Coyotes in Goodyear? (Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale: home, moving, food)

[kdog]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

That's a passive rabbit, not another carnivore that will fight back. That is the reason raptors go after passive prey and don't attack wolves, bears, cougars, dogs, etc. on a regular basis because they would become the prey.

Oh gosh, you are so wrong. Watch and learn.


Eagle Prey on Wolf. - YouTube


Golden eagle hunting wolf - YouTube


Eagle Catches Fox and Wolf - YouTube


The Mighty Golden Eagle. Preying on Wolves to grown Deer on secrets-of-cats.com - YouTube

Here's a newspaper report of a hawk killing a Chihuahua Dog attacked by hawk in backyard - Downers Grove, IL - Downers Grove Reporter


Dog Carried Off By Hawk - YouTube

etc, etc...

They even kill rattlers

Red Tailed Hawk vs. Rattler - YouTube

[ReadyFreddy]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Nonetheless, I don't think we should be conflating possibility with probability. While coyotes may well be able to leap tall walls in a single bound and gobble up Fufu, the anecdotal instances of this happening are so rare as to be hard for many to believe. It certainly is not a common experience. I have lived on desert preserves for most of my four decades in Phoenix. Coyotes would howl on the slopes and we frequently would see them, but none scaled my walls and ate my cats. I believe there are wall mounted coyote guards available for those who worry.

I agree. A plane could crash in my back yard, too, but I'm not going to guard against it.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by kdog

Oh gosh, you are so wrong. Watch and learn.

I didn't take the time to watch all your videos but have seen most of them before. You're posting videos of trained Eagles, larger than any I've ever seen and I've lived in dozens of places both in the states and overseas.

Working someone up and causing them to worry about what is really a non issue in a fenced yard is silly. Everything happens once in awhile but that doesn't make it something that everyone has to worry about all of the time.

I bet dogs are bitten much more often by rattle snakes which is probably something to worry more about yet you're trying to convince the OP to worry about coyotes and hawks.

[R_Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by jessrscott

Has anyone ever had (or heard of people having) problems with coyotes in this area? Are there any general coyote safety tips I need to know?

Thanks!

Again - the OP Question was 1) have we heard of it, 2) safety tips.

I have lived in the valley for ONE decade, and I've heard of coyote attacks in people's yards near me in North Phoenix 3 times. I've heard of raptor attacks on people's pets in their yards 4 times in that time. It's been in the news. That article says they jump 8 foot fences. One month ago in Peoria several attacks were reported on AZCentral. One year ago last month, Channel 15 carried a story about a coyote in phoenix jumping a fence and killing a dog. Another is a report of an attack on a small dog in Scottsdale, So - in answer to the OP - YES. We've heard of it.

My friend walks her dogs out by the viaduct and sees them at least once or twice a month. I saw a coyote cruising along the 101 North freeway last summer.

No one is "working someone up" and "causing them to worry." We are saying - YES, this has happened. And from the Peoria attack in March, it sounds like the weather and other factors may be contributing to a rise in concern about attacks. Just because it has not happened to you doesn't mean she should let little dogs out by themselves. It does not mean she shouldn't be aware when she is out walking. The AZ Game and Fish advice to not keep dog food and water outside is just good advice for someone new moving to the valley. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but just saying be aware.

The Arizona Game and Fish website gives pet owners and ranchers the same warnings and cautions that the rest of us are. And I posted the coyote roller as an option as protection for it.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by R_Cowgirl

No one is "working someone up" and "causing them to worry." We are saying - YES, this has happened.

Posting videos of HUGE trained eagles in Mongolia being sent to attack Wolves and Fox is just saying "this has happened"?

Are there coyotes, yes there are lots of them...Do pets get attacked in peoples fenced in property? Not very often and is really a non issue.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

We have a Miniature Schnauzer and the only thing that has ever bothered her was an owl swooped down at her one night while we were out walking. I seen the owl flying towards her and ran over to her and the owl turned about six inches above her back. The owl was smaller than the dog so I don't know what it planned on doing but it was going to try and maybe the dog looked bigger the closer it got and thought better of it.

More likely is that the owl was more worried about you than the miniature schnauzer. Owls have tremendous long range vision and they hunt for survival. It's highly unlikely that an owl "goofed" in sizing up its prey. It probably just hadn't noticed you yet. It's almost a certainty that your dog would have been killed had you not been there.

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Posting videos of HUGE trained eagles in Mongolia being sent to attack Wolves and Fox is just saying "this has happened"?

I find it hard to believe you missed the point of the videos. The point is that raptors will take out prey much larger than themselves.

Those eagles are not trained to hunt wolves. You cannot train an eagle to hunt prey that it would not hunt in nature. The hawks are trained to work with their owners. But their prey is the same as it is nature. *

While a red tail hawk or an owl may not try to take out a wolf, they will darn sure take out a small dog. You've been shown several links to raptor attacks on dogs and yet you persist is saying it won't happen -- when in fact it almost happened to you by your own report!

Are there coyotes, yes there are lots of them...Do pets get attacked in peoples fenced in property? Not very often and is really a non issue.

You were also shown a video that coyotes do in fact jump over block walls, even though you first said it could never happen. People were recently bitten in their backyards in Phoenix. Nobody is trying to instill unreasonable fear for newcomers. However, the threat of hawks and coyotes on pets is a real one. It's not epidemic but is worth mentioning so that newcomers are aware of the possibilities and take reasonable precautions to protect their pets.

* BTW, I have more than a casual bit of knowledge about hawks and falconeering because I've spent quite a bit of time with falconeers who hunt with hawks and have photographed many hunts.



I'm guessing the rabbit in this picture isn't much different than the size of your miniature schnauzer. And this is not a large hawk. And no, a canine cannot defend itself from the aerial attack of a raptor. They hit their prey from above at high speed and will take out their spinal cord before the animal knows what hit them. Rather savage little beasts.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by kdog

It's almost a certainty that your dog would have been killed had you not been there.

First, I was concerned about the bird startling my dog and her bolting into the street (she was on a retractable leash). I was never concerned the little owl could actually have done anything to my 20lb dog expect provided the dog a snack before bed.

As I stated earlier, I'm much more concerned about my dog and a rattle snake then I am about a coyote or hawk. With this said, I'm not concerned enough to have to follow the dog around the yard while it does its business.

Are you even in Phoenix or are you arguing the safety of pets in Phoenix from California? I live here, in the exact neighborhood the OP is inquiring about, I think I'm in a better position to know what the threat is and isn't then you. Anyway, I'm not going to continue back an forth with you on something that is not a serious issue in a residential backyard IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

[kdog]

This isn't about me, it's about whether hawks and/or coyotes are threats to pets in general. You minimize the threats, and yet an owl tried to attack your dog. I'm glad you feel confident that YOUR dog is safe in YOUR backyard. The information I've given however is not faulty. We've both proffered our own opinions and the readers can decide for themselves.

[jimj]

To sum up all the back and forth and answer the OP:
1.Yes there is a "danger" of your pets being attacked by other wild animals for food.
2.Yes, it can happen in your yard.
3.No, it doesn't happen everyday (it seems) BUT I'd bet it happens way more than people think due to under reporting if judging by the missing pet flyers around our area.
4.There's no need to be paranoid or constantly afraid.

The best advice thru-out this thread is be aware of your surroundings just as you would walking at night in a big city.

[LBTRS]

Well, if this story is all true there may be more to worry about then I originally thought. A coyote that looks larger than an 80lb boxer and leaping 6 foot fences seems fishy but here is the story, which may assist the OP.

Coyote kills family dog in northwest Phoenix gated community