Found a coyote den with pups

[KJW]

A couple weeks ago my neighbor happened upon a coyote den with pups while looking for morels on my property. He was startled by the bark of a coyote, and as he stood looking around for the source of the bark he saw a bunch of young coyotes huddled on the ground below a large, downed, hollow tree. He surmised the adult was inside.
He came and got me and I took the photos you see. There are seven pups if you're wondering. I guessed they were four or five weeks old.
I was sorely tempted to shoot them, but my wife said "no" and my daughter said, "Can you bring one home?"
By the following day the pups had been moved. So, my neighbor and I decided to see if we could find where they had been moved to. It took us a couple walks until we found them again. They were about 300 yds from the original den sight, in another large, downed, hollow tree.
No pics from the second find. In the interim I had thought about it and came to regret not having shot them the first time, so the second discovery was all business. I took no pleasure in it, but felt it was the right thing to do both for my pets and the local deer population. I had learned at a presentation by a wildlife specialist that the average survival rate of a doe's two fawns in a coyote free area is 1.4 and in a coyote endemic region it is 0.4.

 

[1911ly]

Some will have a fit about it but I think it was ok to do it. I would have done the same. If you were farther away from a populated area I would have thought twice. You can bet there are more in the area you have not seen.

 

[indyjohn]

I'm not a fan of shooting anything if one of two conditions are not met: 1) the animal poses an immediate threat, or 2) The animal will provide me & my family food.

However, I support what you did on your property. If the deer population in the area benefits, that would be reason enough for me.

 

[Dead Duck]

Thank You for your service.

 

[Trigger Time]

Good work!

 

[remauto1187]

I snipe the adults anytime I can but I would NOT mess with a litter if I stumbled upon it. Thats just me....Im cold as ice when I have to be but I like being able to sleep at night and look at myself in the mirror every day without having to look down in shame.

But its your property, do what you want.

 

[hopper68]

I snipe the adults anytime I can but I would NOT mess with a litter if I stumbled upon it. Thats just me....Im cold as ice when I have to be but I like being able to sleep at night and look at myself in the mirror every day without having to look down in shame.

But its your property, do what you want.

Much better to shoot the adults and let the pups fend for themselves.

OP was just doing pest control.

 

[Trigger Time]

I snipe the adults anytime I can but I would NOT mess with a litter if I stumbled upon it. Thats just me....Im cold as ice when I have to be but I like being able to sleep at night and look at myself in the mirror every day without having to look down in shame.

But its your property, do what you want.

Well thanks for your moral lecture. Your not looking at these as what they are. He didn't torture
them he quickly did what was necessary. I'm glad someone with the intestinal fortitude
to do what's right came across them

 

[freekforge]

I looked at the first pic and said I would shoot them the i clicked next......aaww they're too damn cute lol

 

[1911ly]

In a month or so pups will kill your small dog. Chickens, rabbits and about any other small animal. Might even bite your child if the kid did not know better to avoid. If they were that close to my house they would be gone.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Killing those coyotes was the right thing for you to do for your land. Only you know your land, and what varmints you can accept to share it with. The coyote population is out of check right now and we as outdoorsmen are the only check because they don't any natural predators here in the hoosier state.

I respect that you hesitated to kill those pups, I would too. That mom coyote would be desperate for food the next coming weeks and would kill your dogs in a heart beat to feed her young.

 

[CMac]

Well thanks for your moral lecture. Your not looking at these as what they are. He didn't torture
them he quickly did what was necessary. I'm glad someone with the intestinal fortitude
to do what's right came across them

OP can do what he wants on his own land inside the law, I respect that. HOWEVER, I don't have to agree with it and it was NOT necessary it was precautionary. OP obviously wanted a complex discussion not just a bunch of pats on the back, so why give the guy a hard time just cause he disagrees?

 

[Que]

I do not own a large amount of land, so I have no idea what you go through as a land owner to manage your property. If deer is your primary meat source for your family, I can certainly understand, but if not, I'm a little lost. Also, if there have been incidents that cause you to fear for the safety of your family, well, that is certainly a good reason. If it was just a case of what they "might" do, then maybe you could have let them live.

 

[MrsGungho]

first thing I said to myself when I read the title, "And you shot them?" Was a bit stunned you didn't at first.

I've never hunted, I am a city girl, but I understand the importance of what OP did. Cute little coyote pups, and yes they were cute!, turn into adults who will do what they have to for food.

 

[churchmouse]

I snipe the adults anytime I can but I would NOT mess with a litter if I stumbled upon it. Thats just me....Im cold as ice when I have to be but I like being able to sleep at night and look at myself in the mirror every day without having to look down in shame.

But its your property, do what you want.

I would have done the same as the OP. Not pleasant and I am not one to kill puppys or kittys but Coyote are a freaking menace. Yes, they have the right to live but not when we catch them. We are the only natural preditor they have and the population is running amok. We see them here in the city.

 

[Expatriated]

Good work. I'd have done the exact same thing. We got plenty of coyotes, it's not like you killed the last family of them on earth.

Can you get any money for the pelts of the pups?

 

[tenring]

Given any time restraints, hanging around and waiting for the mother to return and pop her.

 

[churchmouse]

OP can do what he wants on his own land inside the law, I respect that. HOWEVER, I don't have to agree with it and it was NOT necessary it was precautionary. OP obviously wanted a complex discussion not just a bunch of pats on the back, so why give the guy a hard time just cause he disagrees?

 

[gvsugod]

Good job OP. I would have done the same, our properties coyote population is way out of whack and we cant seem to kill enough.

 

[jmiller676]

With at least 9 (7 pups, male,female) on the property that you know of, rabbits, squirrel, deer would have been slaughtered along with any pets/livestock you may have.

Adorably fluffy, Yes. But, sustaining the property without emotion is what you gotta do.