coyote with staghounds

[Kye 77]

Driving home yesterday afternoon we saw a pair of coyotes in the soybean field in front of the house. Pedal to the metal on a gravel county road is not the best idea, but what the feck, we had 3 staghounds in kennels just waiting for an opportunity like this! My stepson has never seen the dogs course quarry in daylight before so we were extra jazzed for this opportunity.

 

We got to the house, let the dogs out to empty out QUICKLY before loading them up in our trusty little truck. We couldn’t see the coyotes anymore but we went up one side of the property to look, then turned around and went down and across towards the government land that borders our neighbor’s farm. Still not seeing them, I started giving out a few F's and C's, quickly followed by a big “Y E S! Is that them? Is it? Can you see them?†The wife squints, says something about “Umm, I don’t know, is it?†Then I could see them a few hundred yards off.

 

I was driving, wife in the back, the boy was riding shotgun. I drove across one farm that we have permission on as the field hasn’t been planted yet, and it was the quickest way to drop the dogs relatively fresh. The windows were dirty and full of nose prints, so to see better we rolled down the windows, we have to be careful of the dogs as they know what it means to be near open windows as we hunt them out of the truck all the time. The field in question has a drainage trench winding through it so if we didn’t get close enough to drop the dogs before the coyotes made it through the woodland and some off-limit property, there wouldn’t be much chance to complete this predator removal task that the farmers around here appreciate.

 

A couple of hundred yards away the pair splits up, I chose the one arcing back right towards the first road and our house, and sped up and turned as we are about to hit the drainage bit of the field. At this point the dogs have seen the coyote and unfortunately the wife was scooting back while still leaning forward to block dogs from bailing out the back window when Slag launches between the front seats and right over the boy and out the window. All fine and dandy except I was driving about 25 miles an hour so with some yelps and spectacular somersaults she hit the field. As she she's already minus front toes the wife was worried about the impact. I slammed on the brakes and Tor bailed out the window to follow Slag, who by this time had regained her footing and realized that she had been doing something … oh yeah, there was a coyote around here somewhere! Blister was still in the truck, so the wife moved back and gee’d him on out the window. He hit the ground running and quickly approached where Slag had reached the coyote and had the side of its face. Tor hit it, second later Blister was there to help out. The three of them made quick work of it, and Tor even retrieved it to me after it was finished. We were happy to see it was a barren bitch nearing the end of her prime. The boy was smiling, and we were over the moon with the good job the dogs had done. Slag wasn’t limping, although she is a bit sore today. They each had a couple of nicks, nothing big, all in all it was a good evening.

 

Here is the field in question

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dogs with the coyote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blister and the coyote,...a good head comparison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The terriers felt left out so we let the 4 lads have their fun … Gimp, Spider, Demon and Tranny

 

 

 

 

_________________

 

 

 

 

Never in my life have i respected an animal as much as the coyote as a quarry...when she knew she couldnt out run the dogs, she turned and faced them...no whinning, no noise...not like a coon or Badger (USA)...I have been bitten buy the bug, and i CANT WAIT for next season!..

 

Just wanna say a HUGE thanks to Badger,...he bred me some great dogs, and all his advise regarding these dogs has paid off...A BETTER DOG MAN WOULD BE HARD TO FIND!...thanks, your a real mate!

 

Kye,..

Edited April 6, 2007 by Kye

[Running 7]

very nice get that man a drink the dogs done you proud there

[Mitch 0]

Thats Fantastic. How big are your staghounds mate?

[Kye 77]

Slag (the smooth coated, dark brindle bitch) is 25" and about 65lbs...Tor (Rough coated, wheaten coloured bitch with no tail) is 31" and about 70lbs...Blister (rough coated, light brindle dog) is 29" and 70lbs...

 

When the dogs are well and truly wed to coyotes they will only be doubled up, not tribled up...but i have put alot of time into these dogs, so i have taken my time to enter them wright...i think once there going just two would be fine, while still being sporting and humane on the quarry...i wanna get another stag, so then we ill have four...a brace for each side of the truck then..

 

Thanks for the comments guys!!...the credit should realy go to Badger though...the man breeds some good dogs!...

 

Kye,..

[breeze 1,308]

Great post and pic's Kye.... Just one question who came up with the names Tranny, Gimp, Slag ??? It wasn't

J.Darcey was it... LOL

[Guest Frank]

Thats an impressive coyote. And their natural pray, as wolfs in the wild do on occassions.

 

Frank.

[Paul in North Lincs 15]

great write up...................sounds likeyou really enjoyd that bit of sport!

[TOMO 26,208]

havn't seen you post much latly, always nice to hear about running dogs in other countrys,

 

you been doing much with the hares? TOMO

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

Well done Kye

 

Nice photos and great read. How much would that coyote weigh?

[Guest mucker]

cracking read kye

[Simoman 110]

Great read Kye, the dogs must need some real bottle even doubled up to take on and finish something that big

[Kye 77]

Hi Breeze..lol...good names eh?...just need a fe more so i can call em 'Porno' and 'Slut'..lol.

 

Done quite a bit on the hares last season, before i moved to the Mid-West,...the brindle male is a very good dog on them...not many dogs you can lamp rabbits with all night, give him a day off, then catch 2-3 daytime hares singlehanded, give him a day off, then run some coyotes..lol...i LOVE that dog!..lol.

 

Tor, the wheaten bitch, had a rough season...she has broekn her tail (TWICE) broke her neck, got bitten buy a snake, and numerous other little dings and scrapes...but she is summat special...she had all her ancestors cheering her on when she was necking that yote!!..lol.

 

The yote was a shade under 30lbs...average size for around here...i know of a guy who runs Hounds (Running Walkers-ScentHounds) and he has them regular over 40lbs, and had a few last year over 47lbs...i would say 30-40lbs is your normal yote in my area...a truly great animal to hunt with Sighthounds!..

 

Kye,..

[Simoman 110]

Kye, Whats the country like for running? Is it mainly open where you are? I read Dutch Salmons book on American coursing, very good read. Do you come across many snakes out there

[J Darcy 5,871]

good on ya Kye....

[F.R. 2]

Those are some nice dogs Kye, I know how good Tor is but that Blister is a special dog.......glad they did so well for you but they're a credit to your getting them fit and on fur.