Black Coyote

[ReFur]

For our members who have been around for a few years, we had a discussion on the eBay forum, as I remember, about natural Black Coyote.

 

Well, I saw my first one. On TV that is. There was a residential area near Atlanta which had problems with a den of coyote that had gotten too close. They called in a trapper who caught the unwelcome guest. Showed a large male coyote in its cage. Black as it could be, with white legs spotted with black.

 

Linda

[brandy-uk]

Refur..

 

what is the general feeling towards Coyote in the US..

 

In the Uk we don't really have an equivialant.. the closest we have is fox I suppose and because of 'un-education' and mis-understanding our younger generations see them as cute and cuddly and should be protected from horrible humans..

 

How do the youngers Americans see the coyote? friend or foe.... or even a stupid animal that chases road runner... 'meep meep..!'

 

??

 

Brandy

xxxx

[ReFur]

Good question, Brandy.

 

Coyote is an animal that is being caught up in "urban sprawl" as we call it here. There has been a building boom in the US that has now ended. It is like Raccoons and other scavenger animals to most people.

 

In the article I spoke of, the den was right in the person's backyard. When pets start missing, people usually do something. Having small children, this also raises a concern.; although, I cannot remember of hearing of a Coyote attacking a person.

 

Because there are so many of them, in so many places in the US, they are not thought of fondly. I had thought the Canadian Coyote in November was the prime pelt. I have to say, at least on TV the Black Coyote had a beautiful coat. I was amazed at the size of it. It was the size of a large Retriever.

 

I tend to live in rural areas, so Coyotes are part of my life. Because they travel in packs, sometimes their howling at night can be very "discomforting"

 

Maybe others can expand on their experiences.

 

Here is link to the story:

 

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15712314/detail.html

[Guest]

Coyotes are very adaptable.

 

Not long ago there was one in downtown Seattle they were chasing all over the place.

 

The greenbelts and wooded parks city planners love so much are perfect havens for the wily Coyote

 

Not that I don't like all that green in my city too, it's just that PEOPLE have to adapt to THEM. The Coyote has never and will never be endangered .. well until we are all endangered.

 

They like those juicy little pets we raise for them. The big dogs and siamese cats aren't so much in danger as they can take care of themselves.

 

OFF

[justfurme]

brandy

 

in the community i now live in coyote is reguarded as a pest. around here the first question most of the younger generation is " dad can i shoot it?". the coyote is a very smart and has adapted to us in their inviroment very well. around here they take down new born dairy calfs, cats, dogs, chickens, and so on.... we are not short any coyote's here. i have seen several very dark ones, not sure if they would be black, (hard to get up close to them).

[Worker 11811]

Where I live, coyotes are neither friend nor foe. They live in and around this area but most people just consider them a "normal" thing.

 

They are shy enough that they aren't a threat to people. If they form a pack, there might be a threat but that is pretty much unheard of. 90% of the time, they'll see you before you see them and will run away. You probably won't even know they were there.

 

On the other hand they are known to kill cats and small dogs. If you have pets, it's best to keep them in at night. I live in a dense suburban area. They don't normally come near houses where people live but I have seen them in my yard, late at night.

 

One good thing is that they keep the population of small wild animals down. They'll kill and eat rabbits, small raccoons, mice, rats and any other small critter they can catch. This decreases the chances of spreading rabies, tularemia (rabbit fever) and all kinds of tick/flea-transmitted diseases.

 

I live next to an airport. I can see the airfield from my kitchen window. If you look out, late at night, it is possible to see the field when the landing lights come on. (They are remote controlled so the pilots can turn them on from the air before they attempt to land.)

 

I have seen coyotes that have learned to hunt near the airfield. They'll lay in wait at night. The rabbits and other small critters will come out to feed in the dark. When the runway lights come on, the coyotes will spring into action and pounce on unsuspecting animals when it suddenly gets bright.

 

Another bad thing is that they are yet another animal that will scavenge garbage cans if they are left outside too long. It's bad enough when raccoons, opossum, skunks, stray dogs and rats get into your garbage. You have to keep it locked up in the garage until garbage pickup night. Then you have to make sure there are snap-tight lids on the cans or else, you'll find your garbage strewn all over the street the next morning.

 

If it wasn't for where I live, I'd be very inclined to shoot coyotes and save the pelts until I have enough to make something. I have rifles which are capable of making a clean kill on a coyote at 100 - 200 yards. But, since I live within a stone's throw (literally) from a federally controlled airfield, I'd be crazy to even try it! Trapping would be out of the question as well. There's too much chance of accidentally catching one of the neighbors' pets.

 

So, as it stands, I have to just tolerate coyotes unless they become a nuisance, at which time I'll "consider all options." (As our great president, George Bush, is famous for saying. )

[lynxette]

I absolutely love coyote...it is plentiful and as Linda states, often considered a nuisance in North America. The fur can be very plush, thick, and creamy in colour in a high quality pelt making it resemble lynx without the cost. Several of my first coats in my collection are coyote, and I continue to add them for their warmth and beauty.

Thank you for sharing the article on the black coyote Linda.