COYOTE stalking my boys!!!

[lovespandp]

Originally Posted by celstu1

UGH! I hate living in the 'country' (if you can even call it that) with 2 small dogs.

Last summer, a hawk targeted my boys and we got them inside in the nick of time before it swooped down. But last night was the WORST!!!!!

About 11pm, I let my boys out in the yard to go potty before bed. Although the yard is mostly fenced in, there is 1 area that is not, so I always walk out there with them. They ran to the one area not fenced in and then ran off to the other end of the yard. The area not fenced in is SUPER dark so I can't see anything but last night I heard something moving right beside me up on the wall and I could hear it breathing. I tried not to panic and got my boys inside the house safely. That area of the yard is near my bedroom window, maybe 3 feet below the window, that's it. I told my fiance that something was there and he said probably the neighbors cat. I said I didn't think so, it was bigger and I could hear it breathing, I was only about 7 feet from it. He didn't know so I went into our room into the master bathroom to brush my teeth. From right on the other side of the window right on the wall that overlooks the backyard, 7 feet from where I was standing minutes earlier, I hear BARK BARK HOOOWWWWLLLLLLLLLLL, BARK BARK HOOOOWWWWLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! OMG.... A coyote!!! literally feet away from me and my boys. Now I would have fought like a tiger, a mama bear to protect my boys.... but it could have been faster than me.... it could have HURT me and it could have just TAKEN my boys!!!!!
I feel sooooo grateful and relieved that they are here still, but OMG, soooo scared about a next time. I'm a wreck thinking about what could have been and making new 'letting the boys out in the dark protocol procedures'. From now on, no one lets them out when they are alone. 2 people at all times. Also 1 person has to go out there and make sure there is nothing around, make noise and scare anything off. Fiance will install a spot light hopefully this weekend to illuminate that dark area and we are now talking about a fence.

Last night COULD have been a disaster of the worst kind for me.

OH MY GOODNESS! How scary! We live right up on a hillside and I have heard the coyotes behind my fence- It is so scary! Peanut is never out alone, DH built him a doggy door with a large dog kennel that he is able to go in and out as he pleases. He has all 4 sides and DH even built a top on it

Maybe you should start taking out something to protect yourself and your furbutts when they go potty?

The thing about the dark is you obviously cant see anything. I read an article on Owls, did you know an owl will sit in a tree very quite and watch and wait to make the move, you can be 1 foot away from the owl and the owl will not care, he will still swoop down and try to take your dog! I did not know that, I was always scared of hawks! Also a hawk will only take what they can eat, they don't waste food. An owl will take whatever it can get and will waste food!

[beecee]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

We live in the city, but right by the mountainside - and we see coyotes down here at street level. I love seeing them....but I don't like them going after our furbutts.

Yeah, I've seen them running down central around northern, I used to live on 1st and they would come running down the street after the cats.

I've also seen them at my work right near the freeway up in north phoenix.

I live downtown now and haven't seen them yet, thankfully, but we do have hawks.

[Tnmtngrl]

Please be extra careful coyotes are no good. I know from experience.I just lost my 5 year old little boy yorkie to coyotes about a month ago broke my heart. SO....please watch them carefully so you dont lose those precious little boys.

[celstu1]

oohhh My heart BREAKS for you!!! What a terrible way to lose your baby! (not that any way is any easier) I will be SUPER crazy protective and careful with my boys. New protocol set up at home that no one takes them out alone anymore. 2 people always and a person goes out first to make sure the coast is clear before we let the boys out and we both go out in the yard with them, not just let them run out there. I wish I had a outdoor type cage with a roof too that they could run out into. That would ease my mind!

[Mee-sha]

Please be so careful, a coyote attacked and killed a 19 year old girl where i live about 2 years ago, and if that coyote gets ahold of your baby, he'd be dead within seconds, you wouldn't have time to fight it off. If i were you i would get a fence in that area asap. Glad you and your babies are ok though, but i would take that as a warning, next time might not be so lucky.

[kjc]

Wow! Glad you and yours are okay after this.... be very wary though as the coyote may return....

[zedhead]

It's time for some animal control. Tell Your man to 'Take care of the problem'

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by zedhead

It's time for some animal control. Tell Your man to 'Take care of the problem'

LOL I did!!!

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by celstu1

I have no reason to keep them on leash ... they can't get out of the yard. Its just the coyote could get in the yard bc it could have jumped down the wall, but the dogs can't jump over the wall to get out, it's 4 feet high. If I had a leash on them or not, that coyote (if it choose to) would have attacked and there may or may not have been anything I could do about it. I'm just sooooooo glad they are ok and it didn't turn into a disaster!

I thought you said there was an unfenced area. I merely suggested a leash because at the very least you could pull them back. Sorry you felt offended by my simple suggestion. I am just a firm believer in never leaving pups off leash anywhere where there is no fence. That's just me.

I am also happy that there was no disaster.

BTW there was something on CNN this morning...I think in FL??? where coyotes are attacking people on their patios.

[ladyjane]

The attacks were in AZ:

West Valley residents worry over coyote attacks

Scary stuff.

[lynzy420]

I live in the city and we have hawks and red fox and coyotes on occasion. You should take them seriously. An enclosed outdoor kennel is what many people around here use. They view your babies as food, you mean nothing to them. Please be careful. I am so sorry you had that experience....glad I peepad boxed trained mine!

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I thought you said there was an unfenced area. I merely suggested a leash because at the very least you could pull them back. Sorry you felt offended by my simple suggestion. I am just a firm believer in never leaving pups off leash anywhere where there is no fence. That's just me.

I am also happy that there was no disaster.

BTW there was something on CNN this morning...I think in FL??? where coyotes are attacking people on their patios.

Oh I was not offended at all girl!!! I appreciate any and all advice.

[bondai]

You are lucky you didn't lose one of your babies. I live in Arizona and you really have to keep an eye out for coyotes. They are just not afraid of humans like they used to be. Please be careful.

[TwoforFun]

I have a problem with hawks. I will be building a close patio for the dogs. I don't think a fence is enough to keep all wild life out.

[celstu1]

Oh my gosh! We are living in a state of constant fear now! Paranoia! UGH! I hate living like this. Last night we saw a coyote come out from the side of the neighbors house. We stand out in the yard with the dogs, we don't let them get more than 3 ft away from us.

We have a flock of turkeys that hang out on our road and my fiance we talking to our neighbor who has lived on the road for over 10 years, he said there has never been turkeys here like this, he thinks that someone may have transplanted them from somewhere else and the coyotes are here because of the turkeys! So even my fiance is on full alert and very afraid to take the dogs out at night. He's usually the calmer of us both! He installed another set of spot lights on our yard so it lights up like a baseball field at night! He goes out alone and makes lots of noise and then we let the dogs out and we position ourselves so they have very little roaming room and are always closer to the door, we hate living like this though! We are getting married this weekend, but I think within the next month we'll figure out how to pay for a fence and finish fencing in the yard completely.