A new friend...a new hobby

[jkbrea]

Last October I went on a elk hunt in Wy as I've done for 24 years. It was a great hunt...4 elk down between 5 hunters. The day I was to return to Ca my wife called and couldn't find my dog, a 3 yr old Mini Australian, and my best friend. She heard coyotes the night prior. I drove back without stopping. I got home around 11PM and searched a couple hours up and down street. About 20 yard behind my house I found his collar stained in blood. I thought maybe he was just hurt because a neighbor said she may have saw him two hours before I got home. I quit searching around 3am and started again around 6am. I found him about 100 yard from home, picked clean to just a skeleton. It hit me like a truck.
I took him home and buried him. In 30 years of L.E I've seen countless tragedies, lost friends, etc, but somehow this hit me hard, really hard. I've had dogs and had to put down a couple great ones, but nothing like this.

To say the least, I hate coyotes. Didn't care for them much before but now I really hate them. I know.....they're just being coyotes but still, I'm going to do my part in eradicating them. There has been a lot of construction and they're being pushed out into residential areas. Even mountain lions have been spotted by my neighbors. And I live in a city of over 200,000. I bought an electronic caller and mojo critter decoy and am taking up coyote hunting! I am going to use my Marlin 30TK 30-30. I have a few boxes of ammo to try out. I just bought a Leupold scout scope (from a fellow forum member!) and mounted it. It's a very accurate rifle. I went out once but no luck. I did learn alot and had fun. I can't hunt near my home so I took my RV up in the mountains and then hiked up to a clearing.

Two weeks ago my wife got me another Aussi pup. He is cute as heck and is turning out to have a great personality. I had mixed feelings about getting another dog but couldn't be happier with him. I always said I would only get Aussies or Border Collies because they are a special breed and great companions outdoors. All in all I guess things will be fine but I sure do miss my friend.

Sorry for the long post, but at least it has a lever gun in it!

Duster R.I.P.


Rizzo


My coyote rifle (no new holes drilled and can switch back to irons any time)

[Hawkeye2]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss and finding him the way you did must have been a terrible experience. It's great to see that you have moved on though. That is one incredibly cute pup. We have lost 3 dogs over the years and it doesn't get any easier but the loss of our first was probably the hardest specially that he was gone when we got home one day and we never were able to find a trace of him. Our latest is another English Setter. a year and a half old now that we got as a pup. He has totally won our hearts and everyone in our dog training club loves him too. I was reluctant to get another dog of the same breed as I felt that we would always be comparing him to our previous one but while they are very similar in a lot of respects they are entirely different in other ways. Each has his own personality and they are such great friends to have.

[JerryB]

Enjoy your new hobby and your new friend.

[Blaine]

Blow all those nasty critters to he!!.... We get them in my little semi-rural community, as well.
That's a tough way to lose a canine buddy. It sure does help to get another pup.....

[Griff]

Condolences on the loss of your old friend. Enjoy the new hobby. You're doing a good thing!

[plowboy 45]

Sorry to here this about your pup
I use a FoxPro electronic call, seems like I found it very easy the first couple times I hunted, then it got alot tougher
A gilly suit don't hurt things, just stay tangled in twigs, I hang a feather on a string and let the breeze blow It around for distraction, he can smell and see you faster than quick can get started, if you ain't got him in 10 minutes or so you can move on to the next stand has been my experience, glad you got you a new pup, have fun and killem all, like you I hate em they catch my game chickens round here, oh I use a real cheap savage with a Leopold scope in 22 250



PLOWBOY

[gamekeeper]

That's a terrible way to find a loyal friend, my sincere condolences.

[M. M. Wright]

Sorry for your loss. We've lost a couple of our dogs to the coyotes and I kill one occasionally when the opportunity presents itself with whatever is handy.

[.45colt]

Sorry to hear this. for the past few years I had been seeing some big 4WD trucks parked along the nearby roads finally I met one of the owners, turned out they were running big hounds after the coyotes. they had GPS collars on the dogs. This Hunter showed Me some pictures on His cell phone and some of the coyotes were huge. He said that often they would quit running and turn to fight and then the dogs would kill them. He parked in My yard so He could try to cut off the dogs. I told Him to kill all the coyotes they could. I was stunned when He said that in a few years they had killed well over 100.
Could be a tall tale but He had a Mossberg turkey gun loaded with buck. the receiver was worn down to bare metal and the stock was worn smooth from use .I have never seen a field gun that looked more used.
Last February a game warden came down the street slowly and I met Him in front of the house. He said He was getting calls about the Hunters, Ohio law says they have to have written permission from every landowner. pretty impossible with all the small property's here. Good luck with Your hunting.

[mikld]

Dogs can be loyal to death and give unconditional love. Yep, it's really hard to loose a friend like that. I think I would set up the call in my back yard and sit in the house, next to an open window, and greet any coyotes with a good air gun...

[2ndovc]

So sorry to hear about your little buddy. I worry about my little Rat Terrier constantly.

We have a few coyotes around here but there are enough farmers to the south of me that I think keep the
population down a bit. I put a .22 in one's neck a few years ago. Haven't seen one that close in awhile.

jason

[jeepnik]

Sorry for the loss of your friend, but I'm happy you have another to help with your grief.

As to coyotes, I've been doing my best to eradicate them for years. It doesn't take much to put them down, but some can be very wary and shots long where I hunt. I do my best work with my 700 in 30-06. More power than needed, and maybe not as flat shooting as some rounds, but it works well for me.

I now have coyotes running the canyon behind my place. My indoor/outdoor cat is in by dusk and not let out until daylight. He didn't like it as he loves to hunt mice and such at night. But I'd like to keep him around.

I can't shoot them in this area. I can't trap or poison them, and neither will the local animal cops. A bow is a very nice gray area that might just (in the far of future mind you) work.

[Merle]

Last October I went on a elk hunt in Wy as I've done for 24 years. It was a great hunt...4 elk down between 5 hunters. The day I was to return to Ca my wife called and couldn't find my dog, a 3 yr old Mini Australian, and my best friend. She heard coyotes the night prior. I drove back without stopping. I got home around 11PM and searched a couple hours up and down street. About 20 yard behind my house I found his collar stained in blood. I thought maybe he was just hurt because a neighbor said she may have saw him two hours before I got home. I quit searching around 3am and started again around 6am. I found him about 100 yard from home, picked clean to just a skeleton. It hit me like a truck.
I took him home and buried him. In 30 years of L.E I've seen countless tragedies, lost friends, etc, but somehow this hit me hard, really hard. I've had dogs and had to put down a couple great ones, but nothing like this.

To say the least, I hate coyotes. Didn't care for them much before but now I really hate them. I know.....they're just being coyotes but still, I'm going to do my part in eradicating them. There has been a lot of construction and they're being pushed out into residential areas. Even mountain lions have been spotted by my neighbors. And I live in a city of over 200,000. I bought an electronic caller and mojo critter decoy and am taking up coyote hunting! I am going to use my Marlin 30TK 30-30. I have a few boxes of ammo to try out. I just bought a Leupold scout scope (from a fellow forum member!) and mounted it. It's a very accurate rifle. I went out once but no luck. I did learn alot and had fun. I can't hunt near my home so I took my RV up in the mountains and then hiked up to a clearing.

Two weeks ago my wife got me another Aussi pup. He is cute as heck and is turning out to have a great personality. I had mixed feelings about getting another dog but couldn't be happier with him. I always said I would only get Aussies or Border Collies because they are a special breed and great companions outdoors. All in all I guess things will be fine but I sure do miss my friend.

Sorry for the long post, but at least it has a lever gun in it!

Duster R.I.P.


Rizzo


My coyote rifle (no new holes drilled and can switch back to irons any time)

Sorry to hear of your loss. Coyotes are moving into my neighborhood in western PA, so I'm planning to start trying to thin the heard too. I understand you can't use a firearm around your home, but how about an air rifle or crossbow?

[jkbrea]

Thank you all for the kind comments. I wish I could set up in my back yard. These coyotes are nasty looking. Like zombie dogs. Sores and hair missing. They're not too afraid either. A woman I know was walking her dog and two attacked it while on the leash!

Problem is I live in a housing tract but my home butts up to several empty acres of rolling hills that were orange groves. A shot would get the neighbors calling and the ghetto bird up. (police helicopter)

darn things come right up to my fence almost every night howling and barking trying to draw out family pets. Last night I snuck up to the fence and fired about 10 rounds of Aguilar subsonic rounds at about 5 of them 20 yards away. Doubt it did anything but make me feel good. LOL. Of course suppressors are illegal. I'll figure out a way.

[hondo1892]

That's rough. Sorry to hear about your loss. Hope you get some payback. I don't hunt them but do trap em.

[Merle]

Thank you all for the kind comments. I wish I could set up in my back yard. These coyotes are nasty looking. Like zombie dogs. Sores and hair missing. They're not too afraid either. A woman I know was walking her dog and two attacked it while on the leash!

Problem is I live in a housing tract but my home butts up to several empty acres of rolling hills that were orange groves. A shot would get the neighbors calling and the ghetto bird up. (police helicopter)

darn things come right up to my fence almost every night howling and barking trying to draw out family pets. Last night I snuck up to the fence and fired about 10 rounds of Aguilar subsonic rounds at about 5 of them 20 yards away. Doubt it did anything but make me feel good. LOL. Of course suppressors are illegal. I'll figure out a way.

How about some poison, discretely placed?

[Hawkeye2]

"fired about 10 rounds of Aguilar subsonic rounds"

Get a red dot sight. A coyote gut shot with those rounds will be dead in a day or two and maybe his buddies will even help hasten his end.

Poison isn't such a good idea, if a Coyote likes it a dog will too.

[Streetstar]

Thank you all for the kind comments. I wish I could set up in my back yard. These coyotes are nasty looking. Like zombie dogs. Sores and hair missing. They're not too afraid either. A woman I know was walking her dog and two attacked it while on the leash!
:

hungry yotes ate up with mange --- it really is sad when urban sprawl pushes them in areas they shouldnt be --- i lost a well loved tom cat to them a few years back

I dont like the Coyotes - and i do understand they are just doing what they do , --- but i also blame us humans for pushing them out of their natural habitat as well

Doesnt make the loss of a beloved friend any better --- anytime i come across a pic of my cat - (he was a "man's cat") - i get sad . 5 years later , the encroachment of a housing development near my small acreage means i cant even shoot 'em if i see 'em now for fear of sending a ricochet or flyer through some suburbanites window

[J Buck]

Sorry for your loss. The only good coyote is a dead coyote. We have them here in central Florida everywhere. I recently moved out of a golf course community and I was constantly seeing this one off the 13th Tee box. I carry a .22 mag in the wagon, but I don't want to get arrested firing a weapon inside city limits. My advice, get another dog and kill some coyotes.

[Birdman]

That's a tough loss and you have my sympathy. Good luck with yur new pup.

[Booger Bill]

So sorry. The other day here I was out to the airport and met a pilot for the BLM on predator control.
They fly a I think, Carbon Cub. They got some. It`s a art. Close to the ground flying and the shooter in the back seat has to be careful not to hit the prop or any other part of the plane. They use shotguns and buckshot. What a job! They get paid for it!

[rjohns94]

Beautiful pup. I would use my trapper in 30wcf as that is my last centerfire rifle in my collection as a coyote rifle and feel perfectly at ease. Good luck hunting them