Posted on 11/23/2014 4:43:55 AM PST by marktwain
The boy’s dog ran away when the coyote approached which left the boy to fend off the coyote’s attack on his own. After repeatedly punching the coyote in the nose, the coyote eventually ran off leaving the boy scratched and potentially bitten. As a precautionary measure, the teen is undergoing a course of rabies shots intended to thwart the deadly viral infection.The second coyote attack occurred just a couple of days ago, near Greenland, NH. In this case the woman's dog was an able defender, and gunshots failed to drive off the animal. From wmur.com:
The woman involved in the Monday morning attack didn't want to be identified. Her 4-year-old dog, Mac, has too many wounds to count and is wearing a pain patch on his hind leg but was credited with fighting off the coyote.
The woman and her dog were attacked while they were walking in a field on her property. Her husband heard her screams and drove his truck to separate them from the wild animal.
"He fired off a couple of shots," said Police Chief Tara Laurent. "Not at the coyote, because it was near his wife, but he shot off a couple of rounds thinking it would scare the animal off, which is usually the case. And it didn't seem to faze the coyote in this particular case.The attack occurred in a rural area of fields and forest. No mention is made of the make, model, or caliber of the firearm used.
I’m not a reporter, but for years I listened to one on the radio. A VERY successful reporter named Howie Carr. He taught me that good reporters get the basic facts. In this case, the caliber of gun is one of those facts. It’s both interesting and pertinent.
& btw, did you notice a reader wondering about that very fact? That is because it IS interesting and pertinent, and the reporter left it out. The correct response is not, ‘Nobody should care!’. It is, ‘Obviously some readers care, and since the fact would have been simple to ascertain and not at all space-consuming, it should have been included.’
Maybe I should have said “it’s not pertinent to the shooting”
It is a fact. But so is that the sun came up this morning.
The make, model and caliber of the firearm used would do much to explain why the husband did not simply shoot the coyote.
Actually, seems like he did not shoot the coyote because he feared hitting his wife by mistake:
FTA: “He fired off a couple of shots,” said Police Chief Tara Laurent. “Not at the coyote, because it was near his wife, but he shot off a couple of rounds thinking it would scare the animal off....
Shimmer, I’m not a firearms expert. I know this, however, the sound a .22 caliber handgun makes is not in the same ballpark as the sound of a .44 caliber. Now I wonder, what level of noise/decibels did the coyote ignore? The relatively muted sound of a small caliber handgun, or the hand-held canon sound of large caliber handgun?
Perhaps you can answer this question. I consider it fundamentally pertinent to the story.
Had 2 big coyotes on my front yard last summer- took the 22 and sprayed all around them- they just stood there growling- they have no fear of small cal guns.
Now there`s a mountain lion attacking the horses.
`nother problem
If the coyote is near to your wife, it makes a large difference if you have a scoped varmint rifle or a small pistol.
I will bow to your interest, just because I don’t see how it matters, doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to others, you. Ok. bad reporting.
I camped out by myself with the bears, mountain lions, lynx’s , wolves and coyotes on the Yukon River for a month this summer and will again 3 months this year.
The pros (guides) and gun retailers told me to carry a pump shotgun with triple ought buck AND SLUGS in a magnum cartridge loaded alternately in the magazine.
So, I bought the basic Remington pump. A large caliber pistol would be a darn sight easier to lug around all day but if a bears charging you few people they say can stay cool and make a good shot.
So far, the bears see me (and I see them) a long way off and disappear, thankfully. I hear wolves and coyotes in the very short dusk nights but have not seen any. I did see one Lynx. Beautiful animal! Hard to see!
Going to sleep by yourself is concerning. About 4 hours at one time is all I can do. Plus, you have to wear a blindfold to block out the light. That’s not a feel good thing either.
We are lousy with coyotes here in GA and in the suburbs. Some are part dog and larger. We have had a couple of them take a run at our Chuhuahua while out walking but scared them off. Oncea coyote followed me home as I was walking our Beagle. Mr. GG2 went out to his truck awhile later and it was sitting behind our garbage can. We take a gun just walking around the neighborhood.
Well, less than optimal reporting, anyway. There’s nothing to lose by including that info, and something to be gained. I.e.: probably most readers won’t care, but will not be affected by the inclusion of this detail. For those who do care, it will be a definite bonus.
So I guess you could call it a not-lose/win situation (to include the caliber).
Btw, I’m curious as to what breed of dog ran away, and left the boy to fend for himself. I can see excluding the dog’s name in that situation. It didn’t cover itself with glory that day. Still I’m curious as to how big it was, and whether the breed is normally protective or not. I had a Sheltie once, 28 lbs, who would have faced a grizzly for me. Not exaggerating. But he was a one in a million dog. Not many like him around.
I love dogs. I have a cat, because I just can’t deal with a dog at this point in my life, but I really love dogs.
I have a Ragdoll cat, and they often have a dog-like personality. :D
Cats and dogs—I love them both. I’ve never had a ragdoll but I have an ally cat with lynx-point coloration. He is tall, lean and elegant. He was starving as a kitten, and sneaked in through my friend’s cat door to seek food. The friend brought him to me, and he’s been my special cat ever since. I call him Bang-Bang...long story.
Mine is a lynx point Ragdoll! I got him from a Rescue organization, Rescue Me, not one of those where they investigate your life and home either.
His name is Ollie, after the lead character in Arrow. My grown son named him.
Hey I live in GA too! :D
I had a lab mix for years that was one of the most mind mannered easy going dogs I have ever owned or known. She would come completely unhinged at coyotes. Hell on Wheels, she once took three of the on at the same time. Fortunately I was able to dispatch them before she got into trouble.
Great adventure!
http://www.floppycats.com/ragdoll-cat-pic.html
This pic in the middle of the page looks so much like Ollie, it could be him. Right down to the tiger colored nose.
Should be shooting to keep the animal where it stood.
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