I seen in the past when I did some ADC .What I found around here the biggest problem was farm dogs pack up and take down livestock and the coyotes was blame for it until they see the dogs do it,I am not saying that coyotes will not do it ,but around here it was mainly dogs.Also sometimes it was the cow that kill the calf from trying to fend off the coyote and actcidently kill the calf. But like was stated that normally the coyotes go after the after birth. If there is a pack of coyotes that dose not give any problems let them there ,they will keep out the others. But after that pack is taken out then you do not know if there is going to be any problems with the new ones.I know in the past I know some people raise some sheep and there was coyotes around them and did not bother them.They left the pack alone and did not have any problems.

What did you hear about prices to make you quit trapping coyote?

Coydog2- It must be different in Iowa. From what I've learned after being around coyotes in MT/WY, a lot of the time when you have depredation going on, it isn't the 'local' resident coyotes doing it. Coyotes will travel to the neighbors, right through newborn calves or lambs close to where they are denned sometimes. When you see that happen, you realize the whole 'territorial' mumbo jumbo stuff is out the window. Coyotes are opportunists. There is no doubt the smells and sounds of lambs/calves brings in coyotes from afar. Not to mention the vocal network of coyotes. Anyway, never trapped in Iowa, not sure how it works there. But out here, I've seen coyotes come 9 miles one way to kill lambs every other night.

They ALL come for miles when there is afterbirth to be had. Calf killing starts when a cow or more often a heifer calves and has trouble. They are predators designed to kill and when the heifer is lying there unattended, ( no one to pull the calf) they just start eating.

We have had hundreds of Angus calves, the twins I have seen have always both been live.

Had a calf get chewed up last spring, I was in the field feeding, spotted coyote in the act. Had to run him off as he had no interest in leaving. That's not second hand guess work, but first hand eye witness. I try to keep the cows and calves bunched up as much as possible.

The truth of the matter is, I didn't have the time to run for yotes this season. Our yote population isn't all that high and only about 1 in 7 is going to be a good yote ($70+ in this market). To make it work, I have to catch a good number of coon at a decent price to make it pay. Coon market was in the tank, so I had to take the winter off from trapping for the most part. I did run a few snares and caught a few yotes, but nothing like a "normal year" with decent prices. I do carpentry work, so I would normally take off my mornings and run traps if it is a viable season, but I could not get it to pencil out this last season, so I did not run my normal line.

BTW, this guy happens to be my second cousin and is calving 400 head or so. I'm quite certain he is out there as much as he possibly can, but you can't be everywhere at once. Well fellas, I'm going to load some steel, lure and pee and get going. Hope you all have a great weekend. I'll post some results if it's not too embarrassing...LOL

Otis, try stop feeding the spotted coyote may help.

I'm not an ADC registered guy, but sit here shaking my head yes to most of this.

A lot of farmers over here calve in winter, so I see tracks.
Not wide open, but fenced pastures.
When it is groups of k9s it can be trouble.
When it is a single, just going for the after birth, it can still stress the herd.
Tracks, and the "mood" of the cows do not lie.

Great topic, finally lol. Hope it continues.
Good luck Keck.

I know of 3 successful pairs born this year, and even two sets triplets but of the triples, just one survived out of both. Coyotes eat calves and downed cows fairly frequently here, and have for as long as I can remember.

One of my farms is next to a sheep farm, sheep and lambs are easy pickin's compared to cattle. Not many sheep farms left any more, but unless they are vigilant they will be having losses.

They will kill calves and once they start they keep on.

My father lost one of two twins this year in the same situation you speak of. They have been just born as the calf was still steaming when he got there this was in February. You could see in the snow where the mother had fought pretty hard, but could only keep them off one of two calves at a time. He ran them off before the calf was completely eaten.

We've had them in years past circles calves that were just born. The mother's usually are able to fend them off. We've pulled up on 1-2 coyotes circling in the past. This twin was the first calf he'd lost in three years to coyotes.

Well, I buried 10 traps on about 400 acres. Past experience tells me I tend to stink the place up when I set, so I'm really not expecting much until Monday, but they are in the ground. I set 3 scent posts, 3 flat sets and 4 dirtholes. One 80 acre pasture just north of the cow yard had a lot of digging going on and tracks all over the place. Everything was fresh and damp and the wind has been blowing like a freakin' hurricane here for a week, so I know it's from last night. Wish me luck. Oh, and I would like to mention how nice it is to be working with thawed, dry ground! Sure speeds things up. 10 sets in two hours and I had to change all of my double swivels to POGOS as I set them.

Checked my yote traps this morning. Caught a coon at a flat set with a deer skull for an attractant and fox pee for lure. Turned it loose without incident. Not sure what was in that coon's head, but he is smarter now. Checked a few more and pulled up on a crater of dirt. Crap! Badger. Well, badgers are not in season, so I grab the catch pole to let it go. After a lot of digging, I finally got it out of the hole and engaged in our little dilemma. Anyone ever tried handling a badger with a catch pole? I'd say it's akin to a paraplegic trying to catch a snake in a swimming pool full of vegetable oil. Anyway, I finally got the loop around it's neck, bud didn't trust my better half with being able to handle the thing while I got the trap off (front foot). Sooo, I found a chunk of plywood in the back of the pickup and proceeded to wedge it between the critter and the trap. Finally succeeded in getting the trap off. I grab the catch pole and tell the lady to get in the truck. I hop in the back of the truck with the critter at the end of the pole, just in case. I turned it loose and it just stared up at me like I was going to burn in hades for this and then turned tail and trotted off. That was it for the day, and it was plenty! Turned a 30 minute check into a two hour marathon!

There not as bad as they act. The first one is sure an education. Maybe a coyoye tomorrow

I get these calls every year. I have went out with my best friend to ck on his cows during calving season at night and we would always see coyote. I trapped it during regular fur season and would always take anywhere from 8 to as many as 22 off his place. But in the spring the coyote would come from everywhere for calving time. So I started using the old tire set and the step down dirt hole set on them. He hasn't lost a calf in years. Side note he put donkeys with the cows to stop the coyote. It don't work. Cold steel or hot lead are the only 2 options here.

I know what you mean John.I know the coyotes will act different for the part of the country they are in.When I was liven in MA,it was more dogs then coyotes that was a problem.I know alot of farmers let there dogs run to free range and that is one of the problems out here.Like when I was trapping coyotes in MA and they are some good size and the ones out here in the NE of Iowa are not as big, but put up more of a fight then the ones in MA.

Here's something to consider as well. A government trapper told me that studies have shown that even having coyotes around pregnant cows increases loss even if they aren't killing. It increases stress on the animals therefore there are more miss carriages and still born calves. He did say the percentage is a small increase but if you run a large heard or consider the amount of cattle in your county you start to see the amount of loss add up.

Also, I trap for a local rancher who has never lost a cow or calf to a coyote killing that he knows of, but said he has lost calves because of coyotes when cows are birthing. He said, when cows are down birthing if the coyote comes through it agitates or stresses the momma causing her to roll on partially exposed calf resulting in a loss because of the coyotes. Says he has witnessed this first hand. So he welcomes me to trap.

Keck i hope you gang set that badgers crater they are incredibly deadly because of all that eye appeal. Sounds like you are having fun though

MT