An exciting afternoon, and the old guy can still run a bit.

[Dennis S]

To tell this story, I need to start out by explaining why we have five dogs at the moment. We started out with one border collie, and realized she would love another dog, so we got one more border collie. That was a fine plan, and things were good. Then we had company, who brought their own dog, a nice little mutt. Between observing how this dog loved running around our several acres, and hearing how it was treated at home (I am going to leave out some details here), we offered to keep the dog, and her owners were only too happy to leave without her.

Our son-in-law Joe has again been deployed to Iraq. Their two dogs demanded a lot of time from our daughter, who is starting a law practice, and has kids two and five years old. We want to do everything we can to help her, and now we have temporarily added their two dogs. These are all older dogs, and we have simply let them out during the day. Although they could go for at least 20 miles in several directions without encountering roads or fences, the appeal for that kind of long distance exploring left with their youth. Normally it looks a little like the canine version of Miami. Five old codgers looking for a place near the house where the hot New Mexico sun can have the best access to warm old bones.

All of that changed in an instant yesterday afternoon. I was working at the computer on holiday cards when I heard some ferocious barking from our dogs, and the sound of a dog yelping and fighting for it's life. I grabbed the .45 pistol from the nightstand and ran outside. I saw one dog right away, and ordered her back to the house while I ran towards the noise. Barb got her in the house, and stayed to let the other dogs in, if they came back. If any of you remember the great opening scene from "The Last of the Mohicans", I was trying to do my best imitation of Daniel Day-Lewis, running through the pines with a pistol in my right hand. I was keeping track of the dogs I would see, and yelling at them to get back in the house.

Soon I had accounted for four of the five dogs. The little mutt we had acquired from her owners is the bravest and fastest of our little "pack". Between my screaming her name, and perhaps some instinct for survival she finally stopped before getting to the scene of battle. I was totally winded/exhausted, and if she hadn't stopped when she did, I don't think I could have been in time to save her. Although she had stopped, I didn't have a leash, and it was very hard to get her off the trail and back to the house. I had a couple of glimpses of the coyotes. One of them was the biggest coyote I have ever seen, with a gorgeous coat. We got all five dogs back to the house.

I don't really know how it all ended. Perhaps the coyotes got their meal. Perhaps they faced a cold mountain night with an empty belly. All I know for sure is that the five dogs I am responsible for had a quiet night in my big shop, with their food in a bowl, and a heated mat to sleep on.

 

[Bina]

Dennis, my heart was pounding while reading your story. Too many times I have had to round up dogs that were chasing skunks or coons or stoats, but the coyotes around here have stayed off of my land. It is a terribly frightening thing to experience when nature "goes wild" and takes our house pets along for the ride.
Hopefully you have recovered from the ordeal.

 

[Superbob]

Wow, that is a harrowing story! Glad you managed to get all five dogs back home. Sadie dog and I once saw a lone coyote in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Has to be frightening to deal with a pack of them.

 

[Freddie]

What can I say?
My heart was pounding while reading your experience Dennis. (ever thought about writing short stories?)

Your safe and the pack of 5 are safe, thank goodness. Lets hope those coyote's have learned a lesson to stay away and the pack stays closer to home.

 

[AgilityDog]

Yep, those coyotes will take a dog in an instant, particularly a small one. Even here in Suburban Dallas, we have coyote packs that live in the green strips. They are known to take dogs and cats all the time. My friends who live on a couple acres have seen their local coyotes walk right up to the 4' fence of their pool area. Fortunately their dogs have an 8' fenced kennel run with doggie door access to the house, but there have been quite a few small dogs taken from their neighbors by the coyotes. It's not unusual for us to see the coyotes walk along the tree line at the back side of the property in broad daylight.
I remember once driving to an agility trial, and seeing a coyote sitting at the side of the road, just outside some trees, in an area where a housing development was going up. I felt rather sorry his home was being invaded. If we're going to live in their territory, we have to be aware and take precautions. I hope your guys stay safe, and the locals stay away!

 

[Marguerite53]

Good for you!!!! What a fine master you are! Isn't it amazing how far that little kernel in your brain that is where the adrenalin explodes can carry you? I'm surprised that afterwards you weren't curled up there in the garage with your lucky dogs!! :wink2:

We just moved from glistening suburbia back into the city and into a large, 65+ year old neighborhood. We had coyotes in the burbs (used to be tall hills with tall fir trees before the houses) wandering the streets fairly frequently (so brazen, those beasts). Every time you would see a Lost Cat poster; well, you just kinda figured it was those coyotes! (with raccoons as the second best guess).

Now, it seems, we have no coyotes, but ahoy! We have rats. Our 30-something neighbor (sharing the property line) is a fisherman who proudly brings home his salmon (OMG they are gorgeous) and cleans them in the street. He is fastidious and clean, but we have wondered if it has possibly attracted the rats (ya think??). We live 2 blocks from a voracious stream (beavers, heron and the like; not salmon -- those are from bigger rivers) and the city has been digging up sewers for about a month, here and there, other neighbors are having trouble, so, well, whatever.....time to call Orkin or something. Of course, the 30-something neighbor is completely a DIY-guy so he goes and buys some rat poison and sticks it down the rat hole. Hmmmm. The next day, we have a new rat hole in our yard (about 4 feet from where he buried it) and I am completely freaked out since our Cairn Terrier is basically bred to seek out rodents (though we've never seen him want one) and I'm afraid he will be poisoned in his own backyard somehow. Well, we talked to our adorable neighbor (they really are a darling couple) and he was horrified with that thought (which hadn't occurred to him) and will be working to go at it another way. I guess my idea in sharing this here is that our poor loved ones with 4 legs don't really seem to be perfectly safe anywhere! They are almost as dear to us as children and our protective instincts kick in immediately as is obvious with Dennis' tale, here.

So, not to hijack your thread, but I was curious if anyone had any great rat-deterent information -- or, of course, any coyote deterrent info. I know we had a bird flying into a window a few years ago and were prompted by Audobon to get a mylar balloon to ward the birds away from self-destruction (seeing their refelction they think it is a threatening other bird and attack the window). That worked! What's the scooby on rats and coyotes?

Hope today is calmer for you!

Marguerite

 

[Missy]

We have lost two dogs and several cats to coyotes in the last few years. We have not gotten anymore cats but still have one dog and make sure he is in when we are not at hand. They almost killed this dog and so he is a little afraid of them. They come right up to our yard and are very brave. They cross our property night and morning on their way to hunt and on the way back in the morning about daylight. That is about the time we let our dog out to go. Occasionally a straggler will be seen during the day. They are mean and vicious when they are hungry and the females will lure the male dogs out. I am glad they are fearful of humans and our guns though. My husband has had to rescue our dog a couple of times. They turn tail when the see him. And then our dog does a turn and chases them.
We have a few acres and cannot fence it all so have to contend with them.

 

[Dennis S]

Coyotes and the rest of the story. After getting out a bit today, I found what was left of a small deer the coyotes had killed and eaten. Based on where I found it, I am sure that was what I had heard the previous afternoon. I am not an expert on coyotes, and I don't know if this particular mule deer was already in bad shape when they found it. But remembering the size of the two I saw, I am thinking these guys are the real deal.

 

[Marcia58]

Believe or not, here in north-central Indiana we have to contend with coyotes, too. Or what seems to be potentially even more threatening--"coydogs". We live in a farmland area, 15 minutes or so from a couple cities of 30K+. We're prime "dog-dumping" territory, and "coydog" is the local name for the results of crossbreeding between the abandoned pets and the local coyotes. They seem to have all the feral instincts of a coyote--except the fear of humans.

One evening last summer, we had the family over for a cookout, concluding with a campfire and marshmallow toasting. As we all sat in that cozy circle of light around the fire, we heard a coyote "yipping" in a not-too-distant field. My daughter-in-law asked what it was. Someone said, "Coyote or coydog," and we all had an indulgent chuckle as she instinctively cuddled her 6-month-old close to her. Our amusement lasted for the next half hour or so, until the guests began leaving. As our son turned his car around in our drive, his headlights swept across a coyote, standing in our yard, probably less than 100 yds. from where we'd been sitting!

Needless to say, our grandkids (all age 4 and under) NEVER play in our yard unattended!

 

[BDMc]

A scary story Dennis! Glad it ended happily for you, and your pack. We have coyotes all over Massachusetts these days. Until the past 15 or so years, there has not been an attack on a human by a healthy coyote. Not so any more. Ferral dogs, and coydogs are much more aggressive, and very dangerous. For once I can say I am happy a friend has a handgun handy! All the best, Your valve bro, Brian