1 shot = 1 less Coyote

[Oogiem]

This morning started with K finally getting a safe shot at the coyote that’s been coming around. 1 shot from the new rifle = 1 less coyote. The coyote has been coming out in daytime, ignores the dogs and is way too bold. He had been looking at the sheep in the pens and testing the fences even with huge barking and growling dogs a few feet away. Not a coyote that you want to be around, esp with lambing starting any minute now. Glad he is gone, now we have to get the mate and pups and other pack members.

Interestingly one of the guard dogs first alerted us to the coyote being around again with the special there’s a problem bark. As K raced to get the rifle and trigger lock undone and gun loaded the dog must have heard a bark for help from the dog in with the pregnant ewes because when we got out to check the sheep after the coyote was down she was in with them and the 2 dogs had the sheep all bunched up near the middle of the pasture. She had been on the other side of the fence doing perimeter duty. I think she dug under the fence to get in with the sheep but she sure did it fast. The dog that was in with the ewes is the oldest dog and I suspect he barked for help when he heard the warning barks that a coyote was spotted.

One other dog moved her bunch of sheep out and away from the side of the fence where the coyote was and the 4th dog was going berserk trying to get at the coyote.

This was all before first coffee and breakfast too!

[1fever]

That reminded me of one of my favorite articles of all time...see below

http://www.mwkworks.com/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html

[Oogiem]

I love that article too. My post on the coyote was actually removed on another forum because it was "too controversial" WTF??? It's not like we have any choice in the matter, we are sheepdogs, all shepherds are sheepdogs, if they aren't they don't have their sheep very long at all. We managed to go 11 years between having to kill a coyote. When we first came back to our farm 11 years ago we had to shoot one that started killing sheep. We got the alpha female that time before she whelped. The male and the rest of the pack scattered and the next coyote family that moved in was fine. They didn't bother the sheep, steered clear of the house, were afraid of us and very respectful of our fences and dogs. They left us alone and we left them alone. Lifespan of a coyote in our area is around 10-12 years. I suspect that alpha pair got too old and younger more aggressive coyotes from nearby moved in. The new pack had an alpha male that had absolutely no fear of us, the dogs and only looked at the fences to try to figure out how to get in them to get the sheep. We've been tracking his movements for a while but many times the shot was not safe so we couldn't do anything. This morning he was in the right place at the right time (for us). It's late enough that the female has probably already whelped so we have to be extra careful for a while in case the other pack members also know about sheep as food. I'm hopeful she'll accept a more wary less aggressive male as alpha and we won't have any more problems until this pack gets old. Only time will tell.

[CokeCanNinja]

Achievement earned: Coyote sniper. Nice job, where was it hit?

[Oogiem]

where was it hit?

Not the best shot, 3/4 angle off centerline from the rear and a bit low, but he was crouching down and it was that shot or none. If we'd been going for meat I'd have been unhappy as that contaminates it but we don't eat coyotes. It would have been a lovely pelt but no time to take it to the taxidermist so we buried the body. I don't need any scavengers coming around either.

[CokeCanNinja]

Aw man, I was hoping for a headshot.

[Oogiem]

Pix now up at the farm blog http://desertweyr.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-less-coyote-and-grazing-ewes.html