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Tina goes out every night just after dark to close the gate to the Guinea Pen as they go up after the sun sets. They free range all day to eat bugs and snakes and keep the place a bit safer. She also insures the door between the run and the coop is down as the chickens go up to roost inside the coop as it gets dark. They no longer free range but have that large enclosed run to protect them.

When she goes down at night, she may see a possum or racoon around the barn or coop area scavenging for spilled chicken feed where the guineas sling it out, or the chickens got overly aggressive scratching in the run. Every now and then she will even see an armadillo in the area. They will all try and steal a fowl if they can. No problem, there are solutions.

After dark, it's common to hear the various coyote packs yipping at each other. Country Music so to speak. Tonight, as the yotes were singing to one another, she heard a single long howl from a wolf. The coyotes all shut up. Done. Guess a Wolf Howl Trumps a Coyote Pack.

No wolves here, but we have plenty of yotes and coy-dogs.

Last year, on one warm evening, I lit a nice fire in our firepit out back behind the house. It sits at the top of a field that runs about 350 yards east of the firepit, and that field is about 30-40 feet in elevation lower than where the fire pit is. So we're sitting there talking, me tending the fire, and her playing on her phone a little. She had a bluetooth speaker, with music playing, and I asked her to shut it off so we could just enjoy the sounds of the fire, and the rest of nature in the background. We have lots of owls, and I like hearing their different hoots, and show off by telling her what each one is. Then, right after she shut off the music, a bunch of yotes all started yipping and barking, and howling somewhere down along the field below us. Completely freaked her out, and that was that for hanging out by the fire. LOL

The coyotes around here a are non native, invasive species. DNR practically begs the hunters to take them during hunting season.

clovishound wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 24, 2026 8:46 am

The coyotes around here a are non native, invasive species. DNR practically begs the hunters to take them during hunting season.

There isn't a season on coyotes (or feral hogs here,) unless you consider "open" a season.

Yup, we can't free range the chickens. It's like ringing the dinner bell.
We keep a close eye on Fiona, and farmers watch the newborn/young calves, sheep, and goats. You'll see a number of livestock guardian dog breeds in among them, and donkeys, lots of donkeys scattered among them as well.

In CT, Coyotes are the only animal that can be hunted all year with no bag limit (no hunting on Sunday). There are between 3K and 5K roaming the state, with well established populations in every town. They are a greater nuisance and threat to domestic and wild animals than black bears (which cannot be hunted at all). Happily, there are no wolves in CT... yet.

Around here the coyotes get to yapping, the dogs get to barking, the owls hoot. That is a nightly concert in my area!

clovishound wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 24, 2026 8:46 am

The coyotes around here a are non native, invasive species. DNR practically begs the hunters to take them during hunting season.

I too have a problem with coyotes in South Carolina. I don't see quail coveys anymore since the coyote have become more common. Since the end of deer season, I have spent several days on my food plots in hopes of killing a coyote. Within the last week, one came out of a woodline but by the time I got my rifle up, he was back into the woods. They don't seem to stop moving.

I have not been using my ancient predator call but I am going to dust it off.

My wife said "The quick grey coyote jumped over the old grey hunter".

We have coywolves here. I hear them nightly for months and then nothing for months. Right now I’m hearing them.

I thought for sure this thread was going to get locked when I saw the title…

Coach wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 24, 2026 2:43 pm

I thought for sure this thread was going to get locked when I saw the title…

Me too Coach, until I saw the author.

We have coyotes. They are getting more pronounced here. The pheasants are gone. I don't see as many grouse. The rabbits are down. I've yet to see one on my place. They talk in the mornings here. Later in the year, at dusk.

The coyotes are quiet during the day here. But start the music just after dark and sing for a couple hours. They do hunt all hours however, day or night.

Later this summer we will get an incredibly loud symphony of crickets. It’s amazing how loud they can be. And also below where we live there is a small lake/big pond and the frogs will start up their croaking and that is pretty loud too. Coyotes of course and lots of song birds. But my favorite of them all are the ravens. It’s amazing what a variety of sounds they produce. I used to love watching and listening to them when hunting and I’m happy we have a half dozen or so that hang around here at home.

Loudest thing we have are the Guineas. They are noisy, and never shut up talking among the group as they comb through the property in search of snakes, bugs, etc. People, vehicles, etc... Show up... They all start screaming.

That same night I posted about, with the coyotes chasing my GF back to the house, I stayed out to let the fire burn down. About a half hour later, it's just embers and I can just let that go without worry. But I decided to see if I could catch sight of anything down at the bottom of the fields below the house. This was in late June I think, and the hay was growing again after being cut around Memorial Day. I'm looking down a few hundred yards of waist high grass, and with my eyes now adjusted to the darkness, it was incredible how many lightning bugs were in the air. Words can't describe that sight, it's like the whole field had twinkling Christmas lights strung over it. Had to be millions of them. I wish I knew enough about photography to get a long exposure picture of that. One of the most amazing things I've seen. Tried to get my GF to come see it, but it takes about 15 minutes for your eyes to open enough, and that just wasn't happening.

When we shine a powerful light across the yard, we get a hundred tiny green eyes staring back from grass level. When we first moved here, I thought it was dew on the grass. Now, I know it's tarantulas that come out of their holes at night. Yup, we have a lot of them. I'll see if I can get a picture.

I'd like yo see that, Marine.

RP

Tarantulas???

YIKES!!!!!

I'll bet my Henry garden gun could take care of a few of those tarantulas.

daytime dave wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:39 pm

I'll bet my Henry garden gun could take care of a few of those tarantulas.

Yup, but you'd use a lot of ammo.