Pantagraph: Farm family worries coyotes pose growing threat

[Tweed]

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/020305/new_20050203038.shtml


"LEXINGTON -- Evelyn Dwyer, who lives on the Mackinaw River near Lexington, received a rat terrier named Peanut as a Christmas present a couple of years ago.

She hasn't seen Peanut for a month.

What she has seen are coyotes lurking on the family farm, and she's sure one of the animals killed her dog.

A veterinarian had to treat Bear, another rat terrier owned by her daughter, Virginia McPherson, for bite marks after the dog was attacked by coyotes just a few feet from the house on the farm within the past two weeks. Bear escaped and made it to the house."

Sad way to lose a pet, but of course there are livestock issues here as well.

[rkc3]

1. Tell her to get a real fucking dog and she wouldn't have these problems.

Or move to the city where she won't have to deal with coyotes.

Or better yet - remind her that coyotes are more likely to kill other animals, like groundhogs, rats, and other vermin, which are more harmful to her livestock than coyotes.

[beam me up scottie]

3. "get a real fucking dog"

HA LOL!
Also remind her that if we didn't exterminate the wolf the coyote population (and much of the rest of the food chain) would be kept in balance. But then, wolves can't buy hunting licenses or pay taxes. Hunting for fun is much more acceptable to people than an animal hunting to feed itself or it's family.

[rkc3]

4. I thought I might get slammed for that - but I'm in a shitty mood today.

I agree with you 100% - I've hunted all my adult life and have never felt the urge to shoot anything other than deer or geese - both of which have turned into nuisances here in PA.

If these idiots can't handle living with nature, they should move or get used to it. Someone needs to send a LTTE where this story was printed to tell this woman to shut the fuck up.

[beam me up scottie]

5. No kidding. I grew up with hunters who resented every single

kill made by a real predator. Wildlife groups tried to reintroduce wolves in the NY Adirondacks but all the yuppies (who moved to the mountains to get away from the city) screamed bloody murder. These people only want "cute" wild animals in their backyards. Every time a bear would come and raid their bird feeders they'd want the game warden to come and shoot it.
Ask any game warden and they'll tell you the biggest threat to wildlife (and livestock) is domestic dogs.
Don't even get me started on alaska allowing the hunting of wolves from the air...
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[dogman]

6. I've seen them stand up to my German Shepard.

It was a large male and maybe he was just feeling romantic. To the south of where I live there is a population of hybrids that the DNR calls coydogs. They have a community of burrows near the river bluffs.

[Tweed]

7. Do they cause a lot of problems?

Just curious as to what your further take on them is.

[dogman]

10. Not for me.

My daughters poodles haven't disappeared yet, and our outside cats do more damage to wild life as far as we see. Have to keep an eye on the grandkids. My biggest concern is they sometimes carry mange and other disease. These look healthy but I've seen a really mangy one near Fermi Lab. The Vet tells me those tend to die off in the winter. There are fox, skunks, and raccoons around that could also carry disease. We get our outside cats rabies shots also. Local hunters go out in trucks and use radios to track them and shoot them from time to time. One fellow I know kills them if he sees them while deer hunting. I would only shoot one if it threatened me or mine.

[MuseRider]

2. Sad to lose a dog

but I have coyotes living in my backyard at home and they are all over the farm and my cats and dogs have never had a problem. They come over at night and run the fence line with my dogs all barking and hooting and howling, it is a game. I have also observed them playing with the deer around here. I suppose they might get a cat, there are lots of stories about that but how about fencing those dogs and being a responsible pet owner?

[XNASA]

8. There are coyotes living in the South 'Burbs now.

I've seen coyotes in the woods near Cicero and Flossmoor road on several occasions.

I even saw a coyote walking along Dixie Highway near 175th Street! That area has been urbanized for over 100 years.

Just an observation. I don't really know much about how to keep a balance.

[EST]

9. IMHO, we need a change in policy regarding both

coyote and deer. Both populations need to be reduced by about ninety percent in my area. Gardens are a near impossibility because of the deer and the coyote population has exploded in turn. On my way to Mt. Vernon last week-about 20 miles, I had to stop five times to allow herds of deer to cross. This is entirely too much.

Of course, if the Bush policies go into effect the way that bunch of excrescences wish, the deer will become such an important food source the problem will take care of itself.

[dogman]

11. That reminds me of B$$$ stickers in 2000.

When I would see Sportsmen for B$$$ stickers I would write "Because we'll need to hunt for dinner when we're unemployed" on them. Turned out to be too true for some.

[EST]

12. Yup. Unfortunately, the insanity lives on.

n/t