In California, some years ago (60's?), they'd give you a box of ammunition per "x" number of pelts so you could go out and get a few more of 'em.

But remember, PETA says it's "not nice" to hunt or trap coyotes even if they are one of the most widely distributed animals in N America.

Coyotes are expanding their range all over the US. Where once rare, they now thrive.

I hope the next president takes it seriously, or we had all better learn Spanish.








oops, wrong coyotes.

Coyotes are very common here in SoCal, both at my ranch in the desert and right here at my house in suburban Orange County. They are very intelligent animals, and quickly become accustomed to humans. They like to eat trash and small pets. They are generally not a danger to humans, though I wouldn't let my kids play with them.

I used to like to see them trot across the pastures at the ranch early in the morning or in the evenings. They sounded pretty cool at night. They were never a problem to any of the horses or cows, though I didn't let my dogs run loose when they were around. Unfortunately, there's been so much construction nearby they've kind of moved on. Too bad. I liked the coyotes better than some of my human neighbors.

Kevin B.

And people wonder why the forests are in such bad shape...

There are way too many deer - far more than before westerners colonized the US. So many deer are tremendously destructive. At my weekend cabin we have a severe juniper overabundance vs. oaks and other trees due to deer. Junipers hog water, are fire problems, and inhibit other trees from growing.

The cause of all this is lack of predators. Killing off mountain lions in particular removed the primary control on deer population levels, though coyotes and such do their part too. Remove coyotes and mountain lions, and a few decades later the deer are seriously modifying the forests to the point of increasing fire hazards and removing tree populations other animals and birds need.

Related: there are many deer near my home and it is common to find a herd of eight in my front yard at night, and they often rest in the brush in the back yard at night. The neighbors won't hear of population control, even though I warn them we're going to have a dead Bambi in every back yard to explain to the kids when we have a bad dry year and too many deer... Re-introducing coyotes might not be a good idea but it's clear that not having them has negative effects (I've long since given up trying to grow shrubs in front of the house or putting out any of salad plates for the deer to eat).

Don't need to reintroduce coyotes. I read (but can't find the source now) that they are the only animal in North America to increase their territory once Europeans got here. Don't know how they will be at controlling the deer population, but the rabbit population will go down.

A coyote pulled a 3 year old by the sleeve of his jacket a few years ago in Whitehorse Yukon. No harm done thanks for the kid's mother being vigilant. Cougars are another matter. I don't leave my cats outside at night anymore

I'll get real worried when I start seeing deliveries from Acme Anvil Corp...

lol!

Dang, beat me to the ACME reference...

been a while since I've been out on coyote kong patrol. Always lots of fun to blow on a whistle, watch em come running in like it's their hood and all that, then smack them at 200 yards with a 55 grainer.

Yotes are a menace. They are impossible to control and interfere with proper conservation and wildlife management practices. At best you can hold them in check if you are diligent about it. They are slightly more desirable than cockroaches only because of their pelts.

As far as deer go, increase the number of hunters hunting them if you want to control their surplus population. In most states west of the Mississipi there aren't usually enough to go around, so they set bag limits and antler restrictions and so forth to keep the herds from dwindling. Out east here the hunting population isn't as intense so their regs are a lot more relaxed, if you can find property to hunt on that is. If I had me a place to hunt here in Florida worth a darn, I could possess up to 4 dead deer at any one time. The price is right, but I haven't found a public hunting area yet to try out.

Getting to be like that in a lot of places these days.

One of the problems in the Northeast is that the deer live in residential neighborhoods, and there are restrictive rules on hunting them. I've been told that I can kill one in our area, but only if I use a bow shot within and at an animal on our property. I understand one neighbor did so a year ago. So, we have lots of them that come into our yards and reproduce unchecked by predators.

As a child I cannot recall seeing many deer in the area. I grew up in the next town, with acres and acres of woods near my parents house. Now, they are everywhere. This is within 35 miles of Manhattan.

We also have coyotes, which a few centuries ago did not live so far east. Some lived on a golf course Dad was a member at, but is now closed. I read some years ago that coyotes and armadillos were the only animals that had increased their range since people began arriving from Europe. No idea if that is true today.