Wink, I appreciate your honest response to my question, knowing you are a dad and a grandfather and someone who likely knows many in their community, I can understand that your view of the coyote is rooted in this potential for a human bite case or the typical missing family pet scenario.

As I mentioned, perspective right? This is your view and it is as important for me to understand your view as the lady raising sheep, the guy who makes his living on wildlife photography, etc.... Perspectives abound within our world and your view is yours and one that many share that I've run across in terms of worry over the potential and reality of coyotes.

I do agree with you as well that coyotes love a fresh dead deer as much or more as they do a live one that requires a pursuit, energy, calories, potential life ending injury to eyes, jaws, legs, teeth... The same goes for fall deer season, gut piles and other associated fallout from the big game season feeds plenty of predators including coyotes.

In terms of the family pet, I'll have to put up front on this before I go further that I've had dogs that I've loved far more than many people I've ever run across. Have had dogs and for that matter cats around my entire life (no cats in the last 15 years, wife has allergies).

Now, to discuss the family pet and injuries suffered by wildlife, I think we should agree that there are times wildlife cross our boundaries and there are times when we as owners allow our animals to be where they shouldn't be where not only wildlife conflicts can occur, but road hits by cars, being shot by a neighbor and a myriad of other nasty things.

I receive calls every year from folks who are concerned about coyotes eye balling their dog/cat/other, I also get calls where they have taken or injured a family companion animal.

What may shock you, or maybe not is that the leading dog killer in my area of the toy dog left in the yard isn't wiley coyote, it is a bird of prey. One year I had 5 calls for that to every one where a coyote was the suspected killer. In the cases of the birds, people actually saw them come down and grab them, no guessing as to what did it...

People somehow believe that dogs weighing less than 10 lbs can be left out in the backyard when their property is surrounded by quality wildlife habitat for everything from coyotes, to bobcats, rattlesnakes, hawks, owls, etc.... It isn't typically malice of course, it is blissful ignorance.

The same ignorance occurs when I hear people say, "I can't believe I just saw a raccoon cross my block wall" and they live 10' from the Rio Grande River... Or they are right in the mountains and are shocked that they saw a black bear, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, etc....

I have empathy for the human loss emotion that occurs when someone loses their pet for any reason let alone seeing it ripped apart in the yard by a native predator. I do however clearly feel that husbandry is part of owning an animal, while folks will leave the 10lb toy dog, poodle, chihuahua, yorkie, etc... or cat in the yard, they would never lay a child of that size in the yard unattended.

May seem like a strange analogy, but when the caller wants blood and revenge for the loss I'm often surprised that they left it out for 4 hours from midnight until 4 am and wondered how on earth this could happen. Most as well already knew coyotes were there or other predators. A dog of those sizes or cat is on the menu of many animals if they desire to take after them.

We've been working on a slide for presentations we give on coyotes and other urban mesocarnivores to show the toy dog in a line up with other native prey items, prairie dogs, rabbits, etc... Heck a jackrabbit is bigger than half the dogs that I get called for being taken.

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I guess my point would be a bit like Boco's to an extent. I do not support leaving a dog that isn't large enough and strong enough to be able to defend itself outdoors and we all know what we all think of outdoor cats and how they impact everything around them. Again, I have empathy for the loss, but no way I'm blaming the coyote for a free lunch, it is simply doing what a coyote does, bobcats and others here can do the very same thing and if we move to areas with skunk and raccoon rabies there are those issues for folks who leave them to run and might not have even vaccinated...

One of the most vocal citizens wanting pretty much all coyotes eradicated in his little town always mentioned his dog had been attacked 4-5 times by coyotes, which made everyone feel for him and jump on his side. It was later revealed by the vet that was stitching up his dog every time that he allowed his dog to roam the streets and neighborhood in this busy town and he could have been killed or injured by a car, rattlesnake bite, and a dozen other wildlife species each day as this guy didn't actually care about the dog. Needless to say he stopped talking about his dog at meetings....

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To move on to the other aspects, we all know well that there have been people attacked and even cases of death. Tragedy comes in many forms, statistically speaking the coyote has to be out there with being hit by lightning and other rare events. I know more people who have had deer or moose or other ungulates come through the window and nearly kill someone or actually kill someone than I've ever heard of the same number of coyote human issues of this serious nature.

I can't imagine losing a family member, friend or child to something as extraordinary rare as a wildlife attack in the lower 48 states. The california cases and many others have proved out to show that people were feeding the coyotes causing a direct reason for the coyote to be pursuing people thinking food would be given.

When I worked in the OR office over in WA state they had a kid nipped on the side of his face and his back side while walking home with friends. Why? A neighbor had been feeding old ma coyote and when her pups were born they learned as well people were food, when the kid didn't produce any the coyote kept pushing trying to illicit the food coming forward....

Coyotes "fault" or idiot human behavior that caused a wildlife conflict and almost a human tragedy?

We all know the general public lack a massive massive knowledge about wildlife and the world around them. Everyone is ignorant about something as very few know everything though many claim to.

Part of our mission I believe is to be sure people get the straight scoop on wildlife as best we know it or see it.

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The part of this thread talking about the article as false in regard to killing coyotes makes more coyotes is based on science and math that are based on reproduction and actual scenarios. Coyotes exhibit a biological trait known as compensatory reproduction. I can testify that I've known just a couple of coyote trappers in my lifetime and career that have all backed up the claims made by the publications that state that when you kill coyotes as NV man mentioned, they simply have larger litters and adjust numerous other variables to populate more of the landscape.

That doesn't mean people don't still try to keep them in check or go after them for livestock protection or just because they like hunting them, but the reality of making a dent in their population or putting them on a decline is something along the lines of removing 75% for 5 years straight from the area to start the decline. The exact statistic in published but is close to that somewhere, has been awhile since I've discussed that with anyone.

The truth about pubs talking about disease and parasites doesn't illuminate mortality from these issues in most cases. The only way researchers and biologists ever know what an animal dies of is if they run a necropsy with samples of blood and other tissues and due to cost and limited interest this is almost never done, as well you generally need a radio collared animal so you can be picking it up quickly once it dies or you won't have enough samples of any value to tell squat about it. Depending on time of year this can be within hours of death if you need good blood that produces serum when spun down for collection.

Carrying multiple bacteria, viruses, etc... doesn't mean you are going to die of them, even in humans you can be carrying things or have antibodies for them and not die of them if your immune system is solid and they aren't strong enough to take over your white blood cells and defenses.

Same goes for parasites. One project I was on was nothing but coyote work and most was doing full necropsy from stem to stern so to speak and I've seen the most beautiful looking (sorry wink! lol) coyotes who were fat and healthy looking that were fully loaded with tapeworms, roundworms and other parasites along with heavy loads of fleas, etc...

Most parasites aren't interested in killing the host unless it in their life cycle to do so. They may diminish the hosts health, but they want the host to keep eating and moving so they can keep leaching off the calories and food for themselves.

If we didn't vaccinate our dogs/cats, etc... for a number of things, they'd all likely carry similar loads, but we of course worm them, give them shots, etc... which prevents other issues and assures them a longer life, but in the wild life span in a hunted or open population subject to persecution isn't generally more than a range of 3-10 years with a ton of mortality in that first year or two when they are young and looking for a new place to live, lots of risk and little knowledge (not unlike teenagers and young adults).

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On the biological end about their meat needs and consumption, all predators in North America have been studied at one time or another to determine their relative success rates for chasing various prey. Being human I can instantly see the fat steak on the plate and all I need is the money to pay for it and its in my gut.

Predators like coyotes have to assess each hunting opportunity and how long it will take, how much energy will it cost, how might they be injured, etc... They do this as we all know in a rapid fashion before deciding to give chase or not.

It may sound stupid to some, but most know that mice, voles, lizards, snakes, insects, fruits and other easy to attain meals are much of the biomass that even a large coyote is going to be pulling in and using to sustain itself.

Chasing a full grown white-tailed deer happens, but the percentage of success can be extremely low unless you are in northern winter deer yard with paralyzing snowfall depths that give the coyote the advantage.

We've all seen the documentaries on African wildlife that show the cheetah ripping along, but they always show some fails. Statistically many predators have as little as 15-30% capture success when trying to bring down large game, versus waiting to pounce on the copious amounts of small protein in the fields...

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Mesocarnivore release theory is another aspect of coyote biology. I don't think any trappers will argue this point since I've heard about the effects of coyote on fox populations in the midwest and east for over a decade as they expanded and filled in.

Top dog takes out smaller dog or forces it into niches. What removes or keeps the coyote in check? Other than mange and humans, not much, unless you are in a state with larger carnivores, wolves, lion, bear, etc...

One california study showed something like 75% of the grey fox mortality was from coyote and areas in the west with threatened or sensitive swift or kit fox have removed coyote to try to reduce that predation.

Coyotes again are just part of the natural ecology of the areas they live in. They must feed within the cycle of prey items and food items available, they must face the pressures placed upon them for space by other members of their own and by us, but ultimately they are so adaptable and intelligent that they beat the odds living in places most would never consider logical.

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Every animal has a behavior and biology that can be interpreted a variety of ways, I've trapped coyotes, followed coyotes with radio collars, necropsied sheep killed by coyotes, worked with urban coyote issues, etc... and I'll never not enjoy the sight or sound of one or more.

Again, my perspective ultimately, I have nothing of my own to lose to them, so I suppose I can feel like the nature photographer or the documentarian who has gotten to follow this animal, learn from it, understand it and respect it for what it is.

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Another thought to leave you with....

Man's best friend is one of the leading causes of injury and far far surpasses the coyote or any other wildlife for causing us harm.

Check out a site called dogbites.org and then think about all the dogs we all encounter and that our kids, and others encounter on a daily basis.

I knew where every psycho dog lived growing up when I would walk to friends houses miles away in the country after school or during the summer.

I can't imagine worrying over the coyote potential when dogs are literally everywhere and have the largest amount of opportunity and a proven track
record.

According to that site and a study published there about 1,000 cases a day require medical treatment due to injuries suffered from dogs in the United States.

"Chew" on that....

Good post Justin. Just a few things; those beautiful looking coyotes that you dealt with had to be from Montana, Wyoming, or

someplace like that. Our coyotes consistently take last place in the annual canine beauty contest. While I understand yours and

Boco's thinking on the pets being allowed to run loose, this is not the case in our city. ( At least not any of the owners I talked

to and two of them are regular customers ) One dog was killed right in front of the owner and one was bitten while on a leash. My

daughters have three small dogs and we watch them very closely whenever they're out of the house. I like those dogs but I would never

own one. If you're going to own a dog the size of a ferret, get a ferret. I do know about the raptor and small dog problem. I told

the neighbor that his dog got hit by a hawk but he probably still thinks it was a coyote. And I also know all about man's best

friend. My son P.J. must smell like Purina. He could get attacked by a stuffed dog. I, on the other hand, stand a better chance of

getting licked to death. Here's another thing I've noticed; if you pick up a baby coyote it's just like picking up a puppy. No

growling or spitting and they seem perfectly relaxed in your warm hands. Now try the same thing with a fox pup ( but remember to

bring bandages )

My educated presumption is that coyotes are generally overpopulated and that killing them improve the ecosystem, numbers and health. Your example of a dominant pair getting eradicated allowing less dominant individuals to occupy, supports that. No doubt at times killing 2 or 4 will result in 3 or 6 moving in. Just the same, sometimes killing 2 or 4 leaving the zone unoccupied for 6 months or 2 yearling pups taking the slot.

There are many exceptions, but govt and enviromentals rarely get it right. If you live in a state such as CA, the rule with few exceptions, is that predators are parasite and disease ridden. While I can see whitetails getting hunted down, that seldom happens with coyotes. With some studies indicating 30% with parvo before age 5, 40% with heartworms, 50% with mange, and 70% infested with ticks (I don't recall the specifics, just impressed with so many in poor health), and then take into account starvation, injuries, and fighting over territory. Most wild animals live more than twice as long in captivity. One can assess that non hunted/trapped/managed populations are in a natural state of stress to the point that letting nature take it's course can be cruel, even immoral.

Yes, studies that find the exceptions supporting certain narratives get passed around more than they merit.

Mange is by far the worst thing I've seen that is a natural process of population control. With more than 60+ coyotes radio collared at any one time I recall how many we'd eventually find looking worse than death.

An interesting point though is that they were radio collared in high persecution areas with tons of hunting, trapping and hounding.

Highest mortality we documented was through legal harvest with mange running close second.

All species have he greatest losses in newly born and young of the year. Underdeveloped immune system and variables that impact survival are hardest on anything including humans at that age and then again at the far end of the age spectrum when again our systems are weaker and prone to infection...

Working in disease for my entire career usually publications of diseases and infections and parasites are "survey" versus mortality." stats. In other words that an animal was exposed or a carrier versus a death by that parasite, infection, etc....

Apples and oranges in terms of useful on how or why they die.

A solid mortality study has to include tracking the organism from cradle to the grave.

In humans and domestic livestock and pets we get this kind of tracking through doctor and vet records.

With wildlife what killed it is only known through necropsy and testing.

It's a confounding but interesting field.

(Wink those were MI coyotes! Lol)

Coyotes as bad as child molesters?

Kid gets a pet cat eaten vs unspeakable acts.

Throw Back, I admit that I don't know any child molesters personally so I may be unfairly giving them a bad name.

Justin, have you seen a prime Montana coyote? Now that's a beautiful canine. A friend of ours has a Montana coyote coat. It's so white it looks like ermine. Of course after reading your post I'll probably start itching the next time I see it.