Coyote(s) with mange....what to do?

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
It appears we have a couple of good sized coyotes hanging around our property that are pretty scraggly. One is missing its tail and most of its fur from its hind legs back and the other is missing about 2/3 of its fur. The local mountain breakfast/coffee club advisory committee (old retired locals that hangout in the coffee shop) advise that they most likely have mange and will died a pretty crappy deaths due to exposure, so dispatching the animal is the most humane thing too do. Local CPW Officers advise to just let nature take its course, unless the animal becomes aggressive. Being a private property owner in Colorado It appears I can deal with these animals without license/permit but was curious if there is any thing others have done to help these poor beasts other then dispatching them. (Make my wife happy) Thanks!
 

Airmapper

Inactive Member
If you want to help them, find some poor defenseless creatures, cute stuff like bunny rabbits or baby deer, break their legs, and leave them out there making mournful sounds as they slowly die so these Coyotes know dinner is ready.


If they were hanging around the house I'd shoot them for whatever funk they might be bringing around. Otherwise I'd let nature take it's course.
 
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dreadlocks

Well-known member
Cull em... around here coyotes are urban and lost all fear of humans, they are extremely brazen.. Ive got two resident yotes that each have bum legs and look terrible (used to be 3), being in city limits I can only wait for em to pass naturally.. they are over the normal age for wild coyotes, so hopefully thats soon because when they showed up all our gorgeous huge red foxes vanished, pets constantly get eaten and now the rabbits breed to numbers they end up starving come end of summer when the draught kicks in.
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Shoot them. Mange can be contagious to other animals. Usually you don't see coyotes hanging around, they are usually more "shy" than that. Wild animals not acting the way the should can lead to problems.

Yeah, we kinda get em all roaming around due to our property being a migratory route between the forest, mountain grass and water supply. With spring coming everyone is roaming....it now makes sense that we may have lost our bobcat population due to mange, we haven't seen them for a year.510840510841510842
 

Buddha.

Finally in expo white.
Not directed towards anyone:

Coyotes are an interesting critter. When Europeans colonized North America they tried to eradicate coyotes like they had wolves, didn’t work. Efforts to kill them off have actually caused them to spread out and multiply occupying every state instead of just their native desert south west.
Our city coyotes in south Minneapolis will walk straight down the street right past people doing yard work. I had to yell at one that was squaring of with the neighbors cat.
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Not directed towards anyone:

Coyotes are an interesting critter. When Europeans colonized North America they tried to eradicate coyotes like they had wolves, didn’t work. Efforts to kill them off have actually caused them to spread out and multiply occupying every state instead of just their native desert south west.
Our city coyotes in south Minneapolis will walk straight down the street right past people doing yard work. I had to yell at one that was squaring of with the neighbors cat.

Interesting......I'm just hoping I don't need to call 911...
510875
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Coyotes are an important predator in many ecosystems, they also help deal with carrion. Mange is caused by a mite which burrows into the skin. Generally it is associated with overpopulation, food shortages, etc. The coyotes may be getting it from whatever animals they are eating. Depending on conditions, some may recover. It can vary a lot from year to year. The mites can be transmitted to humans or other mammals. The human immune system is quite potent, so infections are mild, and easily treated by topical drugs. Other mammals and canines are more susceptible, but can also be treated pharmacologically. If the coyotes are in bad shape, especially around the head/eyes, or show signs of severe infection, it may be worthwhile to put them down. I suggest avoiding handling the carcass, and keeping it well away from any vulnerable domesticated animal populations. Close contact, typically prolonged, is necessary to transmit the mites.

In general coyotes help keep smaller grazing animals under control, especially where wolves have been eradicated. They will eat pets, especially smaller ones. Urban areas are often rich with prey like rabbits and squirrels, and coyotes are high adaptable, and intelligent.
 
I’m not a fan of killing predators unless they’re a genuine threat to humans or our pets and livestock. Canine mange is really just the animal version of scabies. It can be treated with a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug called Ivermectin, and there are groups that will provide the drug for a very small donation. I believe it is administered via food.

So in addition to putting the animal down or letting nature take its course, you have another option.

In the 1950s, the area I grew up in had a vole infestation because ranchers, farmers and others saw predators as a threat. Dead coyotes resulted in millions of rodents that ruined alfalfa harvests for a couple of years.

Something to consider...
 

Dalko43

Explorer
Not directed towards anyone:

Coyotes are an interesting critter. When Europeans colonized North America they tried to eradicate coyotes like they had wolves, didn’t work. Efforts to kill them off have actually caused them to spread out and multiply occupying every state instead of just their native desert south west.
Our city coyotes in south Minneapolis will walk straight down the street right past people doing yard work. I had to yell at one that was squaring of with the neighbors cat.

Actually, the main reason coyotes spread out of the southwestern part of North America into other areas is because the wolves were eradicated in those other areas; coyotes simply moved in to assume that predatory role.


Farmers/ranchers have historically had a very antagonistic view of coyotes, and other predators, because those animals often posed a very direct threat to their livestock (and financial welfare). They still do to this day, but our views and techniques for wildlife management have evolved over the years.

Honestly, killing a few coyotes (whether it be as part of a humane effort, population culling, or general sport hunting) doesn't have much affect on the overall population. Coyotes are doing fine in North America; hunting and trapping efforts don't pose a threat.
 

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