# Coyote/feral dog crosses



## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I was sitting at the computer last night by an open window, and heard some coyotes yelping not too far off from the house. We have a little Welsh Corgi/Rat Terrier mix, and he started barking at them from the porch. They soon quieted down, and I didn't think anything else about it. It's not uncommon to hear them at night around here.

This morning I was sitting in the house, and a neighbor pulls in the driveway honking his horn. We go out and he tells us there are two coyotes in the field beside our house. This is in broad daylight. He said he had seen our little dog (who has more heart than brains sometimes) going after the coyotes, and he was afraid they would get him. The kids grabbed the dog, and the coyotes were still romping and playing in the field, and paid us very little mind. I ran back in the house to get a rifle. My .223 was not loaded, so I grabbed the .22, which only has a 4X scope on it. It was too long a shot with a low power scope, and a .22, so I didn't get them.

They were definitely coyote, but I'm thinking they may have been feral crosses since they were out in the open in broad daylight and weren't particularly concerned with us until I started shooting at them.

I have 3X9 on the .223, and it will definitely be more accessible from now on.


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## gunseller (Feb 20, 2010)

Coyotes out in day light means nothing about their blood line. Coyotes like to kill dogs. They may have been trying to get your dog to come out to play so they could kill him. Or they may have been doing what coyotes do, hunting mice. There are a lot less dog/coyote cross breads out and about than people think. The pups would have to be born in the spring to have a chance to make it through the winter. A female dog comes into heat anytime of the year. A female coyote only comes into heat at one time of the year. There would have to be a shortage of male coyotes for a male dog to have a chance to breed a female coyote. 
Steve


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## Energy Rebel (Jan 22, 2011)

Likely they were enticing the dog to kill it, they are very smart and use their brains and pack mentality to make up for their size.
I've seen coyotes in Florida as well, in Lake and Marion counties.
Kill'em if you can, they'll make more............


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I've seen them in the daylight before, just not out in a wide open plowed field, and then just stay there with a lot of human activity going on near where they are. That was what seemed strange to me. Any time I've seen one, as soon as it saw or detected me it was gone.

I had to run an errand, and the kids said that they came back while I was gone, and the dog actually did run them off before they (the kids) could get him. He's a tough little dog, but I'm sure he'd have been no match for them if they'd turned to fight.

I'm definitely going to try to get them. I have a much more appropriate means of dealing with them readily available now.

Thanks for the input.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Nothing different about a coyote being out in the open during daylight, especially in season.

Coyotes are very opportunistic, and do take any thing they can eat... easily. A rat terrier isn't something easy, unless they're hungry.

You might run into an alpha that hunts pets, or I can picture some that have been trained to them.

Never yet seen a cross? Doesn't mean I discount that happening though.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I did a little more checking, and coyote/dog crosses in the wild are extremely rare, so I doubt these were.

I've just never seen them remain in the wide open, in broad daylight, with a lot of humans making a lot noise so close to them. That was what was so unusual about the whole thing. The ones I've seen have always disappeared immediately when they realized I had seen them. These just kept hanging around for several minutes till I started shooting at them.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

They often follow balers and swathers for hours to catch mice, within feet of the running machinery. And these are as wild as they get, far from towns. 

They get up and move around when they are hungry, and they usually are hungry. Nothing unusual about seeing them in the daytime.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I worry about my rat terrier also. The coyotes will start yelping nearby and our RT will run out toward them about 100 - 150 feet past our yardline. If I go outside to yell at him it encourages him to run even futher into the woods and then I get even more worried. 

I really need to start hunting coyotes around here. I've noticed in the spring time wherever you see deer, you'll see coyotes nearby. I've learned that they are waiting for the doe deer to give birth so they can run in and have a quick meal.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Spring is one of the best times to call coyotes. Honk on a fawn bleat call and they come running. So do the mulie does, who gather around you and blow snot in your back pocket. I have had to shoot between the deer ten feet away to hit the coyote several times.


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