Conference noted::equitation

    Hi Lou,
    
    We have coyotes in Harvard, too.  I've heard them out in the orchard at
    night (I keep my cats in at night now), and I saw one late one
    afternoon (I was in the car).  I haven't heard of anyone having any
    problem with them - yet.
    
    gwen
     

    
    Even with him so close to the barn, he may not have been sick. 
    
    I have a coyote den behind my house in the ravine.  Sometimes in 
    the winter I'll come out of the house and whatever coyote is out 
    there will just stand and look at me. 
    
    Also, there are a bunch of coyotes in Bear Creek Park which is IN 
    Colorado Springs.  They are so used to people and horses, I have 
    ridden within 40 feet of a couple and they just stand and look. 
    
    They are certainly adaptable creatures.  

    
    I have seen coyotes before (in Acton while bike riding) and they just
    stood and looked at me to.  This was very different!  This guy was
    moving very fast and he wanted to keep on coming!  He also had this
    horrible human like screach/screem and he growled wierd to - you had to
    hear this guy, you had to be there - that's all I can say.
    
    I just think the folks in Berlin area should beware - if the packs are
    going after the cows, the horse's could be next.
    
    Louisa

    Louisa,
    
    Eastern and western coyotes are different so take this with a grain of
    salt... But, around here coyotes do the kinds of things you described
    all the time and the vets claim that there's no rabies among the
    wildlife around here. I know rabies is a *real* problem in Mass. these
    days but it's possible that the coyote wasn't sick.
    
    The eyes...That's normal for a western coyotes to have yellow strange
    looking eyes. They kinda glow in the dark like cat's eyes do because
    they often hunt at night. 
    
    The howling and screaming you described we've heard often too. There
    have been times that I thought it sounded human. Other times it sounds
    like a dog fight. I've been told that the human-like screaming is part
    of their courtship ritual. I don't know whether to believe it or not
    but that's what I've heard.
    
    Around here, coyotes often are seen near buildings, although I've never
    heard of one actually entering a building. They're looking for mice,
    which is their primary source of meat. We see them in our yard all the
    time. Sometimes, they come right up to the deck off the back of the
    house! Heck, a friend of mine who lives in the city of Seattle saw a
    coyote in their neighborhood! So, they're not too afraid of humans.
    
    The thing you mentioned that *I* think is weird is that there was a
    pack of coyotes attacking a cow. Around here, they're usually solitary 
    animals. I've never seen more than 2 western coyotes together. FWIW...
    
    Having said all that, I'd still keep my Wincehster handy. ;-)
    
    John

    I would suspect that the group that packed up on the cow was probably
    coy-dogs, or even just plain feral dogs, more likely than true coyotes.  
    Coy-dogs can be far more trouble, being cross of god-knows-what and a 
    coyote, and not all that far from a domesticated animal are very brave 
    and more inclined to pack up and run deer, etc.  Eastern coyotes are
    much like John's description of Western ones - secretive, solitary, and
    completely uninterested in human contact.  I hear frequently and
    occasionally see coyotes - but have never had any trouble with them.
    
    Not that you shouldn't be careful and keep an eye on your pets!  These
    packs tend to operate at night;  if you can, bring your horses in
    before dark.  Also consider putting electic fencing at about 18" off
    the ground all around your paddock/field if possible - it may scare
    them off.
     

	Same thoughts I had...it sounds like coy-dogs. They pack
	and are more unpredicatable. In my opinion, scarier than

	coyotes.

	db

    
    You all had me second guesing my self, I've seen coy-dogs and coyotes
    and I thought I knew the differance.  So I called the Berlin Police
    deptarment and asked if anyone has had trouble w/ these animals and who
    can we report them to and what are they?  are they Coy-dogs or Coyotes.
    
    They told me they do know about them, and they have had numours
    complaintes about them and they confirmed that they are prue 100%
    coyotes!
    
    There is nothing they are going to do about them at the moment, but
    they are trying to work the issue w/the Environment control people.
    
    Louisa 

    
>>    I feel that we (humans) have caused this and I don't want to blame the
>>    coyote - I rather blame the humans and all the construction.
    
    I think the coyote population in the U.S. has increased regardless
    of the hunting pressure applied to them.  20 years ago there were
    none in N.E.  They have EXPANDED their range.

>>    coyotes do not come back to our pasture.  I have put my Winchester
>>    riffel in my car and I just pray I will not have to use it on an

    I do believe that it is against the law in MA to leave a firearm
    unattended in an auto.

    The hunting & trapping seasons are here.  Shoot a couple when they 
    are close to your barn and the rest will stay away.

    Bill

    
    >I do believe that it is against the law in MA to leave a firearm
    >unattended in an auto.
    
    Thanks for your concern Bill, but do have my riffel and gun permit an I
    am aware of the laws concerning my gun.  My gun is in a locked gun case
    (ones that are made for behind truck seats)
    
    Lou

Louisa, You said in note 2000.0

*    I have put my Winchester
*    riffel in my car and I just pray I will not have to use it on an


Certainly implies to me that you leave it there.


*    >I do believe that it is against the law in MA to leave a firearm
*    >unattended in an auto.
*    
*    Thanks for your concern Bill, but do have my riffel and gun permit an I
*--> am aware of the laws concerning my gun.  My gun is in a locked gun case
*    (ones that are made for behind truck seats)
*    

    Maybe I'm not clear.  Don't leave the gun in your truck unless
    your derriere is also in the truck.

    

     
    I do believe it is against the law to keep any form of firearm within
    your vehicle unattended. I do know that is true for handguns.
    
    The law also states that it is illegal to discharge a firearm within
    500 feet of a dwelling, whether occupied or not. You would have to 
    make sure you are not in violation of this. 
    
    Technically, you would have to have the land owner's permission for
    this and there is not open hunting season for coyotoes, if there was,
    you would be required to obtain a hunting license. 
    
    And it would also depend on the town's laws, whether they are open or
    closed.
    
    Mary
    
    

     
    They coyotes are back!  We had 3 of them in the pasture lastnight -
    they were only about 1/2football field away.  We got the horses in just
    in time again.
    
    I called the police again, but I don't know what they can do?
    
    I am getting very worried.  I have not enquired about the sheep
    nextdoor or the cows accross the street yet - I think I don't want to
    know.
    
    Louisa

    I really wouldn't worry too much about the horses, unless you had
    a baby without a mother to protect it.  There's always been coyote
    and coy dogs around here (Hubbardston), I even had a black bear run
    across in front of me once.  There's horses all along my street and
    area here and I don't know of any instance where they've been bold
    (or stupid) enough to try to get one. 
    They did wipe out our chickens though (8 hens and 2 huge roosters one
    night when we forgot to shut the coop door). It was amazingly clean,
    hardly a feather left behind (not like racoons who drop the chicken
    3 or 4 times and there's feathers everywhere).
    
    Sheep are definitely another story, no one can hardly keep sheep
    around here, many keep trying, but they all give up.  Sheep tend
    to just about lie down and play dead when they're attacked. 
    Young cows need to be protected because they are almost never left
    with their mothers, but the coyotes don't seem to bother them like
    the sheep.
    
    I really wouldn't loose any sleep over it, my horses can go in or out
    whenever they want and almost always run out to check anything they
    hear in the woods.  If the coyotes were rabid, they would be pretty 
    sick or dead by now, and would move strangely, out of balance.
    
    Your probably ok, relax,
    Sharon

    >Your probably ok, relax,
    
    I'll second that. I've gone to catch up horses many times and found a
    coyote sharing the pasture with them; quietly hunting mice and moles in
    the field. No big deal.
    
    A coyote or even 2 couldn't kill a horse or probably couldn't even do
    them a serious injury. Heck, even the cougars(aka mountain lions or
    pumas) that live around here can't kill an adult horse. (They do
    sometimes kill foals but I've never heard of them killing any horse
    over a year old). The horse's can kick the stuffing out of them in no
    time. Remember that dog attack somebody talked about the other month?
    That dog was much bigger than any coyote. Who got the worst of it, the
    horse or the dog? As I recall, the horse had some gashes but the dog
    had a broken skull. One more kick and it would have been a goner!
    
    I think I'd be concerned if there were rabies about because even a
    minor bite from a rabid coyote could mean trouble, especially if the
    horse isn't vaccinated for rabies. 
    
    So, vaccinate for rabies, keep any eye out and try not to worry too much.

    
    I'm not worried about them killing the horses.  (even thou they treid
    to kill the cow) I am worried that the coyote will chase the horse or
    just the presents of the coyote will scare the horses.
    
    The horses will start to gallop around hard and pull a tendon/break a
    leg - or run out of our flimsy electric fence into the road and get hit
    by a car.
    
    Our horses are kinda wimps! :-)  If they see a cow or smell a deer -
    they freek out BIG TIME.  I don't know what they'd do if they saw a
    coyote.
    
    Since the coyotes (3 of them) did try to kill the cow (and it was not a 
    baby cow - it was full grown) I think I have a natural reason why I
    should worry about these 3 new coyotes in my pasture.
    
    I don't own this barn - so I can not change the fencing - and I pay
    dirt cheep board - anything elese I could not afford.  I love the owner
    very much - but he is an old type farmer guy who is set in his ways and
    he does things when he wants to do thigs.
    
    I will try not worry - but I can't help it.  
    
    Louisa

    
    This morning on the news they siad that there was a traffice problem on
    rt 3 in Bilriccia, MA.
    
    A coyote got hit on rt 3 but an ACME truck!  (im not joking)  but I
    think the Roadrunner had something to do w/it
    
    Louisa