Owen Roberts

5 Responses to “Coyote problem out of control, say farmers”

1. # Rob Starkon 01 Dec 2009 at 10:29 am

   Mr. Roberts:
   Thanks for the column on a very real problem. I am a landowner with an orchard, southeast of Guelph and have observed, firsthand, this problem for the last several years. All of the neighbouring farms have suffered losses from these predators. Sheep are killed and left in the fields, domestic fowl are carried away, calves are killed. ( sometimes while being delivered by the cow, if she is in the field, giving birth )( visualize that one !). Coyotes are becoming increasingly bold and I’ve noticed an apparent increase in their numbers over the last several years. They range in colour from pure blond to almost black. The animals I am seeing ( and shooting ) are now very large and healthy looking. This was not the case a few years ago, when many of them suffered from ‘mange’. It is not uncommon for farmers to find them actually inside their barns and buildings. More than once I have been called to assist with this. At the request of a local landowner, last year I shot an adult deer, who was in the process of being devoured alive, from back to front. Deep snow conditions had made it impossible for the deer to escape, while the coyotes could run along the surface crust. The deer managet to make it up against their house, where the coyotes would not go and was left to die, slowly. While reporting this to the M.N.R., I was reprimanded and reminded to let nature take it’s course. It seems that wasn’t exactly happening. I have attended car accidents, caused by the driver swerving to miss a coyote. There are lots of examples of their impact on life around my place. It would seem that as natural habitat is lost to development, interactions with all remaining wildlife can only increase. People just don’t interact well with most wildlife and a small pet makes a fine snack. All of this is with five miles of my home and I can only imagine that it happens everywhere. Although unfortunate, the news articles of coyote attacks does not indicate to me a trend.
   These are very adaptable, cunning and fast predators, who mostly vanish at the sight of a human ( personal experience ). Many nights I’m awoken by their howling, right behind my house, followed by our dogs barking. I have witnessed them surrounding my dog at a distance and barking like one, I think to entice him to them. There are many examples of their behaviour around here.
   I have just returned from an early morning coyote hunt. Many hours of my time are spent calling and hunting over baits in remote rural locations, watching for coyotes. Where I live there is a year round season ( no Sunday hunting ), with just a small game license, for coyotes. I have an open invitation from all surrounding landowners to hunt them and certain friends who sometimes come along. I doubt that I’m even making a difference to the local coyote population, but it’s better than sitting on the couch and complaining about the problem. Perhaps an increased bounty would make it worth the while of people to actively hunt them, but right now I do the work of burial, out of respect. It’s not personal until they take something of yours, and that has not happened to me, as of yet. On the upside, we don’t have a problem with groundhogs, skunks, rabbits ot cats.
   Thanks for your time,
   Rob Stark
   Moffat, On.

2. # Owen Robertson 04 Dec 2009 at 7:34 am

   Thanks, Rob, for this fascinating inside look at the coyote problem. The sheep marketing agency provided me with some photos that I was tempted to use on this blog, but in the end I decided they were too graphic. Reading your account of the coyotes’ zeal to kill, I’m rethinking my position. People need to know the reality of this problem.

3. # Carl Leybourneon 10 Dec 2009 at 4:05 pm

   My e-mail is cleybourne@homelifeguelph.com. I have a handwritten response which I would like to send you. I am not a typist.Would you kindly send me your e-mail address so I can forward it to you. Carl

4. # gino tubiaon 15 Feb 2010 at 3:39 pm

   hi . Ive been a hunter for 30 plus years . i live in morriston , and never had a ploblem with coyotes up till now . most of my hunting is with a bow ,although i do have some firearms. ive also noticed a great many number of coyotes while on stand , and thats close to guelph. but just this passed year ive seem them walking down my street at night .one even followed my wife down the driveway after picking up the blue box . she was so frightened she locked herself in the garage and called me on her cell phone.And a few weeks later my nieghbour , who is a law inforcement officer had a party ,and one of his guest s had to stair one down as he was moving away to safety. Now that the snow is on the ground my back yard looks like a party zone for them , All the deer are gone , and so are the rabbits. Now since the middle of january ive shot and killed three with my 22. and the third one was in the middle of the day .i have a seven year old son , and his fort is in the back yard . this makes me very uncomfterble.The odd thing about this situation ,is i dont even look for them. My wife seems to spot them.Is it getting that bad. thx

5. # Owenon 15 Feb 2010 at 6:43 pm

   Thanks for your message, Gino. You describe a pretty scary situation, and it sounds like it’s time for yet another column on this topic…although I don’t think any new measures have been taken by the province since I last wrote about it.

   Do you have any suggestions about what the province should do?

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (hidden) (required)

Website