I hunt squirrel with my Shiba and plan on getting a turkey or two this fall with. I'm training my Hokkaido pup on furbearers like fox, coon, and bobcat, but will also use him on squirrel, turkey, or smaller gamebirds if I can.

Me dog just got loose and brought back a rabbit!

Do you shoot them or do the dogs take them out?

Yeah I guess it's kinda harsh to just let dogs maim them. And I think you need more than 3 kishus to kill a boar.

Yeah I agree it's painful for the boar and the dog. It's better to just end it quickly.

I know right! At least you guys don't have to worry about big coyotes out there, on the east coast a big coyote killed a great dane.

VT allows bear hunting with dogs. We even have a bearhound assoc. http://www.vermontbearhoundassociation.com/
Generally this is pack hunting with trucks full of hounddogs.

Eastern coyotes are larger than western coyotes. It is believed that they crossed with wolves while on the way here thru canada. This guy on Cape Cod has been researching coyotes for a while now http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/

Still they aren't wolves or humongous, they are just bigger than western coyotes. :)

I know that, they're just more dangerous imo to dogs.

Last time I saw coyotes was in ohio, several years ago, bigger than a kai but not GSD. Probably juveniles to be in such a popular area mid day. Not to say my experience is the norm but isnt the average coyote between 45~60 lbs?

Saw some coyotes running around about six months ago near (funny enough) Los Coyotes Diagonal, a street that cuts diagonally through multiple towns and has a "river" (giant and usually dry concrete ditch) that runs with it that wild things live in.

They were about the size of Gojira, I'd guess 21-22" at the shoulder and 50 lbs.

We have a major Coyote problem here and our yotes can average the size of a female Kai. They eat cats and dogs all the time also. On too if that we also have a major mt lion problem. Ca banned lion hunting so we have had a steady increase in the lion population.

This past weekend there were several lion sightings by deer hunters as I was also stalked by one Saturday early morning. Didn't see the big cat but on my way out there were huge lion prints right behind my boot print in a dirt road. Not sure if I'm correct but we may have the highest lion attack cases in the nation.

I'm sorry but what? German shepherd sized?! Coyotes typically grow to 30–34 in (76–86 cm) in length, not counting a tail of 12–16 in (30–41 cm), stand about 23–26 in (58–66 cm) at the shoulder and weigh from 15–46 lb (6.8–21 kg).[3][12] Northern coyotes are typically larger than southern subspecies, with the largest coyotes on record weighing 74.75 pounds (33.91 kg) and measuring 1.75 m (5.7 ft) in total length.[13][14]
The coyote's dental formula is I 3/3, C 1/1, Pm 4/4, M usually 2/2, occasionally 3/3, 3/2, or 2/3 × 2 = 40, 44, or 42[15] Normal spacing between the upper canine teeth is 29–35 mm (1.1–1.4 in) and 25–32 mm (0.98–1.3 in) between the lower canine teeth.[16]
Dentition
3,1,4,2
3,1,4,2
The upper frequency limit of hearing for coyotes is 80 kHz, compared to the 60 kHz of domestic dogs.[17] Comparable to wolves, and similar to domestic dogs, coyotes have a higher density of sweat glands on their paw pads. This trait, however, is absent in the large New England coyotes, which are thought to have some wolf ancestry.[18]
During pursuit, a coyote may reach speeds up to 43 mph (69 km/h),[19] and can jump a distance of over 13 ft (4 m).[3]

You need some wolves in CA to kill the coyotes and the cougars

I believe someone here on the forums has a kai that's GSD size so its possible for coyotes to get that size to. Genetics isn't linear. It's more like a wibbly-wobbly ball filled with stuff (wonder if anyone will get that reference). You can't say that if dimension x is bred with a dimension x then the outcome will always be dimension x. x plus x could equal X because the DNA could contain genes that weren't seen in the parents. An indevidual coyotes genetic makeup could carry a recessive gene, genetic deformity or it could have genes from a dog being bred into its lines at somepoint

I hunt with my dogs, as much as I can. No so much my NK tho, but eventually that will change. My best hunting Kai are females and are always in heat or have puppies... I'm looking forward to retiring and spaying them so so we can hunt more.

The Hokka pups are at the vet now getting their rabies shots, so I'll start getting them out in the woods with me this weekend. :)

Yes, and of course GSDs vary in size as well. I had a big one--he was about 100 pounds. I haven't seen a coyote his size, but I've seen coyotes as big as smaller GSDs. And since I've seen these coyotes up close, much closer than I'd like to,personally, and since the big male seems to be local and I've seen him repeatedly, then I'm pretty sure of his size.

Gen, that's pretty scary about being stalked by the mountain lion.

We do have mountain lions here too, but they don't seem to be the problem they are in CA.

And of course we do have lots of bears, but the bears are on the small side.

I agree with @cdenney... On the east coast there are many scientifically documented cases of larger coyotes that are similar in size to a GSD, weighing between 65 and 90 pounds.

As for @tarokun - You keep asking a lot of personal questions to forum members where we no absolutely nothing about you. Why not post a proper introduction allowing us to get to know you?

Sorry I did post a new intro. Also I think that those 90 pound ones are coydogs or coywolves, sorry but I need some proof for that one.

this is pretty nice, esp if you like graphs:
http://www.coywolf.org/coywolf-basic-info/

What's interesting to me from this is that by Eastern Coyote, we're actually talking about NORTHeastern coyote, because Western coyotes are what lives in the south east. and by "crossed with wolves," what is meant is with the smaller Red wolf, which lives in eastern Canada, not the big gray wolves or Timberwolves of the north central and west.

While coyotes can breed with dogs, the second generation usually fails due to the inappropriate timing of births given the doglike heat cycles of a coyote-dog hybrid.

This page says the NE 'coywolves' weigh 35- 55 lbs- that's Matsu size, plus more, but less than Sage, however I also remember how surprised I was to learn that my friend's malamutes- which looked HUGE!- only weighed the same as Reilly: 75 and 80 lbs. under the fluff.

(not a perfect comparison photo because Reilly is farther away than Cal and Moby, but dont they look much bigger? They are fluffy, and light colored- which looks bigger to our eyes- and Rei is dark colored, smooth and muscle-dense, evidently.)


So anecdotally, we can guess all we want about how big coyotes we see are but we might not be very right. I have seen very few coyotes, and only from a moving car, so I cannot speculate, but defer to the guy tranq'ing and weighing them. A coyote x gsd mix could be a *very* big, and less-afraid animal, but would not represent the species of coyote east or west since it doesn't keep genes in the pool.

Look at these easterns
red
saddle
dark
albino
black
black and tan
and this huge one. 115 pounds! Yeah I think that they get a whole lot bigger than I thought. These things are huge. I wish we could keep these big ones in zoos. Whelp my kindle is dying so I got to go.

I think a LOT of supposed coyote sightings are just stray dogs. Some may be coydogs but.... Think about it. How many people think our Nihon Ken are wolves, foxes, coyotes, hyenas, etc? People are dumb and can't tell a wolf or a coyote from a GSD or a husky. (Most people. Not saying anyone on this forum had a false sighting.)

Me and my son got a nice coyote couple weeks back. I do have to say that they are beautiful animals but they wreak havoc on other animals especially on young fawns and game bird poults. I been watching this family of coyotes that has left the entire valley floor deer free now for 6 months.

I haven't seen a coyote here (southeastern Michigan) in years, but I know they're here. There are sightings of them frequently in wooded areas and often enough in the suburbs (and even more overtly urban) areas as well. I recall a story I was told by a local woman with Malamutes that she once had a coyote follow her and her dogs through the woods a short distance when she was trail running with her dogs some years ago.

There at least used to be a coyote den site in one of the parks around here, too. That was quite a few years ago, but I imagine they're probably still around there somewhere. I believe the majority of the coyotes around here are within the average--not huge, but also bigger than an average Kai.

My aunt and uncle hit one with their minivan years ago. My cousins were shocked by how much bigger it was than they had expected, so that my then-ten-year-old cousin was absolutely convinced they had found a wolf in the Lower Peninsula.

I hope that I can someday try some form of hunting with my future dog(s). I'm dogless at the moment, though.

Stay safe @shishiinu Mtn lions are scary as heck. :\

I saw some show on them how this researcher uses dogs to track the lion for his research and big cougars they found..

I've found a coyote or fox den in the woods on my property. I have yet had issue with them so I leave them alone..

I'm surprised my neighbor's dachshund hasn't fallen prey to the coyotes. They leave the dog on a tie out to go potty! I don't think they hang outside with the dog either.. They do it at night and day.

I've seen a litter of coyote pups playing with some ice bag they found the kind you get at front of stores... they were playing tug o war. I saw at least 5 pups? I got a pic of one running away, but not the whole group my guess mom or dad was in the woods watching or high grass after I got picture I retreated and walked in the first field away from that area.

The coyotes at wolf park don't seem too big maybe shikoku size maybe smaller? I need to ask the staff if they know their size or not. I don't think they get chance to weigh them unless they were sick and needed to be sedated.

The coyotes I've seen which were only three sightings one really close another was very far running away from me when I saw it and another while on my mower mowing the trails it came out of the high grass and ran towards the woods.

The one I saw really close was beautiful coarse deadly too, but it ran off then I yelled at it. I figured yelling at it would make it more afraid of people.. I had Saya and Bella, but they were smelling the ground. Maybe the coyote came through so they smelled it's scent.

Other encounter was at night I took Saya out to potty and went back inside to get flash light since it was dark. Saya peed right away and I shone my lights around like usual. I usually see a rabbit, cat, coon, opossum, or fox I only saw a fox in the yard once coming back from the camp area to the house it was by the trees.

Anyways I saw two coyote eyes off on the trail entrances to first field. They were very far off where I was by the house right by the grass.

Saya doesn't seem to want to interact with coyotes which is good if I hang on the back porch or front porch she hears them yiping at the train or police siren Saya comes close to me which I reward her. She's always on leash at night just to be safe..

I seen badger going from the pond to the woods. Brother saw one in the woods and I saw badger tracks in the snow even looked it up and sure enough they fit the shape..

I also saw a den that was bit different from the coyote den.

I do enjoy living in country sadly I do notice more and more farmland being for sale. :(

I sure hope none of the farmland near me is ever sold I'd hate for random cookie cutter houses to be put up, walmart starbucks or apartments..

Poor deer, fox, badger, coyotes, and birds need homes.. Also our vulnerable eastern box turtle. I got tons of pics of these box turtles as babies, adults and them laying eggs!

I used to see a pheasant or some type of game bird or quail? I'm not sure on walks it coarse would run away when it heard me so hard to get a good picture of it. Since the houses were built in that one area I haven't seen it. :\

I love birds taking pics or listening to them the quail/pheasant was neat to see on my walks..

I don't do any hunting though Saya has treed multiple squirrels and she shows enthusiasm for that. she also treed a juvenile coon who was eating my pears..

Times she done it was not squirrel season so I couldn't do anything, but she got very yummy reward her dinner of meat..

She listens well off leash, but we mainly just enjoy our walks and hikes. She loves exploring the woods while I get fire wood and clear the woods so my walking path is nicer..

She was first to tell me there was groundhogs under my shed.. D: I later found out via them eating my tomato then seeing one.

Once I saw it and remember Saya smelling under the shed I figured she smelled it under there.

I consider her my all around companion she helps find mice nests in the wood pile and shed sometimes.

I love researching how dogs are used with hunting though.

I might eventually try squirrel hunting with Saya maybe next year maybe not depends..

@shibamistress does walking Oskar keep them at bay more? Maybe Oskar and Zora walks together? Plus it will give them time to bond with out her being a PIA with him.

I hunt my jindo with my hounds and cur dog. We hunt bigger game like mountain lion but she will run a rabbit or fox if she gets a chance. She has caught rabbit before and has caught birds. She is really fast and it's neat to watch her work

We had a coyote encounter last night.
Conker was out chasing a raccoon out of my trash (which is now scattered EVERYWHERE) when a coyote decided to show up after Conker got the coon treed. Conker sounded the alarm which roused the other three dogs to the fenceline. The coyote retreated slightly then began to bark at them and prance around in a playful manner. I quickly called the dogs in then went out and yelled at the coyote, but it wouldn't leave. It kept prancing and barking, so I rummaged around for my shotgun and shells, found them, but by the time I was ready to shoot, it had bugged out.
Normally I am not aggressive towards coyotes, In think they are cool and like having them around. However, based on it's behavior and fearlessness of my dogs and me, it appeared to have been trying to bait my dogs out into the woods, which is not cool at all. So, if this coyote comes back tonight, I'll be ready for it.
This happened at 4 am, which is why it took me so long to find the shotgun. I was still half asleep.

[Deleted for being posted in the wrong thread.]

I like coyotes, they are spiffy and fun to watch, but ones that mess with my dogs are dead if they get close enough. I take that quite seriously.

The coyote has not been back yet. There was no contact between the coyote and my dogs, it was about 25 feet from the fence, which is closer than I'd prefer.