was working outside most of the day, even got to ride my horse. anyway , winterizing the large pond and working in the dark...coyotes started "talking" to each other....the shed kitties all lined up with hair on end, and I could hear the one right behind the shed! another was coming up the open field, they went right between me and the gazebo!!!! Dan came out with a gun, but thank God we didn't need to use it.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

Answers

Where was the trigger happy neighbor? worthless good for nuthin'...

Glad you guys are safe!

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2001

SAR,

There have been numerous times that I have heard them "talking". A few mornings ago (can't remember the exact date), I went outside to drink my first cup of coffee at O dark thirty. I had the outside lights on, but I could hear them just off the patio, where the light doesn't penetrate the woods. Gave me an errie feeling. I gulped down my coffee and went back inside.

apoc

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Coyotes like nothing better than to chow down on nice, fat housecats.

Have you decided to move, SAR?

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Must just be those Ohio coyotes that like house cats :^) The ones here leave my cats alone.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Beckie, we had a yahoo up in NW OH who imported several coyotes for rabbit control. It turned out that they liked eating housecats a lot better. They've since multiplied. There's an article around somewhere. I'll look for it when I have more time.

That wasn't a serious statement about SAR moving. I neglected to put in the appropriate icon. ):

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Neighbor's cat was impersonating dog food a few years ago. I caught the cat part of it from my window. It was stalking something in the bushes. The "something" was a hunkered down coyote. Fortunately the owner noticed from his window in time.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

yea, I know they like house cats!!!! I found body parts at the one house we lived it, and asked the vet WHAT did this to the kitty... (barn Cat..) he told me a coyote will tear the limbs and head off and eat the rest...I found the "parts". thought it was a cult that did it at first...was scary for me to go to the barn!

Apoc, I used to sit in the court yard at night and listen to the waterfall, and just the low accent lights on.....UNTILL I get a fence up, those days are done!

Guess I have to put on the "gloves...." DH says NO fence....I say WE ARE having a fence....

As to the worthless neighbor...he darkens his house about 6 pm... I'll leave it at that!

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Coyotes as far east as Ohio. I sure didn't know that.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

They're imported, Peter, not native.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Who the hell would import them!

I know, people import forms of life into the damnest places. My brother and his wife are anthropologists specializing in the Sepic River Valley in New Guinea. An idiot missionary (may he rot in hell) got tired of the imported water lily he had growing in his tank at home, and dumped the tank's contents into the river, and that plant from Hell took over the whole river system.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

I was only half joking. I do know that coyotes will go after cats, but it is not their first choice for food. Here on our farm we do hear them on occasion and they do come fairly close to the house, but have never bothered our animals (except maybe the ducks when we had those).

When the neighbor was baling hay this summer, some of the younger coyotes just followed the tractor around the field - they are half tame it seems. If they come too close to the house and I have a clear shot, I will shoot them. We have fox as well, but they live up in the barn during the winter so the coyotes won't get them and we leave them be.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Peter, plenty of coyotes in New England, but they might be coyote/wolf hybrids.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001