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We have a lake house in rural north Georgia. Right across the street is nothing but dense forest.
Obviously we were safe inside and were even upstairs but it did get the mind wondering. Also heard something disturbing all the leaves but not sure if that was just a deer or something else.
There is no "obviously we were safe". A hungry yote can easily find its way inside. They get into hen houses all the time. That something disturbing the leaves could have been deer - deer are prey for yotes. Same with rabbit and other small game.
Whenever we take our dog out, she's always on a leash, we always have a bright flashlight in hand, and I make sure to make as much noise as possible (short of just mindlessly yelling nonstop for no reason, don't need the neighbors to think I'm crazy)
Depending on the size of your dog, a bright flashlight won't help the two of you if the yotes are hungry enough. You need to understand how yotes hunt: a single may go out to lead its prey back to the group. Sometimes they do hunt in pairs also.
My 2 dogs are on leash and both are hunting dogs. When we go out at night, (we also are surrounded by woods), and they are on alert during full/close to full moons and after dark, they don't go far from our deck and one is always on leash. The yotes wouldn't get to the edge of our woods before my dogs will alert and my dogs will bark on command to alert my husband. I know they are there without ever seeing one on our property.
I say this so you will be a little more cautious and not thinking that a strong light will be protection if the yote is hungry enough and your dog is medium/small in size.
We have coyotes here too, I used to see them 2-3 times a week when I left for work at 5am. We also have raccoons, black bears, and of course, deer. We are not all that rural, either, a suburban city of 60,000 but still with some woods around. I once called fish & game when I saw a coyote go into the local elementary school yard, and they said not to worry, they are afraid of humans. Our city ordinance makes it illegal to discharge any kind of firearm within the city limits, and any kind of poison could affect pets or other wildlife. My only suggestion, if you are worried about it, is to arm your daughter with bear spray.
If they're there, they will kill any pets they can get to. Small children need to be protected, as well. Not to mention they eat dear fawns and other small animals.
They don't generally just stay there, they' are on the move. I lived in a Nat'l forest teeming with them for 25 yrs (see previous post). We were rescuers and never lost a pet to them. Never had to shoot one. Coyotes are there one day, gone the next, back in a few weeks, etc. Doesn't mean they won't get your pets but it doesn't mean they WILL get them.
I ate lunch sitting next to a coyote on the Ute reservation at 4 corners (states meet) many years ago. I had no idea that coyotes could be dangerous as my very limited understanding (being from Mi where they are rare to see, young, and alone at the time) was that coyotes were afraid of humans.
So the coyote was taking a nap in the sunshine next to a picnic table. I was alone and decided it was time to eat my picnic lunch, so I sat down at the picnic table and ate my sandwich.
He/she lifted their head for a minute watching me then went right back to their nap.
I imagine it was tamed by the Utes.
I believe coyotes are a natural part of the environment, beautiful, and part of nature and that it is US who have bred too much and taken up too much of the landscape.
More likely, it has been "tamed" by tourists and the garbage they leave behind.
A couple of coyotes approached our car on a snowy day in Yosemite, clearly hoping for handouts.
I live on a farm with outdoor barn cats. There are also plenty of coyotes in this area. I shut the cats in the outbuildings at night and have never lost a one. I've learned from others in this area that if you hear a coyote do that "yip yip howl", later joined by other coyotes yipping, most likely prey has been successfully caught and killed. There are plenty of rabbits and possums that I figure are easier prey than human. I'm not that worried about the coyotes. Can't your daughter get the mail and take the garbage out during daylight? I'm pretty sure that coyote only hunt at night.
Coyotes are not interested in human flesh. They are wary of us. If you are worried about your daughter walking away from the house, have her carry a stick. Coyotes are not going to approach her especially when they see she has a weapon. They are not dumb. And the stick will give your daughter some confidence.
I grew up around coyotes in rural areas and love to hear them yip and talk to each other in the night. It's right up there with hearing frogs chirping and croaking in the ditches at night. I sleep with a smile on my face.
One thing I will tell you is don't let your cat out at night when coyotes are around.
Or small dogs. A large dog is okay but might get into a confrontation with the coyotes and be bitten. That won't be good because of possible rabies.
Coyotes are not interested in human flesh. They are wary of us. If you are worried about your daughter walking away from the house, have her carry a stick. Coyotes are not going to approach her especially when they see she has a weapon. They are not dumb. And the stick will give your daughter some confidence.
I grew up around coyotes in rural areas and love to hear them yip and talk to each other in the night. It's right up there with hearing frogs chirping and croaking in the ditches at night. I sleep with a smile on my face.
One thing I will tell you is don't let your cat out at night when coyotes are around.
Or small dogs. A large dog is okay but might get into a confrontation with the coyotes and be bitten. That won't be good because of possible rabies.
So the other day we had visitors.
I don’t like them even though they are cute.
I will have to deal with them.
Not thinking about immediately shooting or killing them.
They are brazen though.
I think I will ask the fish and game guys for their advice.
My daughter has to walk a good 150 yards in the dark to takeout the ya bags and check the mail.
So that kinda concerns me as well as the safety of our pets.
Hard to tell with the 2nd picture but the coyote in the 1st picture is very old, starving, emaciated to skin and bones and it has mange, it is sick. Show that picture to the fish and game guys for their assessment, they'll recognize all the symptoms that I'm seeing and will probably agree. They are hungry, they aren't just being bold to come right to the house in broad daylight so much as they're being desperate, they desperately want that cat for a meal. Hopefully the fish and wildlife folks can resolve your problem for you or tell you what to do about them.
More likely, it has been "tamed" by tourists and the garbage they leave behind.
A couple of coyotes approached our car on a snowy day in Yosemite, clearly hoping for handouts.
Quite possibly! I shouldn't have assumed it was the Utes that probably fed the coyote when it was just as likely or perhaps more likely that it was the tourists.
Coyotes are not interested in human flesh. They are wary of us. If you are worried about your daughter walking away from the house, have her carry a stick. Coyotes are not going to approach her especially when they see she has a weapon. They are not dumb. And the stick will give your daughter some confidence.
I grew up around coyotes in rural areas and love to hear them yip and talk to each other in the night. It's right up there with hearing frogs chirping and croaking in the ditches at night. I sleep with a smile on my face.
One thing I will tell you is don't let your cat out at night when coyotes are around.
Or small dogs. A large dog is okay but might get into a confrontation with the coyotes and be bitten. That won't be good because of possible rabies.
My neighborhood is at the ridgeline of a valley.
The coyotes have been visiting. Saw one the other morning heading back over the ridgeline.
The neighborhood bulletin board has lots of missing cat posters the last two months or so.
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