Yotes in my backyard

[Wally2528]

Gent's

I live in the limits of the city, very common to see raccoons, rabbits and occasionally coyotes. Last week I wake up when a couple of them were trying to jump into my backyard to attack my dog there, luckily they left after some lights went on and me walking out into the patio. I am afraid they will come again soon but this next time probably more decided to break into my property, my question to you is do I get in trouble with the law If I use my Mossberg 500 to protect my dogs and kid in case these animals cross into my property? Should I still dial 911 to report or just dispose the carcasses?

Thanks in advance.

[jdubs71]

You should call fish and game so they colud take care of the problem. Using force to protect your kid is one thing, but if you know its dangerous for children to be out there in the first place that probably won't go over very well. You may be able to get away with it in the country, but in the city discharging a firearm dosent go over so well. Probably not the answer you were looking for, but maybe the safest route.

[Helpful_Cub]

You could figure out what kind of livestock you can legal own and get some (chickens maybe). I had the Sheriff Animal Control guy tell me to my face, that as long as I discharge in defense of livestock, I'm good to go in LA County. This was after I lost a goat to stray dogs in the neighborhood.

[P5Ret]

I shot one just last Monday afternoon. I too am inside the city limits in the Bay Area. No homes behind or across the street in my neighborhood. PD did not even respond out after I called them, passed the call to animal control, who came out and picked up the carcass. Fish and Game will not be interested and more than likely tell you to deal with county animal control.

Start making a paper trail, call pd, and animal control to let them know of the encounter, and ask them how you should handle it. Not knowing your neighborhood, my advise is that if you feel you have to protect your property, or children from 4 legged predator's and it is safe to do so, that you do it. Just be sure that you notify PD, you don't want them knocking on your door after a neighbor reports that you are shooting in your backyard.

The coyote's up here are looking real bad. The one I shot did not run when it saw me like they usually do. It was not afraid of people at all. I don't know if they are getting to the point of hunger is overriding their fear of people, or what. Seeing them in broad daylight, and closer to the houses is not uncommon anymore. Here is a picture of the nasty critter, you can probably figure out why I didn't just bury it.

[Spanky8601]

I shot one just last Monday afternoon. I too am inside the city limits in the Bay Area. No homes behind or across the street in my neighborhood. PD did not even respond out after I called them, passed the call to animal control, who came out and picked up the carcass. Fish and Game will not be interested and more than likely tell you to deal with county animal control.

Start making a paper trail, call pd, and animal control to let them know of the encounter, and ask them how you should handle it. Not knowing your neighborhood, my advise is that if you feel you have to protect your property, or children from 4 legged predator's and it is safe to do so, that you do it. Just be sure that you notify PD, you don't want them knocking on your door after a neighbor reports that you are shooting in your backyard.

The coyote's up here are looking real bad. The one I shot did not run when it saw me like they usually do. It was not afraid of people at all. I don't know if they are getting to the point of hunger is overriding their fear of people, or what. Seeing them in broad daylight, and closer to the houses is not uncommon anymore. Here is a picture of the nasty critter, you can probably figure out why I didn't just bury it.

Looks like that critter had a bad case of mange. yuck.

[Wally2528]

Thanks for all the comments gentlemen, I think will get in touch with my local wildlife service office to at least document this last encounter, set the precedent and seek official advice from them. I live in SoCa and the draught being so bad this past year has aggravated the presence of small predators near my neighborhood.

[Che762x39]

I live in the limits of the city, very common to see raccoons, rabbits and occasionally coyotes.

...If I use my Mossberg 500 to ...

How far away is your neighbor? Have you ever killed a wild animal before?

What is acceptable in Fallbrook might not go well in Barrio Logan

[Sutterduckhunter]

They make some pretty good pellet rifles nowadays...You might consider using that in defending your home from the yotes. You stick a pellet in the head of one of those animals and it will drop dead right there.

[NATEWA]

They make some pretty good pellet rifles nowadays...You might consider using that in defending your home from the yotes. You stick a pellet in the head of one of those animals and it will drop dead right there.

That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure how loud they are. I'm also not sure if it's legal to discharge a pellet gun in your city?

Also, you may want to talk to your neighbors to see if they have any ideas. Your case will be heard if the entire block is voicing concerns and asking for something to be done. A trail camera set up would be helpful to show animal control the extent of the problem.

[Wally2528]

I have neighbors only at the sides of y house, my backyard ends at the city limits, rigth at the skirts of a mountain where these potential intruders come from. The pellet rifle sounds like a great alternative, definitively less noisy than the mossberg and less messy the outcome

[nickbackouris]

I put a big sprinkler on the back edge of my property and wired it to its own valve. The controller is on my deck. I can walk out and water the yotes as they show up. If they still don't leave I wack em.

If you have a .22 rifle think of some colbri ammo or if it's a bolt gun, .22 short. Less of a rapport but makes squirrels and gophers explode. A well placed shot will drop a yote, or at least give it a reason to go somewhere else.

[P5Ret]

I put a big sprinkler on the back edge of my property and wired it to its own valve. The controller is on my deck. I can walk out and water the yotes as they show up. If they still don't leave I wack em.

If you have a .22 rifle think of some colbri ammo or if it's a bolt gun, .22 short. Less of a rapport but makes squirrels and gophers explode. A well placed shot will drop a yote, or at least give it a reason to go somewhere else.

I don't know maybe I'm just from a different mind set. If your going to shoot a wild animal put it down have enough gun to do the job. Don't make it suffer for days or longer with no chance of recovering from an injury.

[Sutterduckhunter]

That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure how loud they are. I'm also not sure if it's legal to discharge a pellet gun in your city?

Also, you may want to talk to your neighbors to see if they have any ideas. Your case will be heard if the entire block is voicing concerns and asking for something to be done. A trail camera set up would be helpful to show animal control the extent of the problem.

They are not loud at all and shoot very accurately with a cheap little scope on them. Not an actual firearm so it should be perfectly legal in the city. I wouldn't parade around with the thing, but be inconspicuous with it. I use one to keep the pigeons clear of my rooftop.