City of Bellemeade

Coyote

Posted in: Bellemeade - Bellemeade

I think I have seen a coyote for the last two nights in a row now.  Maybe it is a stray dog, but even my 16 year old says that it looks like a coyote.  Anyone else seen this?

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  • pajowm
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Did it look somewhat like a small to medium collie but with the bushy (almost round) tail carried out and below its back?   The tail is the most reliable identifier since they often inter-breed with dogs and wolves in the wild)..  I have seem coyote tracks around my yard in the snow during winter and mud print tracks on the drive way in the spring.  They have five digits and walk only on their toes.

 

They prey on small mammals and are a threat to the cats that are allowed to run lose.  They seldom stay around long enough to be a threat to humans; they are more scared of you than you should be of them.  The farmer whose land I hunt on has asked me to kill them as they are a threat to new-born livestock

So if I am walking my 35-40 pound dog on a leash, will the coyote try to attack my dog if it is hungry enough?  Or do I need not worry?

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  • pajowm
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Coyote rarely travel alone.  They bond in strong family ties and usually hunt that way.  They can get as large as 50 pounds, 3 feet tall, but the average is fron 20 to 50.  As many rabbits, squirrels, chipmonks, cats, and other small creatures as there are in our neighborhood, they should be well fed.

 

To directly answer your question, coyote have an innate fear of humans, so as long as your dog is with you, worry not.  Will they attack a lone small dog?  Yes.

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