Here's a thought, don't shoot them.
Coyotes are found far and wide across North America, usually alone but sometimes gather in small packs (not nearly as large as wolf packs). They are typically scavengers and shy away from humans but do hunt small mammals (mice, young or cornered rabbits, whatever is easy).
Much like other scavengers, they will come for garbage and yes, those who think cats need to be outdoors may also lose such small creatures.
If your dogs bark and are of any size, it is unlikely the coyotes will bother them. If they have a pen/dog run, they are that much safer.
But for the sake of not being another human trying to define their idea of nature, leave the coyotes alone unless they pose an obvious threat directly to you or your family that cannot be deterred with something as simple as a fence.
An altenative is to contact a local conservation authority possibly to trap and relocate them.
Last edited by chesseroo; 08/27/09 05:43 PM.
