Interesting reading for sure. I know most of the larger cattle men around my area and they all will pretty much tell you the same thing when ask about coyotes. They are very aware that ALL coyotes don't kill calves and all dead calves aren't killed by coyotes. They will also agree they do at times present a threat and are also very capable of doing so. They worm and vacinate their cattle for preventative measures against other threats as well. This is just good business. Killing coyotes in their minds (mine too) is much the same thing, "prevention".
On many occasions over the many years I've been around cattle and cattlemen I have both witnessed and heard reliable stories of coyotes causing loss to calves all the way up to grown cattle. On many occasions I have seen the scene where coyotes have killed a cow and calf while down calving. Yes, there was plenty of evidence to substantiate the coyotes did the killing. I've also drove up on cows that have had the ground all torn up where they have circled their newborn calf defending it for hours against a group of coyotes. On a few occasions this leads to the calf being stepped on as well. This is not always immediatly fatal but can be.
Just a little over a week ago I got a call from a rancher that raises very expensive Brahman cattle. He had lost a couple of calves and even witnessed coyotes trying to bring down a third. He drove up on the incident and ran them off. He took the calf to the vet where they had to stitch up some pretty good gashes. It would have easily been number three if he had drove up ten minutes later. These coyotes have since been made movie stars on my next video /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Needless to say they will not be back.
Last spring I had a rancher stop me in town and flat of beg me for help. He had about 60-70 head of heavy bred, first calf heifers up at what he calls headquarters. This way he could easily tend to to them during any calving difficulties. These heifers were dropping 1-5 or six calves a day. He had lost several to coyotes and had resorted to having to sleep in his truck in effort to keep the coyotes out. This slowed it down some but not much. I camped out a few nights overlooking the fenceline that they were entering from and killed the main culprets, but there were at least a few more coyotes working that small 30 acre trap. His death loss dramatically dropped after the coyotes were dealt with.
One more story. I got a desperate call from a rancher that claimed he was loosing some 3-400 pound calves to coyotes. After hearing his story I was convinced it was dogs. He was adement about it being coyotes though, but really did't care he just wanted what ever it was dealt with. It turned out he was right and it was coyotes. A bunch of coyotes to be exact. The yearlings were in some pretty good size lots up by his main barn being fed out. For several nights in a row they were being harrased by coyotes. The yearlings would panic run through fences (tore up a lot of fence). They had broken bones and some had actually been killed. In only a few days he had lost several thousand dollars worth of calves and spent countless hours and money reparing fence. On my first stand calling, not 200 yards behind this place I called in over 12 coyotes. That's right, over a dozen (Not a typo) very bold coyotes. After the smoke cleared I made a few more stands and then set snares and showed him how to maintain them. He lost count of the coyotes he caught in the next few weeks. I could go on and on with stories but I believe you see my point.
As Chile and others have mentioned they are sometimes lured to calves by the smell, afterbirth, and nutrient rich feces. This I'm quiet sure of, but they are also very capable of preying on the and taking advantge of down cows and new born calves. How often they do it is completely irreleventand to me because the potential is always there. Controlling coyote number by any means is not any different than worming are vaccinating against potential threats, and just makes good business since.
I would also like to mention that predation by coyotes on cattle in some areas of the country is almost non-existent and in some areas it is more common. This I'm sure can be a caused by several different varables. My point is simply that coyotes can and do adapt to take advantage of many situations. He is simply a very bright, oportunistic, predator. In some areas adult male coyotes only average slighty over 25 pounds and in other areas adult males will average over 40. The two are both still coyotes but have adapted to achieve different feats. Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that the only good coyote is a dead coyote. I simply saying that they are predators and if given the opportunity they will take full advantage of it. I don't blame him one little bit for it and in fact I admire his ability to do so. I will also say that anything a coyote does wouldn't supprise me much. This is why I enjoy hunting him the way I do. No other animal on the planet offers as much challenge to the ordinary guy as well as the trained profesional. Some (very few) can apear to do the dumbest things while other can do what they do without ever being seen. The idea that an animal of these qualities can't and don't offer a threat to a baby calf or incopacitated cow, to me is quiet silly. I need no excuse to hunt coyotes other than my desire to do so. The preception of some is that they need some type of reason to justify hunting coyotes other than the thrill and challenge of the activty excapes me, just as the preception of some that don't believe the coyote offers a threat to a newborn calf. Christ sake gentelmen, he is the most formidable, and prolific predator on the planet, is he not? Sure, some hate him and some love him. Regardless of where you stand though you have to admire him.
Byron /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
