During this past summer, I noticed a coyote runnig around my 3acre lake. By the time I got my shoes on and my gun In hand he was long gone. About a week later I got a call from my wife at work and she said, one was sitting in the yard next to the lake. Needless to say she shot at him and we assume she missed (imgine that) my neighbor probaly has a bullet hole in the side of his house. I have been looking for my chance to shot one, but they are extremely fast and smart suckers. I also hear them at night howling, so I assume their are a pack of them. My biggest concerns are my 110lb fat lab and my children, 3yr old,6yr old. I live in cincinnati ohio and think I can shoot them year round, But I can't get a chance to shoot one. Can anyone give me some info or advice on how to take care of them without hiring a coyote exterminator. Thanks to all and good fishing.....

Lance,

I think you're overblowing the danger. They are primarily scavengers and feed on everything from grasshoppers to field mice to road kills. He or she certainly won't be eating any fish unless they float up dead. I really doubt if your fat lab or kids wold be in danger.

If you don't want to use an exterminator, trap it, or shoot it then there is not much you can do. It may just go away once the weather changes or end up as a road kill. They have a hard life and don't really live that long anyway.

I wouldn't mind seeing one around my place. They are indeed wily and smart and an extremely adaptable animal. It would be fasinating to observe one.

They're not usually too tough to call and shoot but I enjoy seeing and hearing them. I wouldn't worry too much about the kids and certainly not your dog. That big sucker will outweigh coyotes by a 4 to 1 ratio. Just knowing it is around should keep coyotes cautious.

I have neighbors with small children. Coyotes have never been a problem. They have never even bothered the neighbors puppies. (Darned shame). Come to think of it, I'd rather have coyotes than neighbors.

You might talk to the animal control people if you're really worried but I expect they will tell you that there are more coyotes than they can ever catch.

I would probably consider them a plus. They do a lot of rodent and pest control. BTW, if you do shoot one, you might want to hold your nose when you approach it. They eat a lot of carrion and sometimes smell like it.

I live on a ranch in Texas and we have coyote problems - a single coyote isn't a problem but a group of them can be, especially with your dog. I would not worry about kids, fish, etc. but I have seem them pack up on domestic dogs and kill or injure them. They have taken out 3 or 4 of my Texas Dall grown sheep and of course will kill deer when given a chance. Again, the only concern I would have in your case is your dog. Best method other than gun is a snare. If you can find where they are entering your property (assuming it is fenced) then a simple snare attached to the fence will trap some of them. They tend to dig under fences and cross at the same place on regular basis - often times you will find some of their hair on a barb wire fence where they are crossing.