Coyotes….problem?

We built a new house in northern Anoka county 2 years ago. I know there are coyotes in the area and on my property, but until today have only captured them on game cameras and see them once duck hunting.

I have never seen them during the day or near the house, but I just had a pack of at least 6 about 100 yards behind the house. One of them came up within 10 yards of my kids swing set, and a second was not far behind.

How concerned would you be about having 3-5 year olds playing outback knowing that? Until today I have never seen them as a clear and present threat, but this has me thinking I should take action.

In a few years I expect the kids will go back and play in the woods of the 9 acres we have, and now the neighbor kids come over and play out back on the swing.

Thoughts? Are they a threat to the kids/dogs?

My labs were going nuts and the hair on their backs was standing tall….which I have seen more often lately after letting them out in the morning.

Are there any regulations/conditions that make discharge of a firearm in your backyard not possible/legal? My parents had on a couple occasion a pack trying to lure one of their dogs out into the fields behind their house, they would hide in the woods and send the decoy dog up to the house to try and lure one of the two springers away. Finally one day the decoy dog got right into the yard. That song dog ended up receiving a lethal dose of lead administered via a 30.06 syringe (only rifle handy at the time). (This is in a very rural location though, we regularly target shoot in the back yard.)

If it were me and no-one is going to throw a fit, I’d have a few coyote hunts till they wise up and stay away.

No issues with discharge of a firearm, but it is shotgun only in this county. I don’t know if that is for deer season only, or year round. I need to look into the regs more.

All my neighbors hunt, so there is no issue there either. A few of them would probably be interested in helping. All of use have young kids that play at each others houses.

MMMMMM! Well one hand call DNR? on the other give them lead poisoning.
A 223 works very well. You’ll be a fur taker maybe get on the outdoor channel.

My bro in law just picked up a bunch of .223, so it might be time to put it to use. From what I can find, the shotgun only restriction in Anoka county is for deer hunting only. Our township/county does not have any other firearm regulations that I can find, but I am still going to check with the local CO.

Still trying to asses if it’s a threat I should be concerned about.

Cross-Bows would work well too!

Quiet so they don’t spook the rest of the pack.

I’d go to the neighbors door to door, at least those on either side of the property and tell them about the coyotes and how you plan to deal with them. A couple of them is one thing and a lab sized dog wouldn’t be threatened but 6 coyotes….don’t chance it.

All of Minnesota’s wild dogs are getting pretty brazen and have shown little fear of man. A very small child could easily become a target of the dogs. I wouldn’t hesitate to cap one of them in my yard if it was a rural environment.

Tanerite on a bait pile at night wait for them all to come in and snap problem solved all with one round spent.

there is noquestion that you should cap them. they will not stop with small dogs or even mid sized dogs. they will only stop if you make it too costly to go on.

i like the tannerite solution. doesn’t make this a NIMBY issue like the 223 solution.

Coyotes will kill any dog of any size. Especially a pack of 10. No dog of any size would have a chance.

By the same token no way would I want a 3 year old anywhere near a coyote.

Have call. Will travel.

Grouse

Many times a pack like that will use a lone female yote to come into the clear in your yard and yelp to draw your dog(s) out to her, then they all attack. Farmers know this very well. #4-12 ga. buckshot can take them out at around 40-50 yards easily. Because I generally opt for my AR, I like the .223 option myself, but to use a rifle, you better be sure of your surroundings and what’s beyond your shot placement in Anoka Co. Your city/township may have laws regulating rifle or shotgun fire too, so you better check. Like a prior poster said, you should probably inform your neighbors of your intentions as well. It can be a bad thing for you to pop one and have it crawl into a neighbors yard and expire in front of their picture window (been there bow hunting deer in the metro. Not good.).
I hear them here in Rosemount all the time too. I’ve been asked to come hunt on some close by farms as well, but I would not do it with any type of a rifle just due to potential bullet travel.
Good luck – and keep an eye on those dogs of yours too!

Coyote attacks on humans are very rare, but don’t be mistaken – IT HAPPENS. Over the last near 40 years, I’ve had two occasions where they were sizing me up. One met its fate with fine shot to the head at 20 feet away. I had a chain saw in my hand with the other, otherwise it would be dead also.

In a very general sense, coyotes are conditionally taught to aviod humans. Eventually, many learn to adapt into urban settings eating from trash cans, catching cats, dogs, or anything else they can chow on. As a trapper that does animal control work, I am telling you that if they are willing to enter your yard near your home – amonst human scent and other activities, you have problem dogs on your hands and I would not hesitate in thinning the pack.

I see them in Farmington but never a pack. I “heard” they will come up and take a steak off your grill. A pack by my kids swing set would be a bit unnerving.
I would ask the DNR what they think, but I would also keep my scatter gun handy.

I’m with Grouse…… have gun(s) will travel.

You have a definite situation regarding these coyotes. Once you kill a couple, they’ll be very wary of getting too close again. As years pass, you just have to remind them once in awhile what happens when the come into your area. But until you do something, nothing will change and the threat will continue. I have both rifles and shotguns and all the ammo we could possibly need. If I can help, pm me!

Build a fence…

I’m also available with several calibers if you need help. If you were to go out and buy something, I’d look at a Savage .17 HMR. Not too loud, definitely the put down power you need. 150 yard range. With a pack of 6, if you got a couple or even 3, that’s over a $100.00 back in your pocket this time of year.

Or PM me. I’m sure I shoot better than Grouse and Kid…

Or PM me. I’m sure I shoot better than Grouse and Kid…

Wow, talk about throwing someone under the bus So after Kooty educates them, I’m for hire

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Hey randy, did you seal the deal on that 223 wssm…and just ich’n to give it a little exercise.

If you want to hunt them that is fine but they pose about as much threat to your children as space junk falling from the sky to land on them. honestly the only attacks i have heard are when they are cornered and left no choice….they are far more scared of humans than you are of them its this fear which has caused the prairie grizzly to go extinct and many other other predators to come close to it. Please know that in no way do i believe that coyote or any other form of hunting is wrong I am a hunter myself however i do believe as hunters we should be informed

If what your say is accurate then he should never see them from his residence? I myself would eliminate them one by one till I don’t see them anymore. That may mean I would have killed all of them, or the ones left would be so leery of being anywhere around human inhabitation that they would no longer pose a threat and live their happy lives.

“fear which has caused the prairie grizzly to go extinct and many other predators to come close to it….however I do believe as hunters we should be informed”…. Josh Freeseman

Which volume of the pita chronicles have you read to get informed

Loss of habitat plays a larger part in animal numbers declining than anything today. Coyotes and wolves are most certainly not short on supply anywhere in the northern tier states. If people are seeing the dogs in residential settings, rural or otherwise, then they critters should be eliminated. Keep in mind that domestic animals are vaccinated against many canine diseases. The wild variety are not. And who knows what they can transmit to domestic animals. Viral mange is certainly one ailment that transmits between wild/domestic. Now ask a trapper if viral canine mange can be transmitted to humans.

I live smack in the middle of Rochester and have seen coyotes within 100 feet of our house along the creek that runs behind us. I have seen, on more than a couple occasions, coyotes, yes plural, in residential Red Wing. I have seen coyotes on the edge of Lake City’s city limits several times and I have seen coyotes in downtown Plainview. Coyotes are a huge problem.

Stop and consider the impact of the high concentration of the wild dogs and dwindling pheasant numbers. How about the state’s deer herd? S’pose those wandering packs pass up fawns? If you want to be informed you need to look a lot further than a history book or to listen to someone who doesn’t understand the dynamics of wildlife interaction with urban America for answers.

We have too many of the wild dogs, both coyotes and wolves. The dnr and local authorities won’t do anything to curb their growing numbers but people who can plink one off now and then can. And should. Coyotes are not protected….there is a reason for that. And its not to drive the animals in extinction like pita wants people to believe controlling animal numbers will do.

There are 3 different types of mange: Sarcoptic, Demodectic, and Notoedric mange (which is generally found on cats). All three types are caused my mites that burrow under your pets skin.

Sarcoptic mange is the most highly transmittable, yet is the least serious because the mites do not burrow as deep into your pets skin.

Notoedric mange is caused by a tiny mite called Notoedres cati. It is a scaly skin disease that usually starts on the ears; however, it can spread to the rest of the face and body if left untreated.

Demodectic mange is the most serious type of mange due to its ability to spread quickly. It is also harder to treat because the mite burrows deep into your pet attacking the hair follicles which can result in major hair loss.

Demodectic is also referred to as Viral Mange. Humans contracting mange from domestic or wild animals is a little skewed. Yes, you can be affected by mange mites and you’ll usually have a case of what looks like scabies. However, mange will not reproduce on humans and will usually die off in 2-3 weeks.

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Thanks for all the info guys, I appreciate it. I am currently in process of finding a new shotgun for deer hunting, so I thinking I may go this route and use it for these coyotes as well. I think I am going to start looking into this more to find out the best ways to hunt them. The surrounding where I am at are not an issue, I have 9 acres of heavily wooded area with no houses to the south of me. Were out in the sticks.

I appreciate the offers to come up, and will keep them in mind going forward. I know my next door neighbor would like them gone as well and would like to assist with hunting them, as would a few relatives of mine.

The may or may not be an immediate threat to my children/dogs, but I don’t want to take the chance. I think they need to be dealt with.

Here is all that was in my head yesterday when I was outside with the kids.

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Kooty, you’re a funny man! You might be right about me but I don’t know if calling Grouse out onto the mat was the best choice! I expect he might get even…… somehow, someway.

Why is it that people look at a coyote and say it’s not a threat? The state of IL has had a decade long problem of coyotes killing household pets but in some cases, cross breeding with them. These are called “coy-dogs” down there and while they strongly look like a coyote, much like 1/2 bred wolves, this offspring has demonstrated a loss of human fear and has been known to come after children. 1/2 breed wolves have also accounted for more human attacks than a pure wolf has. But herein lies the threat. Maybe they will. Maybe they won’t. But why would you consciously gamble in leaving that door wide open? Bear attacks are rare too but it doesn’t mean they can’t happen. Therefore, I choose to error on the side of prevention. At least I’ll know I tried to curb a possibility instead of leaving it to chance.

Heck I see Coyotes all the time in Inver Grove Heights. Where I work is about a quarter mile from 494, not exactly a rural area. I’ve seen them in WSP too, running right down the middle of Bidwell Avenue.

Coyotes are almost impossible to exterminate. They tried really hard in the past and couldn’t do it. When their population is under pressure, they respond by having larger litters.

When I see them here at work, they usually just stand there and stare at me. I always wonder if I look like a big old pork chop to them

SR

Ironically at lunch today a coworker who lives over in Hudson showed me a pic of yote who was challenging his great dane in his yard. During our conversation, another coworker asked me to come exterminate a pack west of town who are harassing her horses and dogs constantly. Yet, these dogs are supposed to be human adverse….

kooty wrote:

Or PM me. I’m sure I shoot better than Grouse and Kid…

Well, what HAS been established is that I’ve missed more coyotes than Kooty has ever called in. Take that as you will.

Regardless of probabilities, there is no way I would take a chance with a 3 year old and a pack of coyotes. There is just no acceptable level of risk when it comes to a 3 year old and a pack of wild coyotes. Any chance is too much chance.

Grouse

I had two cruise thru the yard, 10am, broad daylight… a half hour earlier a doe and 2 yearlings went down the same path thru the woods. they are getting bolder round my place…. give me the shot

Luckily, I don’t have coyotes. We had at least one fox until our Big Cat got pissed off and ran it off. Yeah. I saw the fox running across the back yard with the Big Cat in hot pursuit and all I could think is that this is not going to end well.

I told the Cat that I would NOT recommend repeating that stunt.

Grouse

Have you ever known a cat to listen to its master?