# Peeing in the back yard to scare off coyotes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861 "2005-05-28T05:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/81 "2006-03-14T20:55:44Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Peeing in the back yard to scare off coyotes I tried explaining it slowly and clearly, but neither the Homeowners’ Association nor the Department of Health was having any. ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/82 "2006-03-14T23:43:42Z")
> [@Steve MB](#): > > I tried explaining it slowly and clearly, but neither the Homeowners’ Association nor the Department of Health was having any. That is why I’ll never live in an area with a HomeOwner’s association. Telling me when I can or can’t urinate in my own backyard. Grumble grumble… cabin in the woods… grumble grumble… show them alll… (Not implying anything about **SteveMB**. Just personal rant about HOAs.) ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/83 "2006-03-15T01:05:53Z")
I’ve just read through this thread and I tend to think DrDeth has a point and Blake and I.Wombat (my favourite animal BTW) are being pedantic. Just let it go already! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/84 "2006-03-15T01:48:35Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > A pal o mine works for the Department of Natural Resources here in Saint Paul. He says you can tell when Coyotes have moved up the river bottom, because the neighborhoods surrounding mine have missing cat signs popping up all over. The apartment building I used to live in sat on the edge of a canyon in San Diego…not a rural area, either. You could hear coyotes often at night, and see them wandering around checking out the patios. New tennants were routinely told to keep their cats indoors. Those who igored the warning usually put up their “missing cat” signs within a week. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/85 "2006-03-15T02:03:04Z")
> [@MelCthefirst](#): > > I’ve just read through this thread and I tend to think DrDeth has a point and Blake and I.Wombat (my favourite animal BTW) are being pedantic. Just let it go already! This is GQ, it is expected that your responses are factual, not baseless opinion. If you think that he has a point when he says that land predators don’t generally prey on other land predators then present some facts to that end. The journal reference says that predators eating other predators is ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems. Can you even explain how it can be both ubiquitous and not generally non-existent? Dr Deth’s own reference says that coyotes are agressive towards smaller predators and avoid othe predators. His own reference shows that carnivores routinely show up in the stomach contents of other arnivores. If you think he has a point when he says that opossums and shrews are neither predators nor carnivores then present some facts to that end. I have presented references where zoologists state clearly that shrews and opossums are both carnivores and predators. Can you provide some facts to support your apparent belief that they are neither? In short MelC, do you have anything factual to contribute to this GQ thread, or is your entire contribution baseless opinion? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/86 "2006-03-15T03:57:02Z")
> [@MelCthefirst](#): > > I’ve just read through this thread and I tend to think DrDeth has a point… This entire debate comes down to **DrDeth** ’s first post in this thread, which included the statement: > [@DrDeth](#): > > in general, land carnivores don’t prey on other land carnivores. This statement has been proven false over and over and over, and **DrDeth** keeps trying to move the target (“yeah, _mammals_, I just meant mammals”). Every time he moves it, he’s proven wrong again. Exactly what is this “point” that **DrDeth** has, **MelCthefirst**? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/87 "2006-03-15T05:05:13Z")
Interference interactions, co-existence and conservation of mammalian carnivores JOHN D. C. LINNELL\* and OLAV STRAND Diversity and Distributions (2000) 6, 169–176 > [@](#): > > Three studies of remnant populations of San Joaquin kit foxes ( V. macrotis mutica ) in California found that large canid predation (mainly by coyotes) was responsible for between 75% and 90% of mortality among radio-collared kit foxes (Cypher & Scrivner, 1992; Eliason & Berry, 1994; Ralls & White, 1995)…… > > High coyote densities have also caused problems for two high-profile reintroduction projects involving black-footed ferrets ( Mustela nigripes ) and swift foxes ( V. velox ). Radio-telemetry documented that the dominant cause of mortality (100% and 91% of mortality where cause was identified, respectively) among released individuals was predation from other predators, mainly coyotes (Carbyn et al. , 1994; Clark, 1994)…… So here we have clear evidence that predation by coyotes is responsible for in excess of 75% of the total mortaility of three differnt carnivore species. Yet Dr. Deth and MelC still want us to believe that coyotes avoid other predators. The potential for interspecific competition among African carnivores T. M. Caro and C. J. Stoner Biological Conservation Volume 110, Issue 1 , March 2003, Pages 67-75 > [@](#): > > We found that, on average, African carnivores might be killed and eaten by 8.6 (SE=0.8) other species. The species potentially most vulnerable to interspecific consumption were the zorilla and slender mongoose (potentially eaten by 33 species each), dwarf mongoose (27), and desert dwarf mongoose and Pousargues’ mongoose (Dologale dybowskii; 21 each), African linsang (Pioana richardsoni; 18), and Alexander’s cusimanse (Crossarchus alexandri; 16). The mean dropped to 5.4 (SE=0.5) species using the \>33% range overlap cut-off. Interference interactions, co-existence and conservation of mammalian carnivores JOHN D. C. LINNELL\* and OLAV STRAND Diversity and Distributions (2000) 6, 169–176 > [@](#): > > Until intensive field work was carried out the reasons why cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) occur at low density had long been a subject of concern among conservationists. Cub mortality between birth and independence averaged 95%, of which 73% was due to predation, mainly by lions ( Panthera leo ) (Laurenson, 1994). The effects of this can be seen at the population level, as cheetah density shows an inverse relationship to hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ) and lion density (Caro, 1994)…. The counter-intuitive result is that arctic foxes, cheetahs and wild dogs will probably survive best in areas with low prey abundance because areas rich in prey will be dominated by larger, more aggressive carnivores…. And we see evidence that any African carnivores is on average open to predation by no less than 8 other species and that 73% of juvenile mortality is due to predation by other carnivores. Yet we are expected to believe that such predation is rare. What was this point that Dr. Deth had exactly? ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/88 "2006-03-15T19:21:07Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > This is GQ, it is expected that your responses are factual, not baseless opinion. > snip > In short MelC, do you have anything factual to contribute to this GQ thread, or is your entire contribution baseless opinion? Opinion based on what I have read by you all - what else?! ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861/89 "2006-03-16T23:41:31Z")
> [@MelCthefirst](#): > > Opinion based on what I have read by you all - what else?! Leave them to it, Mel. A pissing contest in a thread about pissing in backyards. How can you interfere with such perfection? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-back-yard-to-scare-off-coyotes/305861.md?page=4)