Apparently someone in our neighborhood caught a coyote killing their pet cat on their home security camera and now the neighborhood is in a tizy. Factions have emerged, pro-kitty, pro-coyote, anti-coyote killing, pro-coyote killing and pro-feral cat. A plan has emerged to trap the coyote and transport it alive to the country where it will be killed.

My question for Ursus is, what is the SOP when a coyote is caught on camera killing a pet and you live in the City of Houston?

Very a bigger pet. My dog killed a coyote in Saturday. ... Granted, it was a small yote.

get a bigger cat

I've seen the coyote talk on facebook...are you in NW Houston? People are freaking out that coyotes live outside and can be seen outside

Don't keep cats outside. Its pretty easy to figure out.

It killed a cat? Hell, you should be feeding it to encourage that type of behavior.

Send the 'ex' coyote hunting??

Job well done. House cats belong inside, and feral cats are vermin. If it was a barn cat, well, that's simply normal attrition.

Post the video!

We live down near Galveston Bay on 1.5 acres, nothing big. Had a pretty impressive rat problem when we first moved in and rescued two crazy cats to help control the population a bit (yes, I know the effect on the bird population, spare me). Coyotes took one out last year and the other out this year. This is in a well populated area. I don't blame the coyotes, they are doing exactly what they do.

The likely catalyst to more coyotes in the populated areas has been suburban creep as folks continue to develop areas that were coastal plains for ever.

If you don't want a coyote to eat your cat, don't put your cat outside.

Definitely agree on so many accounts. Its pretty funny because I don't think they have fully thought through their idea, especially the transporting of a live coyote.

Coyote News Story

Go ask on Rivalries. Those guys know all about coyote hunts...

airboatag said:

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Coyote News Story

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The onsite reporter said the video was "horrifying." Are people really that oblivious to what happens every single meal for every species but humans? We are the only ones on the planet who try to kill with mercy, and we are definitely not the only meat eaters.

I guess I don't see how this is news.

So they want to take the coyote out to the country just to kill it there? That makes no sense.

Seor Chang said:

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So they want to take the coyote out to the country just to kill it there? That makes no sense.

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Agreed. If you are going to bother trapping it and taking it to the country, why not release it there?

Wounded rabbit tape.

Profit.

My family has a ranch in east Texas. Coyotes are overpopulated and kill smaller livestock. If you value the lives of goats, pigs, chickens, or (in some rare cases) cows--then do us a favor and smite that wild doggie.

I'm guestimating, but coyotes have probably done about $50k in damage (loss of livestock and property damage) at our humble little spot alone in the past 10 years.

Another great day to live in the Panhandle. Thousands of coyotes and zero news stories.

Great Beard of Zeus said:

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My family has a ranch in east Texas. Coyotes are overpopulated and kill smaller livestock. If you value the lives of goats, pigs, chickens, or (in some rare cases) cows--then do us a favor and smite that wild doggie.

I'm guestimating, but coyotes have probably done about $50k in damage (loss of livestock and property damage) at our humble little spot alone in the past 10 years.

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Ursus, you want to explain how killing coyotes will only get him more coyotes, or nah?

I was waiting for this...

I'll play with both issues in a few hours. Literally walking out the door headed to San Antonio.

Great Beard of Zeus said:

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My family has a ranch in east Texas. Coyotes are overpopulated and kill smaller livestock. If you value the lives of goats, pigs, chickens, or (in some rare cases) cows--then do us a favor and smite that wild doggie.

I'm guestimating, but coyotes have probably done about $50k in damage (loss of livestock and property damage) at our humble little spot alone in the past 10 years.

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How big is your ranch?

Great Beard of Zeus said:

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My family has a ranch in east Texas. Coyotes are overpopulated and kill smaller livestock. If you value the lives of goats, pigs, chickens, or (in some rare cases) cows--then do us a favor and smite that wild doggie.

I'm guestimating, but coyotes have probably done about $50k in damage (loss of livestock and property damage) at our humble little spot alone in the past 10 years.

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I'm guesstimating that you are VASTLY inflating that number.

Fun one, biologically speaking, coyote don't overpopulate. I'll let y'all chew on that one.

magnumtmp said:

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airboatag said:

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Coyote News Story

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The onsite reporter said the video was "horrifying." Are people really that oblivious to what happens every single meal for every species but humans? We are the only ones on the planet who try to kill with mercy, and we are definitely not the only meat eaters.

I guess I don't see how this is news.

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Exactly. The person/thing getting killed probably always assumes the death is horrifying. The thing doing the killing? Not so much.

One person's/thing's horrifying is another person's/thing's food.

...there would be a lot less coyotes if we would reintroduce wolves. But BECAUSE of coyotes there is a lot less rabies. Because they don't tolerate raccoons or other small mesocarnivores (worked it in there!) particularly well.

I've never seen a confirmed calf kill by a coyote. I'm sure it could happen but I'd think mama would have a say in that.

Great Beard of Zeus said:

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My family has a ranch in east Texas. Coyotes are overpopulated and kill smaller livestock. If you value the lives of goats, pigs, chickens, or (in some rare cases) cows--then do us a favor and smite that wild doggie.

I'm guestimating, but coyotes have probably done about $50k in damage (loss of livestock and property damage) at our humble little spot alone in the past 10 years.

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Ok, dollar amount aside, I can see "loss of livestock", but what "property damage" have they done?

Get a couple of donkeys on your farms/ranches and they will help with the coyote issue!!! My family did that after a couple calves were killed a few years ago, and none since!!

SteveBott said:

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I've never seen a confirmed calf kill by a coyote. I'm sure it could happen but I'd think mama would have a say in that.

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I've seen mama cows flip my FIL head over heels trying to tag a 1-2 day calf. I'd assume similar treatment for a coyote.

I've always heard Coyotes are attracted to the afterbirth (mmmmmm, yummy) from momma cow and calf. If the calf is weak or left for dead, the coyote will take advantage, but normally they scavenge. I'm sure tactics change if the carrion menu is light.

RickSawyer said:

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The likely catalyst to more coyotes in the populated areas has been suburban creep as folks continue to develop areas that were coastal plains

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Not true, urban coyotes around as long humans providing food source.

Build It said:

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RickSawyer said:

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The likely catalyst to more coyotes in the populated areas has been suburban creep as folks continue to develop areas that were coastal plains

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Not true, urban coyotes around as long humans providing food source.

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Oh, okay. Then suburban creep has nothing to do with it. Appreciate you setting the record straight.

RickSawyer said:

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Build It said:

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RickSawyer said:

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The likely catalyst to more coyotes in the populated areas has been suburban creep as folks continue to develop areas that were coastal plains

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Not true, urban coyotes around as long humans providing food source.

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Oh, okay. Then suburban creep has nothing to do with it. Appreciate you setting the record straight.

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Well, it does, and it doesn't. I mean suburban creep does bring people into more contact with animals. But a big part of the "coyote problem" is that coyotes are so damn adaptable. So it's less a case of people moving to the coyotes, and more a case of coyotes being able to fit in better with people/neighborhoods than a lot of other animals. It creates a niche environment where they thrive. They are better able to take advantage of the noisy stupidity that people bring.

Coyotes do what coyotes do. They eat whatever they find. Give the coyote a medal for cleaning up the cat population.

coyote68 said:

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Coyotes do what coyotes do. They eat whatever they find. Give the coyote a medal for cleaning up the cat population.

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