By: Joel Allen
Hello, folks! On 25 June 2021, I had a visit from my neighbors. They were looking for their dog. They gave me the description of the dog and asked if I had seen her. She had been missing since the previous evening about an hour before sundown. Unfortunately, I had not seen her but I promised to keep a wary eye out for the poor little dog, and an awful fear crept into my mind as I was talking with them. That thought was “coyotes” and how they will prey on our pets and livestock if left unchecked. Well, my thoughts and worries were unfounded because their dog was found and will be reunited with them as of the date of this article’s print.
Coyotes — have they ever attacked a child? According to Wikipedia there has only been one recorded fatal attack on a child, in Los Angeles. The Kelly Keen coyote attack is how it is listed. Could it happen again? In my opinion — Absolutely!
In Alabama, you can hunt coyotes year round according to aonmag.com/hunting/dealing-with-alabama-coyotes. And according to the same website, one can attain a special permit to hunt the coyote at night from the ADCNR.
The coyote is very adaptable to its environment and should never be underestimated when it comes to a food source. They have been known to live off garbage and produce out of gardens. I have personally seen a coyote snatch up a cat and carry it away by the neck. It was so quick that if I had not seen it happen I would never have known about it.
Now don’t misunderstand me, coyotes are God’s creatures and everyone needs to remember that they are only doing what is natural for them. There is nothing personal about the way they live. That being said, as stated above, they can be hunted on your property and on other private lands with written permission from the owner, and I would only encourage moderate population control to protect our pets. I don’t like killing anything unless it is necessary, but I will.
Another adversary of the coyote is the donkey. If a donkey senses a coyote, it will chase after it and in many cases kill the coyote. I have seen images of a donkey carrying a dead coyote by its neck. I have even heard them bray at a distance when there are coyotes around and give chase. Coyotes usually try and get away from them. Coyotes are also pack animals just like their cousin the wolf; they will hunt in this way. So, be careful when hunting these creatures. If there is livestock on your property invest in a donkey.
There is one more rival to the coyote, and it usually ends worse for the coyote when they meet a Great Pyrenees guarding its flock. Now that is a real brawl, and once it happens, there are usually body parts of the coyote everywhere. I have personally seen this and felt sorry for the coyote. “Good dog” is all I can say to the Pyrenees.
As the year progresses on, I can’t help but notice, especially at night, that there seems to be more coyotes, and they can be heard yipping in the distance. They usually stop yipping when there is a response of a bray from a donkey. Sometimes it is a large group of them. So, be very aware of where your pets are in the evenings, and watch out for your children. Vaccinate your pets against rabies because we never know when or where that disease will rear its ugly head.
Also, I would like to add that if anyone has a dog door as I do, be sure to lock it at night. I have not heard it happening yet, but what if a coyote were to find its way into your home through your dog’s dog door? I’ve had one feral cat do this. And when it saw my huge dogs, it was terrified, but my dogs never even tried to hurt it. They were looking at the cat like, “I think you came into the wrong door.” LOL! Food for thought…
In parting, I hope everyone has a safe 4th of July. Until next month!
By: Joel Allen
December 20, 2024
