# Can coyotes jump a 4 ft fence?



## jmsim93 (Sep 9, 2011)

I have a 65 ft square fenced in area for my two does.  I built a shelter that I lock them up in at night but they prefer to stay out.  We have coyotes pretty bad here and I am afraid to not enclose them at night.  Do you think coyotes could jump over the fence?  It is very solid with barb wire at the base to deter digging???


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## Bossroo (Sep 9, 2011)

YUP...  and they will go over, under, around and through it without even hardly breaking a stride. Our area is HEAVILY INFESTED with coyotes and they are HUNGRY.  My across the street neighbor has 6' tall fences with barbed wire on the top and bottom and regularly shoots 2-3 coyotes a month inside his 20 acre fenced and crossfenced sheep pastures. He hangs the dead coyotes on his fences as a warning/ deterant to others. However that only works for only about a week.He regularly looses about 10-15 lambs a year. last year the coyotes killed his huge male Rotty guard dog. All he found in his back 5 acre pasture was his head and hide, the rest of the carcass was eaten.  I too have 20 acres and 6' fences, I have about 30 horses here.  We have coyote community sing alongs every night within 100' of our house. I also shoot them every chance that I get but don't seem to put a dent in their bad behavior. I wish you luck !


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## Pumpkinpup (Sep 9, 2011)

They are a absolute scurge! I hate them with a passion. Not much seems to slow tham down. My suggestion is to get you a GP. It's the only thing I have found to keep them at bay. Good luck!


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## that's*satyrical (Sep 9, 2011)

ooohh. where are you guys located?? I haven't heard any around here but that is scary!


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## redtailgal (Sep 9, 2011)

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## jmsim93 (Sep 9, 2011)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Ug.  We have yotes too, but as long as we keep their population down, they dont bother us.  We are selctive in our kills....*we try to kill females*.  If you shoot most the males, the females will breed with male dogs giving you the dreaded coy-dog. You DONT want those.
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> The only way to keep a hungry yote out of the pasture is with a well placed bullet.


How can you tell which are females???


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## redtailgal (Sep 9, 2011)

x


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## kstaven (Sep 10, 2011)

jmsim93 said:
			
		

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Just like humans. The ones making the most noise!


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## freemotion (Sep 10, 2011)




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## Holsteno (Sep 10, 2011)

this made me   

we have coyotes here in FL too, but not as much our main predators are foxes  smart little things.


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## jmsim93 (Sep 10, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> ooohh. where are you guys located?? I haven't heard any around here but that is scary!


I live in East Texas.  We are INFESTED with them!!!!  :-(


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## jmsim93 (Sep 10, 2011)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> well, honey, you look under the belly (thru the scope of the rifle)and if there are "man parts".......its usually a boy.


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## redtailgal (Sep 10, 2011)

x


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## KaleighMaeA (Sep 20, 2011)

Are you using in guardian animals in addition to the fence? I know they can and will get over a fence like that if they want whats inside bad enough.


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## greybeard (Oct 23, 2011)

4 ft fence won't even slow them down much. I live in San Jacinto County Tx and they cross the river and come thru my place every night, and they are in a very large pack--getting braver all the time too.  When I was younger, they were pretty shy and it was rare to get one to come within rifle range without a call, but nowdays, I see them even in broad daylight in open pasture, but usually in singles or pairs at the most. They'll pack up together at night tho. Haven't lost any calves yet, but it's not from their lack of trying. Pay close attention to rhe tails and ears of your stock. If you find dried blood or a tattered look to the hair on those extremities, it's a pretty good sign coytes have been after them.  I detest the things, but gotta admit they are interesting creatures--tho I still wouldn't pass up a chance to put one down with a rifle slug.


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## Rebbetzin (Oct 24, 2011)

Coyotes are very clever beasts. They work together in packs.  I have heard they use a female in heat to lure male guard dogs away from their flocks, then the pack will kill the dog. They do that here in the city where there are not many "prey" type animals for them anymore, except people's pets.


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## kstaven (Oct 24, 2011)

As much as I hate to say this, you're best defense is being a harder target than the guy down the road. Beyond that not much will stop a determined pack except a gun.


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## zzGypsy (Oct 25, 2011)

in So Cal they're a problem too... we had several nice lambs killed.  had a coyote trot right between me and one of my draft horses  20' away... in broad daylight.

AND we had 3 of our draft horses with multiple bites on their legs and jaw - fortunately no major damage but probably more than a dozen bites between the three horses.

sheep and horses were in a pasture with a 5' fence.  we stopped losing lambs when we penned the sheep in a small enclosure at night (just enough room for all the sheep to lay down).  I think that's too close quarters for a coyote to want to be in with adult sheep in the 200-300 lb range.  however, that was mid-summer, and I'm thinking that we might still have been at risk were it winter, with hungrier coyotes.

and a couple of years ago we lost most of our ducks and a couple of geese.  we had a fully fenced coop(sides, top) as well as 3' of wire skirted out from the pen. coyotes started digging *outside* the skirt and duck a 5' long, 1' deep trench in one night.

we're in MO now, and have moved to Coyote Central - there' are 3 major packs right around us.  I've got LGDs now - they're still pups, but so far, no losses.


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## 77Herford (Oct 25, 2011)

Simple answer, YES.


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## Queen Mum (Oct 26, 2011)

Just moved from Washington where we had lots of coyotes.  Never had a bit of problem with them there except for the chickens and ducks.  But then the bears kept them under control   Nothing like a 300 pound bear to keep the coyotes out of the pasture!   On the other hand, it was a real problem when my best milker was being dumb and instead of coming up to the barn with the rest of the herd, ran past one of those bears one day in a blind panic.  The bear did what bears and (any untrained dog) would do.  He chased her caught her and killed her.  He would have left her alone otherwise.  

Our big problem was feral dogs of the wolf hybrid variety.  WHAT A HEADACHE! They are hard to track, hard to corner, hard to shoot and they are extremely hard to trap!  They don't work in packs.  They work alone.  They disappear like greased lightening.  They rarely come out in the open in the daytime and they sneak in to the barns, fields and fences and pick off animals right under your darned nose.  They understand how people function and they are great at hiding from them. 

People use emu's and Llama's to control them and even that doesn't work well.


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## 77Herford (Oct 26, 2011)

kstaven said:
			
		

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## Queen Mum (Oct 26, 2011)

The males are the ones who scratch themselves a lot and lay around asking where the remote is, while the females are thin, and exhausted from trying to take care of the pups and feed the family.


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## jmsim93 (Oct 27, 2011)

LOL!!!  I'm really getting a little nervous going into the winter.  After reading some posts on the predator forum I'm realizing how vulnerable I am.  I lock up the girls at night but the door is only 4 ft tall.  I'm thinking I need to extend the door but I wanted good ventilation.  I bought a pyrenees but she is worthless!


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## Queen Mum (Oct 27, 2011)

jmsim93 said:
			
		

> LOL!!!  I'm really getting a little nervous going into the winter.  After reading some posts on the predator forum I'm realizing how vulnerable I am.  I lock up the girls at night but the door is only 4 ft tall.  I'm thinking I need to extend the door but I wanted good ventilation.  I bought a pyrenees but she is worthless!


So for the ventilation put a piece of cattle panel at the top of the door like a screen door, sort of.  And get a Siberian Husky.  I had one before I moved down to Texas and she was the BEST livestock guard dog EVER!   Maybe she was an exception, but she was awesome!  She kept the darned wolf hybrids and the bears at BAY!  Sixty pounds of fearless fury.  Speed, agility, tough, non-stop sweetheart of a dog.  She couldn't herd to save her life, but she adopted the herd as her pack and protected them to N'th degree.


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## jmsim93 (Oct 29, 2011)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

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hmmm....something to think about!!!


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## memela (Oct 29, 2011)

We have yotes here also. They are really bad. But so far no attacks on the animals yet. but I'm looking for a couple of donkeys. they will keep them away from your herd.


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## simplynewt (Nov 13, 2011)

They are here in multitudes as well and I hear them just about every night. I fret for my does and my hens as I have heard stories of them getting through just about anything to get to your farmed families. Once I went outside on  the back deck at night and turned on the back porch light and when I opened the back door, I heard a big splash and seen something scooting across the creek at a high rateof speed. Then when it got across to the other side, I seen a pair of yellowish eyes peering back at me for a moinute and then slowly eased off.

I could only imagine that it was a Cyote looking for a goat dinner. I didnt get much sleep that night cause the deck chair was uncomfortable and the shotgun is not to good when used as a pillow.


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## bonbean01 (Nov 13, 2011)

We heard coyotes here (Northeast Mississippi) when our first ewe had her first lamb...I had no idea we had them in the area until then and it sounded like there were quite a few of them.  DH bundled up warmly and drove the car to the lambing jug, kept the door open (it was cold!) with his gun ready just in case.  We do have their night area very well lit all night and didn't see any.  Next ewe had her lamb, and the coyotes started up again, as they did with the next birth.  Makes for long, cold nights, but they didn't get howling again except the nights a lamb was born.  They must smell the fluids?  We have field wire in their night area with three wire strands of electric fence on the outside of that.  Thinking of putting an electric wire also on top of the field wire.  Just so much you can do...we've been lucky so far.


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## MonsterMalak (Dec 16, 2011)

A good dog or two might allow you to get some more sleep.....

they do not mind staying up all night.  And will work for Kibble and Love.


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## fortheloveofgoats (Dec 16, 2011)

My parents are having the same problem with their cows. They just had some babies, so the coyotes are hanging out even more. The coyotes are getting a lot more adventurous, and getting closer. Their neighbor had a dog that chased them off, but it turned out it was a coyote luring it to the pack, and the pack killed the dog. My parent's didn't like having to kill them, since they look so much like a dog, and they know that coyotes are good in the fact that they keep the rats, rabbits, and ground squirrels down (which is what they have been having problems with as well) but when they are threatening the babies, they have no other choice. They started shooting at them, just to scare them away, that worked at first, but they are coming back. So the next one they see, will be the one that they have to shoot.


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## redtailgal (Dec 16, 2011)

We had a yote cross the road in front of the house today, heading towards our pasture.......and my goats.

Fortunately, it didnt like the welded wire fence around the goats, and chose to go thru the hotwire into the cow pasture.

It made it thru the fence (after getting zapped a couple times) and got in there with the calves.......and their mother's. 

Momma cows do not like coyotes.  It left limping and in a pretty quick hurry!

It is lucky I was out there without a gun.


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## tamsflock (Dec 22, 2011)

fortheloveofgoats said:
			
		

> My parents are having the same problem with their cows. They just had some babies, so the coyotes are hanging out even more. The coyotes are getting a lot more adventurous, and getting closer. Their neighbor had a dog that chased them off, but it turned out it was a coyote luring it to the pack, and the pack killed the dog. My parent's didn't like having to kill them, since they look so much like a dog, and they know that coyotes are good in the fact that they keep the rats, rabbits, and ground squirrels down (which is what they have been having problems with as well) but when they are threatening the babies, they have no other choice. They started shooting at them, just to scare them away, that worked at first, but they are coming back. So the next one they see, will be the one that they have to shoot.


I just had this happen to my 3 year old Pyrenees sweetest dog. So now I am on the rampage kill all coyotes all are bad and this year has been the worse they are coming out in the day time and don't seem to be afraid to see us just sit there and look.


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## HappyMamaAcre (Apr 18, 2012)

Our property backs up to county-owned open space and we frequently see coyotes and fox out there.  I've got a six foot welded wire fence around our acre and a mutt of a dog that likes to chase things.  We've never had a coyote jump the fence to get the chickens, but I'm about to add a goat and a pot-bellied pig to the family.  They'll be contained on two sides with the 6' fence and two interior sides with a 4' no climb fence.  

I've toyed with the idea of leaving the chicken pop door open at night to allow them into their protected run in the morning.  Maybe I'll wait on that one...

We have LOADS of bunnies around and the old-time chicken farmers in the neighborhood say it's the hawks I need to worry about.  They also say that the coyotes around here don't bother trying to jump over a fence with a goat in their mouth.  I don't know...


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## elevan (Apr 18, 2012)

HappyMamaAcre said:
			
		

> Our property backs up to county-owned open space and we frequently see coyotes and fox out there.  I've got a six foot welded wire fence around our acre and a mutt of a dog that likes to chase things.  We've never had a coyote jump the fence to get the chickens, but I'm about to add a goat and a pot-bellied pig to the family.  They'll be contained on two sides with the 6' fence and two interior sides with a 4' no climb fence.
> 
> I've toyed with the idea of leaving the chicken pop door open at night to allow them into their protected run in the morning.  Maybe I'll wait on that one...
> 
> We have LOADS of bunnies around and the old-time chicken farmers in the neighborhood say it's the hawks I need to worry about.  They also say that the coyotes around here don't bother trying to jump over a fence with a goat in their mouth.  I don't know...


If they are hungry enough they certainly will go for the easy prey that will be your pig and goat.  If you can I would add a top line of electric fence.


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## BrownSheep (Apr 19, 2012)

We are surrounded by coyotes. There is BLM land to the south of us, and of course they all hang about the river that borders us to the south as well. Their is also a pack to the north of us. Luckily there is easier pickings then our sheep, and most of them don't seem to be to eager to meet the source of the barking on our property. The few that have run verrrrrry fast. Oddly enough two St. Bernards aren't that great of a welcoming party. 

I'm amazed that some of you have coydogs. That is more of a myth in my area.


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## redtailgal (Apr 19, 2012)

Coydogs are definately not a myth around here, lol.  A few years ago, one of the neighbors walked out to find his lab "locked up" (breeding) a coyote female.  The coyote had DUG into his kennel to bred to him.  She died.

This is gonna gross some of you out.  Sorry bout that.  :/

We were having some issues with coyotes and coydogs coming onto our property.  One day, I saw one "marking" our fence line.  I thought "Oh, NO you didnt just do that!" lol.  

Soooo, here is the gross part...........I have my boys and husband "mark" the fence line now.  The fence at the road is a little harder to mark, so they pee in a bottle and pour it on.

Anyway, apparently man pee is really disgusting stuff to the wild critters.........NOTHING is coming in anymore. NOTHING, not even raccoons.

Hey, it works, AND it's free.


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## zzGypsy (Apr 19, 2012)

I've heard mixed reviews on the man-pee thing... some folks get good results, others, not so much.  one friend said he carefully marked his fence and then spent a couple of nights out well into dark just to see what he could see...  what he saw was the coyote marking right on top of it!  not slowing his coyotes down at all.  
i dunno, maybe he needs to eat more garlic...

in the high desert, we had coyotes dig under 3' skirts of chicken wire, chew through chicken wire, dig under hot wire, climb chain link...

had an attack on our 2000 lb draft horses last year - one had more than a dozen bites, two others had half a dozen bites each.  what posesses coyotes to think they can take down a draft horse is beyond me.  we were afraid they might have been rabid because it's just not typical.  horses healed up fine, vet suggested it might have been coydogs, instincts aren't quite right on some of them. didn't think the bites and tracks were right for dogs... size and look of the bites and tracks looked like coyotes.

we've had coyotes kill lambs inside a containment area and eat them in there before climbing back out... a guard dog inside the containment area would have helped.  right now we're surrounded by coyotes - 3 big packs, and we hear them within a quarter mile, or in the neighbor's yards, every single night.  I've got a young pyranese out with the goats and sheep, put them all out together about a month ago, we've had no issues with Lucy out there.  she's settling nicely into her job, still needs to mature, but seems to get the program.  she's quick to get up and bark back at the coyotes when they sound too close.

re: goats and going over fences... last year one of my friends in the high desert had a nice yearling lamancha buck go missing out of a 6'6" fenced area.  just gone without a trace.  we couldn't figure it out - not the one out of the herd you'd steal, and no trace of how it got out. gates all closed and secured.  about 3 weeks later it showed up - thin, and with clear cat-bite marks, half way healed.  best we can figure is that a mountain lion carried that 140 lb goat out over the fence without leaving any blood, any tracks, any hair on the fence.  and then somehow didn't quite finish the job.  carted the goat far enough off that it took it weeks to find it's way home, but didn't manage to kill it.  

quite scary that *any* thing could jump a 6'6" fence carying a 140lb goat in it's mouth...


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## BrownSheep (Apr 19, 2012)

I've come to the conclusion my coyotes are wimps. I'm fine with this. You all can keep your crazy chupacabre coyotes. I am how ever waiting for the wolves to start migrating .Its common knowledge there are wolves 30 miles from us over the foothills. They have running prey our way that generally isn't here. There was a bull moose walking around last summer which was FAR normal. 
As for the Man marking. There war only 4 creatures here that are manly enough to do that. 2 are rams, and ones a dog, and my father isn't allowed


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