Coyote attack....

[Bushmaster]

Just saw on the Halifax news that 3 coyotes...believed to be a mother and 2 pups..... attacked a meter reader. There was a bite to the mans sleeve but only got the jacket. So now, needless to say the warnings are out at the local schools etc. and the DNR is trying to trap the coyotes.

[Skybuster]

Those Eastern folk must taste better than us Westerners.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Skybuster

Those Eastern folk must taste better than us Westerners.

Ya, we are too oily.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Skybuster

Those Eastern folk must taste better than us Westerners.

An animal that's sedentary is always more tender than one that's been working hard

OK, running for cover now!

[w_worbeck]

That seems to happen out there every couple of years I think the last one was in 08 they got a hiker

[Grizzly Adams]

Just curious what kind of status these guys have, in the Maritimes? Protected, or varmint?

Grizz

[jamie weagle]

Originally Posted by Bushmaster

Just saw on the Halifax news that 3 coyotes...believed to be a mother and 2 pups..... attacked a meter reader. There was a bite to the mans sleeve but only got the jacket. So now, needless to say the warnings are out at the local schools etc. and the DNR is trying to trap the coyotes.

ya it seems to be happing more and more back there. there was a guy out checking on his cattle and got surounded buy them lucly he had a cell got some help.my dad said that there wasnt that many dear this year back there.

[wolf308]

well it was only a meter reader, they should eat them all, next then hopefully they get photo radar jerks on their way to their vehicle.LOL.

[greylynx]

Were they registered coyotes?

[Tuc]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...spryfield.html

[demolition101]

Problem is that Eastern Coyotes are way bigger than western ones. Alot of mix breeding with wolves and dogs. When it gets cold and theres no food a pack of eastern coyotes will definatley go after larger game (humans) with no problem.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by demolition101

Problem is that Eastern Coyotes are way bigger than western ones. Alot of mix breeding with wolves and dogs. When it gets cold and theres no food a pack of eastern coyotes will definatley go after larger game (humans) with no problem.

Heard a lot of that and don't know if I buy it. I think the problem is a lack of lead, applied plentifully.

Grizz

[thumper]

I understand that they've compared numerous skulls from the eastern and western populations, and the eastern ones are certainly more robust - supporting the notion that they have more wolf dna than our western ones. Anectotal evidence of eastern coyotes hunting in larger packs than their western counterparts supports the theory too.

[yamaha 1]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Heard a lot of that and don't know if I buy it. I think the problem is a lack of lead, applied plentifully.

Grizz

I'm with Grizz on this one I just think there is too meany dogs down there and no one shooting them.

[just_dave]

Mysteries That Howl and Hunt
By CAROL KAESUK YOON
Published: September 27, 2010

The team headed by Roland W. Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum, studied coyotes from New Jersey to Maine. Jonathan Way, wildlife biologist with the Eastern Coyote Research consulting firm, and colleagues examined coyotes around Cape Cod and Boston. Both teams found that the animals carry wolf and coyote DNA. The paper by Dr. Kays and his colleagues was published in Biology Letters; the paper by Dr. Way and his colleagues was published in Northeastern Naturalist.

Based on the wolf DNA found in the Eastern coyotes, Dr. Kays and colleagues hypothesize in their paper that Western coyotes dispersing eastward north of the Great Lakes across Canada during the last century mated with wolves along the way, bringing that wolf DNA along with them to the Northeast.

The findings may explain why coyotes in the East are generally larger than their Western counterparts — that is, more wolflike in size — and why they are so much more varied in coat color, as might be expected from a creature with a more diverse genome. It may also explain why Eastern coyotes appear to be more adept as deer hunters than their Western forebears, which tend toward smaller prey, like voles and rabbits.

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Were they registered coyotes?

Took the words right out of my keyboard

[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Just curious what kind of status these guys have, in the Maritimes? Protected, or varmint?

Grizz

The meter readers are considered varmits...they carry their own tags with them.

[Elk Chaser]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Just curious what kind of status these guys have, in the Maritimes? Protected, or varmint?

Grizz

dead if you see one

[TreeGuy]

It's only going to get worse.

The first confirmed 'coyote' kill in Nova Scotia occured in 1977 in Guysbrough County. It marked a historic change in the ecosystem.

While originally susbsisting on the abundant rabbit population and occasional whitetail fawn, they soon discovered the province's sheep farming industry. The phrase 'Lambs to the Slaughter' fails to describe what happened over the decade to follow.

Farmers only had to deal with the rare bear or eagle as a source of depredation for generations. So were ill prepaired to deal with a pack animal like the 'coyote'. The ones occasionally killed in the daylight taught the survivors to be extremely wary of man and to do their hunting at night. These learned traits became the genetic cornerstone in their establishment and ensuing success.

As operation after operation had to shut down, livelihoods lost, the 'coyotes' swiftly expanded their population. At the same time, the government of the day was just as poorly equiped to deal with this problem. On one hand they had farmers asking for support, but on the other, were pressured by activists to protect this beautiful new creature.....

Just like our timber wolves, most eastern coyotes were taken by trappers. This seemed to keep things somewhat managable. Fur prices were good and the trappers soon learned how catch these animals. This was to all end when the market crashed in the late '80's.

In time, what few sheep operations remained, learned how to protect their stock from depredation. New fencing was used, dogs, llammas, donkey's, etc also proved effective.

The now vibrant population changed tactics. The cattle farmers learned much from the sheep catostrophy so were affected very little. The coyotes switched to rabbits, small game and ever increasingly, whitetailed deer.

From a political perspective, the government could now claim their plans were working and everything was a-ok. The reality was very different.

With very few trappers remaining, hunters were left to fill the void. Unfortunately, this proved easier said than done. Couple this with the fact that fewer and fewer people actually hunted anymore. The old guys were getting older and much of the youth were turning their dreams westward. The gun registry also played a huge role in this. With fewer and fewer deer to hunt, many were willing to just give it up, stow their guns away and not bother with the whole danm thing.

Today, the coyotes are firmly establish and in control. Rabbits are scarce and the deer numbers are dwindling. Coyotes are getting hungry and now looking toward alternative food sources. This means pets, garbage or anything they can raid. They are cunning opportunists now painted into a bit of a corner. I do not forsee many happy endings here.

[SHORTMAG]

Hey Sean...good post! This year the good ol govment of Nova Scotia has put a bounty on the heads of the Yote! Only available to the registered trappers tho ;0(...some of the guys have snared a few in excess of 75 lbs...with quite a few going well over 50 lbs. The Coyotes now, have some of these seal smoochin, yote luvin, OHV hatin, tree-huggin(no offence Mrs. Tree)) losers on the run!
There seems to be a bigger effort by the hunters now and in the past few years to go out and try to get a few coy dogs in the off season. More callers being sold, bigger effort by quite a few, Heaviest Coyote contests by local gun dealers in the areas...I guess every little bit helps. They've now allowed us to use our centerfire rifles with any grain of bullet until march 31st for yotes...(used to be 100 grains or less) A major improvement over the scattergun!
Last winter we were successful in taking 12 yotes...hunting them over a bait pile( old road kill from DNR..and butcher bones and scraps. There were still lots left at the end of march too. From all that I've read and heard about the eastern Yote...they've even got the curved canines like the wolves....apparently that's not the case out west??..not sure 100 % on this...just heard it 2 weeks ago.
I know that the last 2 winters while in GP AB...and travelling toDawson, Drayton, Whitecourt, Grande Cache..and other surrounding areas..on any given day you could count 5-10 coyotes or more!!...even saw 3 Linx settin on the snowbanks...lookin for a snack. I think the population here is like a secret society...a cult...just waiting to overthrow the populous! 2 yrs ago...someone over in Musquodoboit Valley found a dead yote on their lawn. they called the DNR, they came and picked it up...they found a knot of seven flea collars and tags balled up in its gut/bowel!
They have also invaded newfoundland 10-15 yrs ago...said to have crossed the ice(over 100 miles from the mainland...on the Cape Breton side)...Now the denizen Caribou heard has been in a steady decline for a number of years. Tags were reduced by several thousand this past season. Only one new predator in town...the Ole Yote!
Hopefully the renewed effort by the trappers combined with the sportsmen and women will help reduce the numbers somewhat!...we'll see I guess.

[hornhead]

we're having a yote problem around here. i live just north of riding mountain park in manitoba since i retired.

some of them are a fair size too... i have seen them around 70lbs which is a big healthy yote.

i was walking the dog one time and one came out of the bush ahead of us about 50 yards ... ran away and ran off the path. so i kept walking then it popped out again and did the same thing so i leashed my dog and turned around to go back to the car.

there was 2 more between us & the car. but they took off once i spotted them. it was around this time of year. now when i walk the dog i have a 22 mag with me. i doubt if they would attack me but i worry about my dog.
he's big ... could handle one but 3 no way.

several farmers around here have lost dogs to yotes... just critters looking for an easy food supply. easier to catch a dog in deep snow that a whitetail.

[Tuc]

Them N.S. coyotes as big as wolves.
http://www.annapoliscountyspectator.ca/News/2010-12-30/article-2082451/Another-wolf-sighting%3F/1

[hornhead]

isn't NS close to where they film "Twilight"???

that is a BIG yote tho. i went back the next day and measure the yotes track and it was around 3" ... and i thought it was a big yote. around 70lbs.

there's been quite a few wolf sightings too around the edge of the park lately.

and cougar sightings occasionally.

more of them in town actually, usually drinking white wine spritzers.