A coyote, wolf, or black bear - if they are smaller then me they will suffer with a punch to the jowls - Ernest Borgnine taught me that. 259lbs of fur makes a nice hat.
We have a pack of coyotes on both sides of the property across the fields. We had a couple problems a several years ago but nothing recent. We can hear them at night every so often. Very ethereal and rather enchanting really.
They are here too. Actually I think coyotes are almost everywhere in the US? If I am hearing right, sounds like a good size pack hanging and hunting together, which does NOT make me happy. The llamas and little buck goats are out at night. Our pasture is pretty secure, but of course it's not impossible for coyotes to get in. My neighbor's donkey has taken a real liking to our fenceline though, and the closest ones I've seen have been in his cow pasture. I lost a few roos in that pasture a few weeks ago, so I refenced that side of the chicken yard to keep them from going that way.
I like the sound of the howling, but I liked it better when I lived in the mountains and it was just a few of them and I never had livestock there. I had planned to but never was able to make housing that would have kept bears out.
I also liked it better before the old dog that slept outside died last week. I wouldn't have counted on her to fight them (in fact, kept her in the porch to keep her safe) but at least she might have let me know.
We had them at the old house and saw the frequently and lost a hen to one.
In this new house, we are still close to a lot of open space. The other night my son and his friend were walking home from the neighborhood pool and a GIANT (his description) coyote was cruisin' up the street about 10 feet from the boys.
Sometimes I enjoy hearing their calls, but when I hear a kill it is really unsettling.
Just last week we started having a coyote wander over to check out our chicken fortress. Our JRT tried to take him on through the slider from inside the house He looked well fed and healthy. I think he has been dining on the free range chickens across the street and is getting a taste for them.
I suppose I don't mind them around too much- the dogs have a chain link yard, the chickies have a fortress, and the horses have taken on rotweilers, akitas and pit mixes from down the street and won. It's my job to protect my animals from the predators, not to eliminate the predator. I suppose I might think differently if my livelihood were threatened by predators.
Not many animals have the intestinal fortitude to take on the breeds you listed, with rots being the number 1 killing dog in the USA followed closely by the chow they are not to be trifled with - draw a bead. Just like Minnesota free rangers (not to be confused with the Colorado front rangers) coyotes make some dern nice mittens.
We have two pit bulls, so I feel relatively safe with them. A pack of coyotes killed a 19 year old woman hiking last fall, a few hours from our house, so hubby doesn't let me walk in the woods alone without both our dogs.
I like hearing them, when I'm nice and safe in the house and I know the chickens are locked up tight... not so much if I'm a few miles from home in the woods.
I watched a tv special about MOOSE about month ago
and it said a person is more likely to get attacked by a moose when walking with a dog.
the dog is a wolf to a moose, mortal enemy and it will attack the dog and thinks that since the dog is with a person, the human is part of the pack to be killed also.
very interesting show
BUT I agree, I still would want big dogs with me when walking in the woods. I wonder what "other" animals are attracted to attack dogs and humans because the dog is their enemy also?