelled every potential predator. Worth their weight in gold, imo.


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## Hosscrazy (Dec 6, 2011)

We also have a lot of coyotes in our area - they go after the smaller prey such as gophers, squirrels and rabbits. No interest at all in my minis or full size horses, but we also have some great guard dogs that protect the property.

Liz N.


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## little shiloh farm (Dec 6, 2011)

We do have coyotes in our area, I shot and "flipped" one shortly after we moved to our farm about 3 years ago. While I do hear them intermittently in the area and they have been seen close by we have never had one on the farm itself.

We do have a traper that works the area, he has taken out 2 coyotes and 2 bobcats so far this hunting season and is constantly putting out traps I feel that his work along with the fact that we have hot tape fencing with the largest box you can buy ( when the mini's touch the fence they stagger) anything that decides it may want to chase a mini has to get through that first.

While I do worry, I turn my guys out at night during the summer, they are out in the day in the winter. That said, I do have a smaller paddock that has extra strands of tape closer together where I turn out newborns and their mothers.

It is always a concern and in the back of my mind, but feel comfortable from what our trapper tells me about coyotes behaviors to believe our mini's are not their number one choice in dinner.


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## AngC (Dec 6, 2011)

We've had lone coyotes and also pairs come through the pasture during daylight hours within 3 to 4 feet of our little guy grazing; they all ignored each other every time. What is odd is that whenever a human walking his/her domesticated dog passes the property or if a friend stops by while walking their dog, both of our goobs beeline for the fence, totally fascinated. Aren't coyotes and dogs in the same family?

Thank you Munchkie from Vermont for the suggestion... I did not mention the night "hunting" (successful x 3) that already occurred here since I thought it might be politically incorrect on this forum. Good idea though to check the legality; it appears that a license is not required in WA state to protect against coyotes that are "damaging crops or domestic livestock."


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## Margaret (Dec 7, 2011)

Coyotes are getting more brazen in our area.

Weve seen a full sized one trotting down our street the middle of the day, with a chicken in its mouth before.

And just a couple of months ago, 5 of my chickens were killed by a coyote in our back chicken coop. Dug under the gate.. (one chicken was eaten on the site, one was carried off, and 3 were just killed and left behind)

Now there are things you can do to repel them..

Coyotes are a *territorial animal *and mark their territory.. They will respect a territory marked with wolf urine at 30.00 a bottle.

Or you can try using a less expensive version of male human urine lining the out skirts of your territory. ( they smell the male tetostrone, and know to stay away.) Only thing to keep in mind is that you need to re-set it every time it rains..

Also you can invest in 2 flashing red lights to keep on at night. ( they think it is eyes watching them.)

And also effective can be a radio playing on a talking station at night. ( they cant figure out that people arent there.)

Anyway short of building a barn or setting someone to sleep on your roof on shotgun duty, these methods have been known to work seperatly or in combination with one another for keeping these preditors at bay.


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## bullockcorner (Dec 7, 2011)

_Or you can try using a less expensive version of male human urine lining the out skirts of your territory. ( they smell the male tetostrone, and know to stay away.) Only thing to keep in mind is that you need to re-set it every time it rains.._




I can just see my husband "marking our boundry" everytime it rains!



He might be willing until it got too cold to "mark outside"! But, seriously, those ARE good ideas. We have lots of very brave coyotes around, but my LGD keeps them under control on my property. Never heard of the flashing red lights one.....interesting.

Thanks for the ideas!


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## AngC (Dec 11, 2011)

bullockcorner said:


> _Or you can try using a less expensive version of male human urine lining the out skirts of your territory. ( they smell the male tetostrone, and know to stay away.) Only thing to keep in mind is that you need to re-set it every time it rains.._
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Here in Washington state it rains alot! I'll just buy a bunch of beer and send the husband out. If it's kinda' chilly, I'll just pour more beer into him.


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## horsenut50 (Dec 11, 2011)

I always brought my little guys in when I had my farmette. The Black Angus farm down the road from me use to lose calves every year from the Coyotes. I also used to hear them make kills in the wheat field behind our property. The sound of a rabbit being killed makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.


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## attwoode (Dec 11, 2011)

My wife and I have talked about this - I'm a wildlife biologist and she's studied zoology and worked with wolves and coyotes at a couple of zoos.

Although typically not thought of as pack hunters, some coyotes exhibit pack behavior and can pose a risk to small livestock. An unprotected foal could be a risk from a brave coyote. I have first-hand experience that coyotes regularly feed on fawns in the spring of the year and it would seem logical that they would be drawn to the smell of placenta and amniotic fluid with the birth of a foal too. Because of the small size of minis, a coyote could kill a small foal by itself if the mare was not around. There also are documented occasions of cross-breeding with dogs or wolves, which would result in a larger more dnagerous coyote hybrid. I would think these are very rare in most areas.

Because of this small, but real risk that coyotes can pose to mini foals or ill adults, I have taken precautions and have never had any problems with the many coyotes in our area (we can hear them every night and have seen them run across our yard without glancing at horses). *The precautions you should take, however, are the same as you would need to protect from neighbor dogs or dog packs, which are much more dangerous and many times more likely to cause problems for most people. *We suggest the following: 1) dispose of placenta and dirty birth bedding right away 2)maintain good fences with at least a low board and electric strands between boards. 3) Stall foals with their dams at night for the first month. 4) livestock guardian dog 5) We now also have a loud donkey who would almost certainly wake us up of there was a problem. I'm sure others have good ideas and experieince on keeping out coyotes or dogs too.


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