Coyotes are Getting the better of me. Help

[SamsonMan22]

I guess I don’t understand why you can set on top of the chickens but can’t set 10-50’ away from them? I would set as close to the chickens as I could without being setup to catch one of them.

Blind sets will catch far less domestics than a set with bait or lure. You already have bait there with the chickens running around, just figure out where the coyotes are wandering around near them and set traps with no smell

 

[TheGDog]

Sounds like you need a .35 cal. air rifle, maybe with thermal.

.25 cal Benjamin Marauder will do it just fine. (pretty sure a Magnum class .22 AirRifle with the right heavy pellets could do it as well, like maybe 18gr).... just set out some DogFood someplace you want them to go to for the shot. Engineer the shot.

Today's AirRifles, many of them sound a little quieter then a roofing nailer. The pellet hitting a wood backstop is much louder than the actual firing of the them, for the many which come from the factory with decent supressors already on em. Mine happens to be an Umarex Octane. (If you don't go PCP route, and get a breakbarrel instead, make sure to get a Gas-Piston one, they can remained cocked for a long time without it causing damage to the mechanism, not so for a springer.

The lower in energy you go, the more it will be important to place the shot right. An ear-shot (brain) would be best, but still if you manage to perforate a lung with one they will die. But coyotes are damn tough and could run a damn long ways before it dies with that pellet lung-shot, and that could create "questions" from nosey neighbors.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

I guess I don’t understand why you can set on top of the chickens but can’t set 10-50’ away from them? I would set as close to the chickens as I could without being setup to catch one of them.

Blind sets will catch far less domestics than a set with bait or lure. You already have bait there with the chickens running around, just figure out where the coyotes are wandering around near them and set traps with no smell

That’s probably my fault for not explaining well, I live in a community of 1-3 acre lots with open space within close proximity. On my property of 1.5 acres I have two dogs that run around all day and then Sectioned off a chicken run that’s roughly 30x50 so that my Gsp doesn’t make them lunch. The coyotes come in sporadically typically early morning or if we and the dogs are out of town. I think the air rifle works as well as my 22 which requires that I’m there every am or evening to try and catch them on that seemingly random times they show up. I’m really hoping for an effective trap that can be left out 24/7 in the run and won’t get tripped by the chickens or turkey. If that doesn’t exist and snares area fools errands then I’ll go back to a foothold.

 

[SamsonMan22]

Cranking the pan tension up on a foothold will help some but wouldn’t be a sure thing for avoiding catches on the chickens and turkey. I’m curious what this run looks like, I'm not really familiar with poultry livestock and how this run would be setup. If it is a pen of sorts those coyotes are getting in some how unless they are jumping over it and if that’s the case I suggest a higher fence.

I had a problem with them trying to get into my fenced in yard a few years ago. Even with my 6 aussies in the fence they were fighting to get in. Not sure if it was my one female in heat or they were looking for a meal. I walked along the edge of my fence where they were trying to dig under. I set a trap where they were dropping down into the hole they had started and one on the trail coming up to the fence. It was subtle trail where they had matted down the grass. 2 days later I had 2 coyotes pinned down right next to the fence in my front yard, you don’t need a ton of area just traps out in the right place.

I understand if you are worried about having foot holds on the property unattended if you were to leave for the weekend or something. That is just part of trapping they need to be tended reliably.

Your other option if legal is a cable restraint, I have a friend who traps live market coyotes using cable restraints, they are designed to not be lethal like a true locking snare. He catches domestic dogs frequently and just turns them loose. Your birds will probably knock them down here and there but if they were set correctly they could be very effective.

 

[Carpenterant]

What about getting something like a donkey or a dog that would scare them off?

 

[Zappaman]

Beat me to it... a 24/7 dog is what I'd be looking at. Used to raise both sheep and goats (or large ranches) and grew up killing yotes... always! But we used dogs the last few years and it helped a lot! We used Commodores, but several good breeds are out there. Donkey's eat grass (not dog food) and are also effective from what several neighbors told me back when they started using them too.

 

[TheGDog]

Another thought that occurred to me as well, besides the allure of the chickens... are your dog's food bowls left outside of the house? That ones a major attractant for yotes. Not only because of the Dog Food itself, but also because of the OTHER critters dogfood left outside tends to attract, like 'Posums, and Skunks and Raccoons and Squirrels and Rats and so on.

 

[huntersdog]

Is there a milder version or it’s arm snapping or nothing

330 are about it for totes. You could try 220's but might be to small.

 

[TheGDog]

Sounds like you need a .35 cal. air rifle, maybe with thermal.

Buncha vids of dudes taking them with .25 cal Benjamin Marauder.
In the PM, setup a blind somewhere overlooking some Dog Food set out along the route the take to come in towards that coop. When they stop at the dry Dog Food. Whack 'em. Since you said it's your own private property.

Another thought? I have a friend who moved out of CA after she married, and for the chickens they actually have these moveable feeding coops where they pick em up with a fork-lift.. drive over to another area of the grass field... then put it back down... and the chickens remain inside this sub-coop thing while they then begin foraging that ground thru the chicken wire. That's how they do it "Grass-Fed". Ya figure it'd be safer for them to always be enclosed like that. Then later on they return this transportable coop into within their main coop where they roost within and have enough space to walk around outside of a sleeping structure.

 

[badlander08]

Foothold traps are very effective once you figure out how to use them.

 

[Erict]

Have a friend with bees, and also occasional black bears. His hives are surrounded by a bear fence. Some of the strands have wires wrapped to them with a fish hook and some bear-tasty meat. Says the bears grab the meat, get hooked and get a few extra jolts before ripping the hook out. Works 24/7. Might work for yotes and you might be able to borrow a setup. Good luck.

 

[204_ruger]

I would go with blind sets. In the trails .Or a flat set. I like using a t bone set (its a type of flat set.) The dirt hole take your driver make a mouse hole a good deep one. If u can trap a few mice. Put one in the hole. Put a shot of coyote pee behind it. Run your traps on drags. So they wont blow the set up when caught. Too bad u didnt live close by. I would show you. Just the passed few yrs i started setting more snares. But if u do put snares out. Any dogs around use a relaxing lock. Not a non relaxing lock. Most dogs will lay down when caught. But a few will jump around and hang themselves . If anything is taller than they are. I been trapping coyotes since November the 8th.

 

[NorthIdahogunr]

Suppressed with subs? I run a 17hmr with a can when I want to shoot around houses.

 

[sagerat]

If you can shoot them then your next best solution is to use foot holds. Step down set and a dirt hole set are my 2 favorites for coyotes. Wear rubber gloves and be mindful of your scent. Tons of good videos youtube.