Legal to shoot Coyote on your property?

[Bobby714]

I live in Orange County and my backyard is fenced off by a wrought iron fence that is the length of my house. Behind my house is a small hill then a street and horse trail past that...In front of my house is a mountain side.

Every single night anywhere between 10pm-3am there are a few coyotes that travel within feet of my back fence looking for food. I have 2 dogs both about 70-80 lbs, a Siberian Husky and a Lab / Pit mix.

There have been a few times when I have woken up in the middle of the night to my dogs barking at the coyotes through the fence (within a couple feet away) and I keep a hoe with sharp stakes in the back yard handy in case I need to defend my dogs. Also keep the dogs in at night.

I've heard that the coyotes can hop fences, hop on to one-another backs and form some kinda pyramid to elevate themselves.

So my question is if the situation ever arose where my dogs were to get into it with one or a few coyotes in my backyard would it be legal to shoot the coyote or would it be something I regret?

I of course would first try to take them out with a baseball bat or some object I could hit them with. Also if my dogs and the coyotes were attacking each other through the fence, just snapping back and forth am I able to do anything given the coyote is on city property, not mine?

Any advice / personal experience would be appreciated! I just want to know exactly what I am able to do in case the situation arises!!

Thanks!

[taperxz]

You can do nothing if they are not on your property, and are in a prohibited place to use lethal force/hunt.

[Bobby714]

Yeah I figured I could not do much if there were not on my property...but what what if they are in the middle of my back yard causing hell with my dogs...?

[taperxz]

You need to see what the city/county laws are. The coyotes don't climb fences, they go under them. It would take a small pack of coyotes to do anything to your dogs anyway. They are just looking for food.

[Hilldweller]

You need to see what the city/county laws are. The coyotes don't climb fences, they go under them. It would take a small pack of coyotes to do anything to your dogs anyway. They are just looking for food.

^^^^^
This

Wouldn't want you to end up in jail and loose your gun rights for firing a gun illegally. Dig a trench, lower some chicken wire and attach it to the fence. Helps prevent tunneling.

[surfgypsy]

Yotes will bait dogs by sending in a submissive female to lure the dogs out. If your dog were to jump the fence he could become a meal. Also, I have seen coyotes, (about 50lb) standing still jump over a six foot fence. They don't need to make a pyramid, never heard that before. It is most likely illegal to discharge a firearm in your city and you would get in trouble for that, Probably make the news for killing a harmless animal. Get a bow, they are silent. After you take down a couple, they won't come back.

[rooster85]

Maybe invest in a good pellet gun, that way you can pop a few from the house and as long as you dont kill them, your neighbors most likely wont find out.

[olhunter]

I would think about pepper spray. Get one of the bear foggers and blast away.

Your dogs will be like "Hey! WTF?!?!?", but they'll forgive you. The coyotes won't come back.

If you shoot or bash a coyote and don't kill him, you've got problems.

You don't want a wounded or injured coyote running around the hood when the sun comes up and the kids come out.

You might feel bad if you injured a coyote and he ate some kid.

[spectr17]

Buddy just neck snared a 39 ponder in Huntington Beach. Biggest yote ever he said in CA while doing depredation. He said he wasn't fat, just huge and was eating the horse pellets in the barn.You drag them ones out.

[notme92069]

We have lost dogs in backyards in our community. It's the smaller ones going under the fences. I've been wondering what happens about shooting them too. I doubt they would let me get close enough for the pepper spray.

[dominic]

Coyotes can jump fences just fine. However I don't think they form pyramids unless they are circus performers or Egyptian coyotes. j/k

Try a coyote roller on your fence to keep them from jumping it, or try a collarum snare to catch them.

[Saym14]

I've heard that the coyotes can....., hop on to one-another backs and form some kinda pyramid to elevate themselves.

LOL!!!!!!

gymnastic coyotes

[taperxz]

Quote:
I've heard that the coyotes can....., hop on to one-another backs and form some kinda pyramid to elevate themselves.

Are you sure you are not talking about iraqi prisoners?

Ohhh that was baaaad.

[Baxter]

Best thing to do is call an animal damage control specialist in your area.

[AEC1]

You need to see what the city/county laws are. The coyotes don't climb fences, they go under them. It would take a small pack of coyotes to do anything to your dogs anyway. They are just looking for food.

I witness a coyote jump a 6 foot fence and kill my neighbors dog. it bit it once in the neck before I could hop the fence and chase it off, Poor dog ran in the house and bled out on the couch, 5 year old saw it all...