Does seeing feral cats in coyote country tell you anything?

243kimber

New member
I hunt an area that has lots of feral cats and lots of coyotes.
I would think the yotes would wipe the cats out.
What does that condition say about that certain area?
There are plenty of deer & turkeys too.
Also, when you see a cat during peak hunting times (first light), does that tell a person that the cats know there are no coyotes in the immediate area at that time?
I have seen cats mousing in the middle of a very cold day. Can one then assume that yotes are mousing too at that time somewhere?
Thanks in advance.
 
i dot see how you can have lots of coyotes and deer and turkey and feral cats all in one spot..cause the coyote is the biggest predator they all have. we have lots of coyote here but the deer and turkey population is going way down also. especially the fawns. and coyotes love cats. i know cats can climb trees and all so that's why they are surviving. interesting topic you have here and maybe someone can helps us to understand this.thanks
 
I don't believe the coyotes would "wipe out" all of the cats. Maybe a few here and there, but until you have seen a feral cat defend itself, you would think the coyote would have the upper hand. We have a few feral cats out here and they are pretty good defensively. I was out in the feed yard one day a few years back trying to call in a big tom cat that kept killing off my grandpa's barn kittens. I got posted up on a double stack of round bales with a stack of square bales directly behind me, laid out in prone, and started with the rabbit distress. After about ten min I seen a coyote coming in to the call (this is only about 100 yards from our ranch house). I sat there and watched him come in to about 200 yards where he hung up. I started squeaking to bring him in closer (only had my .22) and when I was getting my range finder I noticed that big orange tom cat sitting on an old wire spool about 75 yards out. The coyote had spotted him to and since I had stopped calling he decided to take more interest in the cat. The cat jumped off the spool and started slinking in towards me with the coyote about 10 yards behind, the cat didn't know the coyote was there. They got about 50 yards away when the coyote made his move. The coyote rushed up behind the cat and tried grab it by the back of the neck but missed and rolled the cat. I figured the cat would get up and try to run, but it didn't. The big tom just laid there on its back! The coyote rushed over and was walking around the cat evaluating the situation, he decided to go straight in for the tom's belly... bad move. Quick as lightning the cat swatted the coyote a few times and it's claws got stuck in the coyote's eyelid. When the coyote backed off it carried the cat with it, so here's this coyote about 50 yards out, whining very loudly with a huge orange tom cat stuck to his face biting and scratching with his 3 free legs. I knew I was going to miss my chance so I shot the coyote and dropped him. The cat was still hooked to the yote when he fell over so I ended up shooting the cat also. Neat double huh? I do believe a coyote can kill a cat if they are hungry, but the coyote will also take a whipping in the process. Just my personal experience.
 
Awesome story.
When I can, I try to harvest the feral cats as much as possible to protect the wildlife. The cats usually have all the cat food around the farm they want, but they kill 24-7.
The cats the landowner has don't look to bad [beeep], but maybe they are.
 
You have lots of target practice. I have a friend where cats are lucky to make it past 3 months. Between coyotes, bobcats, cougars, racoons, badgers, owls and goldens it is rough for them despite feeding regularly.
Then at my family's ranch where there were all the same predators I had to go in and clear out over 50 cats.
Another neighbor "HAD" about as many. The young son harvested a buck first light and skinned/hung it. The cats devoured it by noon.
 
You need to shoot more cats! Shoot them all! do it now! For some reason I've never had too many cats
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: dennycwe are starting to get eagles here bad. wonder if they would get my Dotson dog?

You are seeing Bald Eagles, right? There is considerable difference between Golden and Bald Eagles. Tell yah what will get your dog that I bet you have a population of - Great Horned Owls.
 
Originally Posted By: rcal2014I don't believe the coyotes would "wipe out" all of the cats. Maybe a few here and there, but until you have seen a feral cat defend itself, you would think the coyote would have the upper hand. We have a few feral cats out here and they are pretty good defensively. I was out in the feed yard one day a few years back trying to call in a big tom cat that kept killing off my grandpa's barn kittens. I got posted up on a double stack of round bales with a stack of square bales directly behind me, laid out in prone, and started with the rabbit distress. After about ten min I seen a coyote coming in to the call (this is only about 100 yards from our ranch house). I sat there and watched him come in to about 200 yards where he hung up. I started squeaking to bring him in closer (only had my .22) and when I was getting my range finder I noticed that big orange tom cat sitting on an old wire spool about 75 yards out. The coyote had spotted him to and since I had stopped calling he decided to take more interest in the cat. The cat jumped off the spool and started slinking in towards me with the coyote about 10 yards behind, the cat didn't know the coyote was there. They got about 50 yards away when the coyote made his move. The coyote rushed up behind the cat and tried grab it by the back of the neck but missed and rolled the cat. I figured the cat would get up and try to run, but it didn't. The big tom just laid there on its back! The coyote rushed over and was walking around the cat evaluating the situation, he decided to go straight in for the tom's belly... bad move. Quick as lightning the cat swatted the coyote a few times and it's claws got stuck in the coyote's eyelid. When the coyote backed off it carried the cat with it, so here's this coyote about 50 yards out, whining very loudly with a huge orange tom cat stuck to his face biting and scratching with his 3 free legs. I knew I was going to miss my chance so I shot the coyote and dropped him. The cat was still hooked to the yote when he fell over so I ended up shooting the cat also. Neat double huh? I do believe a coyote can kill a cat if they are hungry, but the coyote will also take a whipping in the process. Just my personal experience.

watched the same thing my dog the other day on a feral cal,
 
Originally Posted By: rcal2014I don't believe the coyotes would "wipe out" all of the cats. Maybe a few here and there, but until you have seen a feral cat defend itself, you would think the coyote would have the upper hand. We have a few feral cats out here and they are pretty good defensively. I was out in the feed yard one day a few years back trying to call in a big tom cat that kept killing off my grandpa's barn kittens. I got posted up on a double stack of round bales with a stack of square bales directly behind me, laid out in prone, and started with the rabbit distress. After about ten min I seen a coyote coming in to the call (this is only about 100 yards from our ranch house). I sat there and watched him come in to about 200 yards where he hung up. I started squeaking to bring him in closer (only had my .22) and when I was getting my range finder I noticed that big orange tom cat sitting on an old wire spool about 75 yards out. The coyote had spotted him to and since I had stopped calling he decided to take more interest in the cat. The cat jumped off the spool and started slinking in towards me with the coyote about 10 yards behind, the cat didn't know the coyote was there. They got about 50 yards away when the coyote made his move. The coyote rushed up behind the cat and tried grab it by the back of the neck but missed and rolled the cat. I figured the cat would get up and try to run, but it didn't. The big tom just laid there on its back! The coyote rushed over and was walking around the cat evaluating the situation, he decided to go straight in for the tom's belly... bad move. Quick as lightning the cat swatted the coyote a few times and it's claws got stuck in the coyote's eyelid. When the coyote backed off it carried the cat with it, so here's this coyote about 50 yards out, whining very loudly with a huge orange tom cat stuck to his face biting and scratching with his 3 free legs. I knew I was going to miss my chance so I shot the coyote and dropped him. The cat was still hooked to the yote when he fell over so I ended up shooting the cat also. Neat double huh? I do believe a coyote can kill a cat if they are hungry, but the coyote will also take a whipping in the process. Just my personal experience.

watched the same thing my dog the other day on a feral cal,
 
A big, old, street smart Tom can hold his own and learn to survive, but most cats don't fall into that category. Most farmers/ranchers I know around here have 1 or 2 old cats that somehow seem to survive, but they go through young ones at a very high rate trying to get them to that point.

One guy that I hunt on traps feral cats in town and brings them out to the ranch HQ hoping to help with the mice. He took over 40 to his ranch last year and you still can't find a cat anywhere. But there are some dang fat coyotes.
 
feral cats have accounted for many birds becoming extinct,they kill about a billion small animals each year so they are a big threat,we can shoot feral cats where i live
 
I am in west Texas were there are no trees and I see feral cats all the time and coyotes are a plenty, so my believe is it doesn't mean there are no coyotes.
 
I don't believe the coyotes would "wipe out" all of the cats. Maybe a few here and there, but until you have seen a feral cat defend itself, you would think the coyote would have the upper hand. We have a few feral cats out here and they are pretty good defensively. I was out in the feed yard one day a few years back trying to call in a big tom cat that kept killing off my grandpa's barn kittens. I got posted up on a double stack of round bales with a stack of square bales directly behind me, laid out in prone, and started with the rabbit distress. After about ten min I seen a coyote coming in to the call (this is only about 100 yards from our ranch house). I sat there and watched him come in to about 200 yards where he hung up. I started squeaking to bring him in closer (only had my .22) and when I was getting my range finder I noticed that big orange tom cat sitting on an old wire spool about 75 yards out. The coyote had spotted him to and since I had stopped calling he decided to take more interest in the cat. The cat jumped off the spool and started slinking in towards me with the coyote about 10 yards behind, the cat didn't know the coyote was there. They got about 50 yards away when the coyote made his move. The coyote rushed up behind the cat and tried grab it by the back of the neck but missed and rolled the cat. I figured the cat would get up and try to run, but it didn't. The big tom just laid there on its back! The coyote rushed over and was walking around the cat evaluating the situation, he decided to go straight in for the tom's belly... bad move. Quick as lightning the cat swatted the coyote a few times and it's claws got stuck in the coyote's eyelid. When the coyote backed off it carried the cat with it, so here's this coyote about 50 yards out, whining very loudly with a huge orange tom cat stuck to his face biting and scratching with his 3 free legs. I knew I was going to miss my chance so I shot the coyote and dropped him. The cat was still hooked to the yote when he fell over so I ended up shooting the cat also. Neat double huh? I do believe a coyote can kill a cat if they are hungry, but the coyote will also take a whipping in the process. Just my personal experience.
Why did you kill the cat when did such a great job fighting off a coyote?
 
Feral cats kill a shocking number of small game animals and songbirds. Feral cats have no business in the wild and should be eliminated whenever encountered. I treat them like feral wild hogs, shoot on sight. BTW, the original post is from 2014, so I wouldn't expect an answer to your question from the OP.
 
Yeah, another old post, lol. I eliminate every feral I see. If it’s on the property it’s considered feral whether it is or not. They kill just to kill.
We were on a hunt when the dogs went on point. The manager and clients walked in and instead of a covey busting, a lone cat with a quail in its mouth busted out and went up the nearest tree. Clients wouldn’t do it so I got the call, lol. I “commandeered” the nearest shotgun and a shell and took it out and retrieved the quail. The client was a guest of one of our regulars and I heard him ask the guy that brought him if that could’ve been someone’s pet? He told him out here, it’s no one’s pet, it’s a predator and not tolerated.
What’s funny is I’m in the process of trying to catch one now.
 
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