Pond in the foothills

[callingcolleen1]

You could do what I do when I go for a walk by the river, very wild animals like coyotes and the odd cougar roam, I take a little bag that my hubby put together two years ago, after the coyotes attack my Poppy, and ripped her back legs all up. We were just horrified, me and the hubby, it happened so quick too, and if not for Bear and my Sadie dog (now passed away of cancer) Poppy would not be alive.
In the bag I carry a very loud air horn, a flare gun with several rounds, pepper spray and a big knife too! The loud air horn was used once already to scare off coyotes that were near a couple months ago, and it still has lots of air left. Was quite effective in getting the puppies to run back to me and it did scare off the bad coyotes.

 

[MitchM]

That must have been terrifying for Poppy.
The air horn sounds like a good idea, thanks. The flare gun wouldn't work here, too much chance of a forest fire.

 

[callingcolleen1]

It was very horrible, I was horrified to see the fur and flesh just hanging off the back legs and under the "leg pit" near the tummy. We rushed her to the vet for an afterhour emergency operation, the injury was extensive and multiple stitches were used to close the wounds. And then the one area under the back leg "pit" (like arm pit) would not heal no how, stitches would not keep that area closed as she would pull the stitches just sitting down or stretching. It was a very hard to heal area and poor Poppy wore a "cone" forever! That area required further suturing to close the wound yet again, and still it would not heal! So the stitches were all removed and the flesh under the leg pit just hung open, it was a huge gapping hole and I just cried and cried. I took the cone off Poppy's head and after nothing more could be done I let Poppy lick the wound as she desired. My family was horrified and my nefew was very worried too. We never thought it would ever close! But slowly, against all odds, and much praying, Poppy licked that huge gapping hole of hanging flesh closed!!!

 

[callingcolleen1]

The horns come in smaller easy to carry cans as well.

 

[j.w]

Man you guys up there in Alberta really live in the wild zones! I might be afraid to step outside for fear of getting eaten alive! Guess you just have to be prepared and ready to use whatever you brought and don't think twice about it! Colleen you have some brave coyotes or else very hungry starving ones to come after your big dogs. Around here they will grab a small dog or cat but never heard of them going after the big dogs. And did these things happen to both you and Mitch's dogs in broad daylight? Were these coyote's in packs cuz I thought they didn't run in packs, only the wolves? Dang you guys be careful up north there!

 

[j.w]

CE I had heard hummers need lots of energy often but never thought of them not finding their way out of a building like that. Good to know what you did and how you helped the little bugger.

 

[MitchM]

jw, it was about 4 in the morning here. I get up and go out then and the dogs usually just chase some deer out of the yard. That time there was a deer carcass instead and whatever was feeding on it was still there. Worst sound in the world. I'll never forget it.
This past winter, the dogs and I have been doing about a daily 1 mile circle around the yard, leaving a scent trail to discourage deer from congregating around here and it seems to be working. The deer seem to have moved a few hundred meters north of us now.
Hopefully the predators won't have as much reason to come close.
There was a hunter killed northwest of us last year, but he was alone with his kill and a grizzly got him. Fish and wildlife got the grizzly closer to our place.
You have to respect here that the night belongs to the forest.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes, I try not to go out to the river after sunset, there are large packs of coyotes and they are very brave and lost all fear of us. They howl right at sundown, to warn me they are comming.

JW I have had several coyotes follow me almost right to the truck. They stay their distance from Bear, as he is the biggest and will chase them, but they are not afraid of fat little Poppy, and since the attack she does not go far from my sight anymore!

At one time when my big Sadie was strong and healthy, she would give them all a "run for their money"! At her prime, other dogs were afraid of her and if they did not submit to her natural born authority, they would be instantly "pinned to the ground" in a choke hold, until they would submit! No other dog at the park dared to challenge her authority, as she was a big fluffy northern dog, whose mother was part wolf, and was born way north, on the Sun child reserve. My big Sadie, she was very fast, she had long legs and and a shorter body, and could turn on a dime! She was not mean and liked other dogs, but they had to know their place, bottom of the pecking order .... or she would put them in their place! She always got the rabbit! Bear and Poppy would chase the rabbit into the jaws of Satan, ops, Sadie! Ha ha ha, sorry JW, they are viewed as rodent verim around here. Sadie said she was allowed to hunt naturally as she was born on a reserve and had rights! Ha ha ha ha

I just LOVED that dog .... in memory of my loving Sadie, missed by her children, Poppy and Bear

 

[j.w]

Ok Mitch I see what happened now. The coyotes were feasting and were not about to share w/ your dogs. Good idea on keeping them away by keeping your scent on your property. I've heard of people peeing,marking their territory around their property to keep wild beasties away too like other critters do. Hope the deer and the sharp teethed creatures stay away now and your pups stay safe!

Colleen I hear them howling here too after sundown and through the night sometimes. Never let the cats stay out after dark or bye bye kitties.
My cats will catch a small baby bunny and try to eat it up, they must taste pretty darn good. Guess some people like to eat them also as my neighbor up the road raises domestic ones and sells them to fancy restaurants. So can't blame your dogs for wanting to have a nice, delicious free meal. I just can't eat them myself cuz they are so darn cute and we don't have very many here. Too many people I guess w/ too many predators of them.

 

[MitchM]

Not coyotes, jw. Either a very large cougar or a bear. The claw marks on my dog's (her name was Shaddow) hind quarters were larger than I could ever spread my fingers wide. Maybe 10 inches across.

 

[j.w]

Sorry Mitch I got it wrong and those two creatures would be even scarier than the coyotes coming around! How horrible to have to see your poor dog that way!

 

[CountryEscape]

JW, once I was walking on the road with my dogs, around the corner from where I lived. I saw 2 coyotes running along the tree line (between where I was on the road and our house) and the dogs spotted them, too. No matter how much I hollered at my dogs to stay, they ran after the coyotes. I had a boxer at the time, and they are NOT fighters! I knew if that coyote turned around and chased my Boxer, she was going to be killed. So, I ran screaming with the dogs, across the field, as the coyote saw my dog and turned to chase her. When that male spotted me coming like a screaming Indian, he thought twice about facing it off with my dog, and high tailed it with the female into the woods. I've heard of coyotes that come up in people's yards, with dogs chained up, and fight them for their food, often killing the chained up dog. They hunt coyotes around here when they are in season, and since I live in the wide open, no woods for them to hide in, they chase them into the open, and then let the dogs out after them. The dogs drive them to the other end of the section, where the hunter is waiting with his gun. No really fair hunt, but it gets the job done. I don't mind the coyotes getting shot as much as I mind the foxes. There used to be a BUNCH of red foxes when I moved here 3 years ago, but I've not seen one in over 2 years now. I think the hunters did the same thing to them, and wiped them out.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Ha ha ha, they probally took one look at you CE, screaming at the top of your head, jumping up and down, teeth exposed, foaming at the mouth... and ran for there lives, saying OMG that women looks mad! She must have rabies!!! Ha ha he he

 

[addy1]

I used to see coyotes running/walking through our neighborhood in Phoenix. They acted like they could care less if they saw you.

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, Colleen, that was the exact impact I wanted to make on them! I was afraid for my dog's life, as had I not been there, and she kept advancing, those two coyotes would have easily killed her. I guess now you know how I would have defended my children as well..... yelling and screaming like a banshee! Heehee
Addy, I have seen exactly what you describe in AZ. My mom used to live on the edge of a golf course in Phoenix, the coyotes could congregate under a large tree in the late afternoon, just outside her yard. She said a neighbor had a small dog that they jumped the fence to snatch one time. Fences were maybe 4' tall, nothing for a coyote to hop over. Last time that dog went outside alone .... sad.