Coyotes attack my beagles........

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dave w.

New member
i loaded up 8 beagles(females)the other morning and headed out to have some running. About 4am they started running and 5am about 200 ft. from me i heard fighting,snarling and growling !! 2 of my beagles came to me chewed up pretty bad.
I have ran in this area for 2 yr. now and have heard packs of Yotes howling a lot,but the 1st attack on my dogs.
I also stay close to my dogs and use a whistle and light and was close this time with my truck but didnt prevent an attack.
Heres my question..... What caused the attack.... Did my dogs run upon a Yote feeding ? Was Yote pups around ?
or ????? lets hear someones experience. thanks Dave
 
No, your Beagles didn't run up on a feeding coyote. Coyote pups are not the problem either, they are being dispersed(run-off) by their parents during this time of the year. Coyotes will come to a pack of beagles running a rabbit. The sound of the dogs baying in pursuit of the rabbit actually attracts the coyotes. Sort of like our ki-yi's or puppy whines do when you are calling coyotes using an electronic caller. I have known several folks who Field Trial with me, who have lost Beagles that were near finished as Field Champions, to a pack of coyotes. Whistles, making your presents known to be in the area, bells on the dogs collars, all this has been tried. Coyotes will still size up the situation and take one of em'out and rip their guts out.

All you can do is try and reduce your risk of attacks by not running during twilight, early and late. Work your dogs mid-day, yes they have to hunt harder and scenting is poor but,you will save your dogs. Find other areas less inhabited by yotes and more inhabited by humans. Goodluck, this is something that all Beaglers who live in coyote areas chance, it will eventually happen. Good luck. Oh yeah, go calling in that area, work on them, kill em.
 
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Nothing [beeep] me off more than a cowardly Beagle snatching Coyote! Sounds like they are calling you out. If you don't call predators yourself, or know someone that does, start! A 55gr. VMax in the slats will curb the urge to eat Beagles.
 
Been there done that! Years ago when my dad and I ran rabbit dogs we had several run-in's with coyotes. One little lemon spotted female we had got torn up very badly. She made it, and because she was all hunting dog with a heart as big as Texas, she continued to hunt without any problems. I don't recall the vet bill, but he was proud of his work!

Coyotes will get dogs if they can. My daughter was visiting a friend once and the friend's dad let his beagles loose to run around the farm. While they watched a beagle got caught by a coyote some 200 yards away! Some yelling and honking the truck horn caused the coyote to let go before too much damage was done. A neighbor last year told me of his German Shepard getting caught by a big male coyote while the guy watched from his back yard. The coyote engaged the Shepard and roughed him up, the neighbor thinking his dog would kill the coyote let it go on a little too long. A trip to the vet was required for some repair work.
 
thanks guys. Me and my buddy have tried to call em in at the same spot my beagles were attacked without any luck.
The area here is so growed up, makes it hard to see.
Like i said, the attack was no more than 200' from me and i had my truck beside me and had walked back and forth with my wheatlight several times, also talking to my dogs. The yotes must of been real nervy to attack ,me being close by.
Dogs are ok now.
We have tried with the Western Rivers electronic call, but will keep trying. anyone else on here hunt the areas in Magoffin county, KY ?
 
Your a little out of my reach Dave. But I am pretty sure we have some members in that general vacinity.About an hour from you. Maybe they can help out later in the season.

I start hearing these reports about this time every year. It will last for about a month then quiet down until january through may. I think the dominant dog is just excersising his authority and getting ready for the winter. Just sort of cleaning house so to speak. It's got just enough of a pattern to it for me to think it is realated to the mating season somehow. Jimmie
 
Friday night they got ahold of my uncles jack russel Terr. And almost kill him almost pulled is wind pipe out and the insides out. The vet had to do alot of work to the little dog. My anunt thinks the vet bill will be around 300.00 dollars . I said you better said down when you get the bill more like a 1000.00 dollars a weekend and at @ 2:00am i think was the time. I have hunted them but my uncle had 2 cows to die a few weeks back and they have been feeding on them. And i cant get them to come to a distress food sound. I thought about a female howl then go to a coyote pup distress and try it. The coyotes come right up to the house. VM
 
Many years ago the first coyote I ever shot at was beelining through the spring corn field toward my beagel dog. I was out early looking to pop a groundhog with my muzzleloader while my pouch was learning to hunt along the fence line. Being distracted by some nice bucks in the next field almost cost me my dog. When I turned around the coyote was about 50 yards away from her closing in fast. If I had muffled the click of the hammer being pulled back it would have never known I was there. Fast coyote x Slow Lead Slug = dirt thrown up 4' behind. Later on that dog wiggled her way out of the kennel and I tried to find her in the dark but she stayed too far away. I suspect she succumed to the predators that night as I never saw her again. I should never have remorse dropping a coyote.
 
Sorry to here about your dog Chris. I seen my uncle this mor he was taking his to the vet. To get the drane hoses out of the dog. They almost put killed that dog VM
 
Personally I wouldn't use the howls. I'd go with a canine distress all the way. I seriously think this has something to do with dominance and home terf. I hear about these for a while then they shut off until after the pups are dispersed and mating actually begins.

I wonder if it has something to do with the pups starting to be out on their own. The old dog is giving them a better chance at learning by getting rid of competition. He's still protecting the pups and their chances for survival. If this is the case, a coyote pup in distress ,or any other canine sound in distress would be more likely to trip his trigger. Just thinking out loud here and questioning a behavior. Jimmie
 
Hi Jim I thought it mite have been some young coyotes that done that to the dog. The dog isnt very big i think if it would have been a big male coyote he would have killed it dont you think. VM
 
In nine out of ten of these attacks on domestic pets I find the sign of an older larger coyote around.No matter the time of year.You'll find a recent scent post not too far from there if I am right. It will take some looking though.Eye witnesses to the act also support this when they kill the offending animals. My own father had seen the animal that took his dog right off the porch many times! WHEN TOLD HE NEEDED TO KILL THE RASCAL BEFORE IT CAUSED TROUBLE HIS ANSWER WAS ,IT HASN'T BOTHERED ANYTHING YET.


Anything could have stopped the animal from finishing the job. It could simply have decided it was done and walked away.Being a small dog it could have gotten lucky and made a major cut in the coyotes underbelly stopping the attack. We don't know! Jimmie
 
Hey Dave, what's the biggest town close to you? I can't remember where Magoffin county is for some reason.

A sound I've had real good luck with in a situation like yours is pup growling and fighting mixed with pup or rabbit distress. I've got a tape of coyote pup fighting a grey fox that works real well. If you've got an MP3 caller I can send you some sounds I mixed that work pretty good this time of year.

That old male will come in looking for a fight, you put him down, wait a couple of days then go back and clean the pups out. If several come in make sure you get the biggest one first, then the [beeep] if you can. If you let the male get away he'll lead the pups off, plus males seem to me to be the most dog aggressive. If you're serious about running beagles these days you'd better look at a bigger dog to protect them. Something that works really well for people who run packs of miniature dachsunds is called a lurcher, it's a mix between a sight hound (greyhound) and a terrier, (pit, bull, whatever). They are big and tough enough that they can get a pretty good handle on the coyote or if there's more than one they'll hold them off the little dogs, especially if they are raised with the pack. Do some research on them, they're pretty cool dogs.

Years ago my dad raised weimaraners, our neighbor had coon hounds and his coon hounds kept getting into something that would tear them up. None were ever killed but we'd hear them fighting and whatever it was would just give those old black and tans hell, we'd spend two hours coon hunting and two hours stitchin ears and necks from the bite marks. We thought it was a pack of wild dogs that would pop up every once in a while in our area. When the coon dogs had healed up we ran two or three hounds with four big weimaraners, not the fancy little fourty pound show dogs you see folks jogging with these days but 65 lb German bred dogs that would eat a cat in about half a bite. Well when the usual fight broke out we let the bird dogs loose and ran in to watch. Before we got there the weimaraners had two coyotes stretched and one more small one trying to crawl into a den. Anytime after that when our neighbor had coyote problems he'd call to borrow our bird dogs. The problem with beagles and coon dogs is that they aren't interested in a fight, they just want to trail, a coyote will eventually wear both out and hamstring them. Good luck an sorry this is so long. Ted
 
Hi Jimmie these sounds i have on my FP that mite work
coyote pup dist.
coyote death cry
coyote and fawn
I will try these sounds out for them i will go with pup first of all. I have the female howl but you said not to use it.I use to have a JS 512 caller and had a coyote and grey fox fight tape it work good in places that had been over called with prey dist sounds. VM
 
A few years back in October. I was Grouse and Woodcock hunting with my fine at the time, now to old, Brittany. She was wearing a beeper collar(for on point) and bell. While in the thick stuff but from a elevated position I watch her work through the golded rod and thorn apple cover when something strange happened.

She started acting funny like getting a wiff of a deer. To my surprize I saw a coyote flanking here about 20 yards away. I gave a couple yell's and moved towards the coyote and it ran off. This was mid afternoon.

Not sure what would have happend. My Brit is a slight build 26 #, fast [beeep]. The coyote had a bead on her and appeared to be flanking her movement as she worked the brush. My hunch is, because of her size (not large) it was flanking for an attack.

I called her in and went to another hunting spot.
 
I believe Jimmy is onto something here. The other morning before daylight at work I could hear a pack carryin on so I gave my best two impression of howls out the barn window and didnt hear nothhin back. Closed the window and went into the barn ki-yi'n with my mouth, then opened the barn door. I jumped bout 5ft in the air when this big male yote was skiddin to a stop 15yds from my barn door !!! I cant believe he come so close to the barn in that flood light. Kinda spooks me that this 1 is so bold or, territorial.

Vic
 
We had a good friend lose a beagle to coyotes. He was running the pack and got back all except his best male. He went out after dark and tried to get him and heard yotes yipping in the same area. Long story short, never saw that beagle again. I have seen foxes running bunnys with our beagle many times but never a coyote. I also think the sound of a baying dog brings in fox and coyotes.
 
Hey Jimmie My uncle has his dog in a small dog cage on the front car port . And he was barking going wild last night and my uncle look out side to see. And he said there was a big coyote trying to get to the dog in the cage.I would think that is the coyote that almost killed the dog wouldnt you. We live out in the woods that coyote must want that dog bad to come up like that. I was going to go hunting But it started raining. My uncles wants me to kill that coyote becasue he is getting brave. VM
 
A couple of years ago a guy from New York had the same problem. I suggested that he get a few guys in tree stands in the same area where his dogs were attacked. Let the guys get set up before sun up and let things calm down. Then run the beagles when the sun came up. I told him to make sure it was open enough for the guys in stands to see and have clear shooting lanes. Make sure the guys on the ground had on plenty of orange and that they knew where the guys in the stands were placed. Also told him to make sure the guys in the stands were good shots but most of all......SAFE.

He got back with me a few weeks later and said they had nailed a couple of coyotes using that technique.
What better sound to use than the one the coyotes were going after to begin with........the dogs.

I made that same suggestion to another beagler and he said that he had some success with it as well.

I have learned from the real coyote hunters on here and from the coyotes that outsmarting the coyote is the toughest part. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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