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Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:02 am
by newby
You guys ever heard of lions killing coyotes? My friend has a neighbor with a big ranch that found a dead coyote on his property yesterday morning...when he came back down the trail an hour later the carcass was gone.
The guy said it was a pair of small lions that killed it and drug it off. There has been a pair of lions running this property lately, I treed them last week...don't know if its the same ones, just wondering if you've ever heard of this happening?
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:31 am
by wwsmokeydo
not heard of coyotes persay but a lion will kill a dog if it needs too or is hungry enough and a coyote is just a dog none the less so im sure its not all that far fetched really. i know of a few folks in this are that have had lions come in there back yard and kill and drag their family dog. about the size of labs.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:32 am
by Rico
Yes, seen it twice. One a coyote come in near a elk kill and the lion wacked him ate part of him and covered him up. Second time looked like the coyote was trailing the lion maybe pestering him??? Bit him right thought the head and went about his business.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:37 am
by chilcotin hillbilly
This is a common occurance in my neck of the woods. Here is a picture of a yote that a female killed, She treed about 200yards from the kill.

Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:57 am
by StrawberryMt
Found quite a few that lions had killed and ate.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:16 am
by newby
Chilcotin...that's pretty cool! I've never even heard of this happening. I was worried it was wolves...still may be, i'll have to see the tracks before i turn loose. Another question: If the lion is adept and used to killing canines, will that make them more likely to stop and try to ambush the hounds? Will they get wise that they can end the dogs?
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:22 am
by 007pennpal
I've never had the experience, but I can't think of a better use for a yote. I guess that's what happens after they eat all the deer.
Sean
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:02 pm
by catdogs
I have seen it quite a few times as well, and not just at other kills, but where lions actually are hunting coyotes. When they did the West Yellowstone lion study, they had a female collared that perferred coyotes to anything else.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:20 pm
by Mike Leonard
Happens a lot out here and Catdogs you are correct they hunt them coyotes they not only whack them at kills.
A friend of mine who is a well known trapper and Champion varmint caller a bit ago tracked a lion without the aid of dogs and saw there the lion went into hunting mode and was stalking a coyote. Soon the lion sprung on the coyote and easily killed it and started carrying it off. He slipped up on a ledge above it and tried to call to the lion but the lion never even aknowledged the sound. ( which is common when a lion is still jazzed from a kill). Anyway he just walked up and killed the lion with his 204 from 20 yards. The local paper ran a story about it. He said in that area he find coyote kills all the time and the coyotes are mighty nervous these days especially when the deer numbers are down.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:06 pm
by newby
All the peices of the puzzle are fitting together...my buddy said deer numbers are WAY down on their property from last year and I don't know if there's a connection between the gender of the lion, but if it's the same pair I treed last week, it would be a sub-adult male and an older female.
So what do you all think, will these lions start getting brave with the hounds if they're used to killing yotes?
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:55 pm
by StrawberryMt
newby wrote:All the peices of the puzzle are fitting together...my buddy said deer numbers are WAY down on their property from last year and I don't know if there's a connection between the gender of the lion, but if it's the same pair I treed last week, it would be a sub-adult male and an older female.
So what do you all think, will these lions start getting brave with the hounds if they're used to killing yotes?
I have never had a problem with it and have treed quite a few that i have found them preying on the coyotes.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:00 pm
by Cat Crazy Miller
I seen the same thing last winter walked in on a kill that they had a coyote and had ate most of it already was a female with two small kittens never did run them but seen the kittens at about 20 yards all i say is way to go lions

Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:05 am
by chilcotin hillbilly
I don't know if coyote hunters are more likely to kill dogs but in the area I took that picture of the dead yote the cats hunt coyotes along the river all the time. The next time out a small she lion killed my best dog.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:42 am
by newby
Dang it...that's what I was afraid of. Was that dog of yours silent on the track or was it just a spoiled lion? One of my dogs is wide open...too open for my liking, but don't know if that might ensure they don't surprise the lion. I also run bells on them. Guess its the risk you take everytime you turn 'em loose.
Re: Lions killing coyotes?
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:51 am
by B-N-Trees
I have seen a few coyote kills from lions and on the flip side I have seen coyotes run lions off. Much the same way birds will run a raptor off.