Coyote and birds interaction

[bwhana]

I witnessed a first for me this morning.  I was watching 2 hens feeding in a mowed clover plot when they started putting.  I saw a coyote pop out of the brush and walk toward them, fully expecting the birds to run or fly away.  Instead, they stood still and the yote steadily walked by them at less than 10 yds without stopping and left the field.  They went back to feeding instantly.  Likely just a situation where the element of surprise was blown and not worth the energy on his part to try for a kill?  He was out of range or I would have shot him.  Anyone else witness this type of behavior and are coyotes really a threat just to poults and not adult birds for the most part?

[JeffC]

Great picture. Wiley C will take anything he can get, yes mature bird out in open is not worth the effort. Hen sitting on nest, poults or injured bird is dinner.

[Turkeytider]

According to Dr. Mike Chamberlain, UGA biologist, turkey hunter and researcher in turkey biology and predation, coyotes are not top predators of healthy adult turkeys. Doesn`t mean they never take one as they are great opportunists. Bobcat is a whole different story as is, interestingly, the great horned owl.

[TrackeySauresRex]

I was deer hunting in Pennsylvania over 20 years ago. I was in a tree stand and a flock of forty birds come marching through. 20 pass and go down the face of the mountain scratching purring and peeping. The next 20 come by scratching talking turkey talk as well. A lone coyote comes into the picture. 6 maybe 8 BIG mature hens in a stiff aggressive posture surrounded this coyote and said DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! It was amazing site to see. That coyote ran off!

[ferocious calls]

Large Adult experienced coyotes that learn to hunt turkey can be deadly to a flock, especially if other prey is in short supply.  Imagine if you knew how to ambush, and most of us do, and you had the stealth of an adult experienced coyote.  How many strutters could you touch?

[Paulmyr]

Large Adult experienced coyotes that learn to hunt turkey can be deadly to a flock, especially if other prey is in short supply.  Imagine if you knew how to ambush, and most of us do, and you had the stealth of an adult experienced coyote.  How many strutters could you touch?

With only my mouth to kill them with compared to toenails/spurs  raking,wings beating, and beaks pecking. Id have give close thought to how important my eyes were to me and balance that with the chance of losing one for a meal. Even the perfect ambush might not allow me to avoid them.

[Kylongspur88]

I've seen coyotes attempt to stalk birds on several occasions and they're just not very good at it. They're great mousers and can pickoff hens on the nest but alert birds on their feet are a hard target. I also witnessed a bobcat stalk 2 gobblers once while deer hunting. That was one of the coolest experiences I've had in the woods. That cat moved across dry leave like a snake and was completely silent using trees and bushes as cover. He got to within about 10 yards of the birds when I decided to ruin his dinner and scared them all off (bobcats weren't in season). Owls and hawks are hell on the young birds.

[2flyfish4]

Deer hunting in the winter i watch 6-8 longbeards follow and pester a 30 lb bobcat. I shot the bobcat so know the weight is accurate. Those toms had no fear of the bobcat as there followed him down a trial almost seemingly chasing him out of their territory. They were no more that 10-15 yards behind the cat clucking and flapping f their wings at the cat.

[Turkeybutt]

Great photo thanks for sharing.
Work with what you got and know your limitations.... Smart coyote!

[ferocious calls]

My 49lb dog will kill a turkey like it is his job. Even large red fox will try. We must have bold or hungry coyotes here. To a large experienced coyote, turkeys are prey. No doubt about it.

[greentrout]

My 49lb dog will kill a turkey like it is his job. Even large red fox will try. We must have bold or hungry coyotes here. To a large experienced coyote, turkeys are prey. No doubt about it.

Are you seeing this with the birds you raise? I have seen a coyote attempt a hen as well, at sunrise even, and he was too slow through the woods to catch her and once she made the open field flew off. I think coyotes work best taking down bigger prey when acting like wolves using partners.

[trkehunr93]

Had a bird working down a ridge to cross a creek and come into the field I was in, confident he would pitch across.  See movement to my left and watch a coyote make a b line across the field, cutting his head to look at my decoys as he crossed and then once he hit the creek bank I hear putts and no more gobbler.  They might not be skilled at taking down a turkey but they are skilled at screwing up hunts. 


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[turkey_slayer]

I've seen coyotes attempt to stalk birds on several occasions and they're just not very good at it. They're great mousers and can pickoff hens on the nest but alert birds on their feet are a hard target. I also witnessed a bobcat stalk 2 gobblers once while deer hunting. That was one of the coolest experiences I've had in the woods. That cat moved across dry leave like a snake and was completely silent using trees and bushes as cover. He got to within about 10 yards of the birds when I decided to ruin his dinner and scared them all off (bobcats weren't in season). Owls and hawks are hell on the young birds.

This. Yotes get a bad rap for deer and turkey. They're scavengers. If all the encounters I've seen the turkeys usually holds their ground and the coyote continues on. They're just not equipped for birds. They'll get an occasional deer but I seriously doubt it amounts to a hill of beans. A nesting hen yeah or one gets cornered at a fence just cause they get plumb ignorant for some reason when spooked at an obstacle that they've probably crossed hundreds of times. They just completed a study here on fawn mortality. Yotes got 1, bobcats got 3 and bears got 70%. Would love to know how bears affect nests and nesting hens.

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[Marc]

I have called in coyotes multiple times while turkey hunting...  Generally in tight cover where they can ambush the birds.  I think in open ground, both critters know that not much is going to happen.

I agree with turkey_slayer though...  Yotes probably are not that much of an impact on turkeys...  And I would argue in my area, probably a net benefit.  They eat egg-eaters (such as raccoons and opossums), they also take some piglets from feral pigs (which are horrible nest destroyers), they also keep bobcats in check, and their main food source is rodents (which share much of the same food sources as turkeys and other wild game).

Bobcats are probably better at taking turkeys, but they also need cover for an ambush...  Was hunting with by BIL, and we saw a bobcat coming our direction with bad intentions...  However, before he got to us, he took advantage of a squirrel that was not paying attention.  His hunting antics bumped the birds we were hunting though.

Owls, crows, ravens, and feral pigs are probably the biggest threats in my area, followed by raccoons, opossums, and skunks as egg eaters.

[ferocious calls]

My 49lb dog will kill a turkey like it is his job. Even large red fox will try. We must have bold or hungry coyotes here. To a large experienced coyote, turkeys are prey. No doubt about it.

Are you seeing this with the birds you raise? I have seen a coyote attempt a hen as well, at sunrise even, and he was too slow through the woods to catch her and once she made the open field flew off. I think coyotes work best taking down bigger prey when acting like wolves using partners.

Yes. I have 3,4 and 5 yr old toms that will fight my dog until it is broken up. He has roughed up a few and killed 2 before I could intervene. I would not let my dog fight a large coyote if possible. Last time; Large experienced coyotes have no trouble taking any turkey they want if they can get ahold of it.