Kelley (Texas)
New member
Most cattlemen have little use for the coyote and will shoot one when given the opportunity. They are not friends of the cattleman and cause much damage.
The coyote is the smaller version of the wolf and will range over most of the United States. They will even live in large parks like Central Park in New York City, or in green belts of cities in the mid-west. They will average approximately thirty to fifty pounds, and are either a grey or tan color depending where they are located. They can spot you moving your hand at a distance of a thousand yards and can smell you a mile away.
The modern coyote is slowly changing their hunting style. They use to hunt alone or with a mate, but now have been seen hunting in packs, often hunting larger animals. They are fast, can attain a speed of around forty miles per hour, and they will use this speed to "run down" their prey.
Ranchers do not like the coyote because of the damage they can inflict on their cattle business. Many times a coyote will wait for the cow to give birth, then attack the cow while she is in the act of giving birth. They will also attack and kill a calf under two hundred pounds. If you ever see a calf missing a tail, many times it has no tail because the tail was damaged when the calf escaped an coyote attack.
Most ranches have barn cats to control mice and snakes. Coyotes love to eat cats and will attack and kill the barn cats at night. If you are missing a barn cat, you can usually scout the area until, sure enough, you will spot some blood and fur...no more cat!
The coyotes will also tear up your garden, especially your water melon patch. Coyotes love water melons and will wreck your garden in a matter of hours.
It is seldom mentioned, but coyotes can be a danger to children. It is best to not leave young children unattended outdoors if you are living in an area infested with large packs of coyotes. I have not personally witnessed an attack on a child, but have read about it in the newspaper in the past.
I would like to mention the coydogs...a mix between a coyote and domestic dog. The coydog is something to reckon with if you encounter one...they are dangerous. They will attack a man under the right conditions. They can attain the weight of approximately ninety pounds and they do not fear man.
We handle the coyote problem in many ways...guard donkeys, guard dogs, and shooting them on sight. As a rule, when working out in the brush, we will always have a rifle in the scabbard attached to the saddle. When I use to work out in the brush, I always had a Marlin 30-30 rifle with me. I might add that we also carried the rifle to deal with feral hogs that would tear up the pastures.
Most folks may not know this, but if you kill a coyote you should hang the body from the fence. This will put the coyote on notice that they will be shot and this will work for about six months before you will have to shoot another one. Coyotes will get the message when they see the body hanging from the fence.
Goodness, while I could continue writing about the coyote, this subject may not be of interest to many folks, especially city folks that have more to fear from their neighbors dog than a coyote. My ranching days ended this past spring due to a minor health problem and we moved into the city. I must admit, I still feel that I do not belong here, but that is life and I will make the best of it. My heart is still back there in the brush country...always will be. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
The coyote is the smaller version of the wolf and will range over most of the United States. They will even live in large parks like Central Park in New York City, or in green belts of cities in the mid-west. They will average approximately thirty to fifty pounds, and are either a grey or tan color depending where they are located. They can spot you moving your hand at a distance of a thousand yards and can smell you a mile away.
The modern coyote is slowly changing their hunting style. They use to hunt alone or with a mate, but now have been seen hunting in packs, often hunting larger animals. They are fast, can attain a speed of around forty miles per hour, and they will use this speed to "run down" their prey.
Ranchers do not like the coyote because of the damage they can inflict on their cattle business. Many times a coyote will wait for the cow to give birth, then attack the cow while she is in the act of giving birth. They will also attack and kill a calf under two hundred pounds. If you ever see a calf missing a tail, many times it has no tail because the tail was damaged when the calf escaped an coyote attack.
Most ranches have barn cats to control mice and snakes. Coyotes love to eat cats and will attack and kill the barn cats at night. If you are missing a barn cat, you can usually scout the area until, sure enough, you will spot some blood and fur...no more cat!
The coyotes will also tear up your garden, especially your water melon patch. Coyotes love water melons and will wreck your garden in a matter of hours.
It is seldom mentioned, but coyotes can be a danger to children. It is best to not leave young children unattended outdoors if you are living in an area infested with large packs of coyotes. I have not personally witnessed an attack on a child, but have read about it in the newspaper in the past.
I would like to mention the coydogs...a mix between a coyote and domestic dog. The coydog is something to reckon with if you encounter one...they are dangerous. They will attack a man under the right conditions. They can attain the weight of approximately ninety pounds and they do not fear man.
We handle the coyote problem in many ways...guard donkeys, guard dogs, and shooting them on sight. As a rule, when working out in the brush, we will always have a rifle in the scabbard attached to the saddle. When I use to work out in the brush, I always had a Marlin 30-30 rifle with me. I might add that we also carried the rifle to deal with feral hogs that would tear up the pastures.
Most folks may not know this, but if you kill a coyote you should hang the body from the fence. This will put the coyote on notice that they will be shot and this will work for about six months before you will have to shoot another one. Coyotes will get the message when they see the body hanging from the fence.
Goodness, while I could continue writing about the coyote, this subject may not be of interest to many folks, especially city folks that have more to fear from their neighbors dog than a coyote. My ranching days ended this past spring due to a minor health problem and we moved into the city. I must admit, I still feel that I do not belong here, but that is life and I will make the best of it. My heart is still back there in the brush country...always will be. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
Can I assume correctly that you do not have a bear skull? 
Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) 
That 25-06 is a fun round to shoot, and it will really reach out there and nail a coyote. 