Ok, I debated about telling anyone about this wacky thing I do

[CAM]

With all this talk about our horses and how to protect them from predators, you all know I have been right up there in asking what to do and what is the best guard animal, etc. Well, I got this wacky idea and have been testing it for about a week now. I told one person, ONE person. Well, that person laughed so hard she had to hang up and call me back later.

: This someone is a true country girl, born and raised in the woods and she had NEVER heard of anything so nuts. I may be a little extra nervous here at our new place in the middle of the wilderness after moving from my safe little 5 acres where I never worried about predators but now I am really, really nervous for my "babies". So...here is what I've been doing.

We have cougars and coyotes and one or the other is around here nearly every night so, being the neurotic, overly worried person that I am, when I hear the coyotes about 50 feet outside my bedroom window at 2am, and a few times right next to the barn, I have started putting my laptop computer in the windowsill, I open the window, and play as loud as the volume will allow, the sound of cougars on my laptop. Yes, I know, one word, NEUROTIC! I thought it was a great idea as the cougar is a natural predator to the coyotes but my "friend" laughed me from here to tomorrow. I was afraid to say anything but I thought, "Hey, forget it! I've always been one to stand up for myself." So what do you guys think? Am I nuts? My husband hasn't go so far as to say so however, he did go out with a shotgun the other morning and said I chased them all away.

:

It appears to be working! :bgrin

Oh, and here's the website I've been using most recently so you can listen for yourself.

Animal Sounds

 

[Marty]

Well, I hope that it's not misinterpreted as a mating call?

Are you playing boy or girl coyote calls???

Hope you don't find a horn toad coyote under your window sill with his tongue hanging out! :new_shocked:

Ducking now....................

:

 

[Devon]

I don't know but If it works. No Worries we all have our "quirks" haha I just find it funny because your friend had to hang up the phone she was laughing so hard just the thought of you pulling out your laptop at 2 AM. And Cranking that Thing . But Hey if its works by all means! :bgrin

:

 

[Mona]

: YIKES...I'd be more worried that I'd be calling the cougars in, instead of scaring the coyotes off, with playing those animal sounds.

 

[SWA]

:new_shocked: Cheetah #6 sounds like hubby when he's asleep... :risa_suelos:

EDITED TO ADD: We took my mother in law to the Silver Springs in Ocala and that Cougar #6 sounds wav is exactly like the cougars there and was heard all over the whole grounds. They were very loud, it was almost erie. They carried on with those woeful cries like that for a good long while... some of park rangers we asked said they were "feed time" cries over their meal. Others that we asked as the day went on, said they were "mating calls".

:

 

[CAM]

If you take a look at the website, right near those cougar sounds are the lion sounds: the natural predator to the cougar. Ha ha! Don't think I don't have those interspersed in there too! :bgrin

:

 

[Miniv]

Hmmmm.....Marty has a point........make sure you know which SEX you are sending out! :lol:

Larry and I did something similar to that a few weeks ago with our Great Horned Owls! We openned the office windows and cranked up the computer speakers..........Next thing we knew we had one of our owls in the Willow Tree outside answering us! :new_shocked:

Just be sure your animal sound recording doesn't ATTRACT something!!! :lol:

:

(Debra, you gotta get less paranoid!)

MA

 

[hairicane]

I think u are clever!!! I listened to some of the panthers too and there are some crabby big cat sounds on there. I certainly would not come close!!!

 

[CAM]

Well, I hope that it's not misinterpreted as a mating call?

Are you playing boy or girl coyote calls???

Hope you don't find a horn toad coyote under your window sill with his tongue hanging out! :new_shocked:

Ducking now....................

:

I haven't played those coyote sounds yet because I don't want to call in the cougars AND the coyotes!! All I need is someone else wanting to mate in the middle of the night. Ok, I'm ducking now! :risa_suelos:

 

[sedeh]

Okay, you got me laughing. May work to keep the coyotes away but sure don't want to lure cougars in!! Good luck Debra! :bgrin

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

It actually should work! Clever you!

They had a show on PBS about using animal sounds to stimulate responses. One was of a captive herd of elephants was played the sound of a martriach from a different herd and they went into a defense mode, although they'd never seen or heard any other elephants for 20 years.

I would probably lean more towards the lion sounds though, as that would keep the cougar & coyotes away.

Let us know how that works.

 

[Robin1]

I was thinking the same thing as Marty. You may be calling them IN!!

I was at a Wild Life park here, I can't believe I am admitting this, and the sun was starting to go down. Well the wolves started howling and my mother asked one of the owners"if we should answer them back?" They guy looked at her like she had lost her mind and basically told her to go for it if it made her happy. Well, I started and they started answering me. After a short time you could actually hear the annoyance in their howls because they had been telling me where they were and I was too stupid to come join the group. A few minutes later the dominant male and female showed up looking through the bushes to see who the dummy was. I have to say it was VERY cool, they hung around quite a while to see if I was coming or not.

Robin

 

[Buckskin gal]

You are such a genius! :lol: Reminds me of a few years back when the racoons kept getting into my garden and destroying the corn. We put a radio out in the middle of the garden and turned up the volume! Worked real good except the neighbor asked if we could turn it down just a little!

: Well they always had corn given to them to enjoy so they couldn't holler too loud!

: Mary

 

[coopermini]

A+ for creativity!!

Still laughing about putting the laptop in the window!

Can you get a recording of a politician campaigning for office!

That will scare off anything!

Mark

 

[~Karen~]

Glad it's working for you! I haven't done anything quite like that, although a next door neighbor where I use to live once, shot my sisters dog, who was penned up on the other side of our house. Poor thing died a slow, horrible death

After the police got finished with him I recorded 30 mins. of dog barks and played that tape as loud as I could over and over in the middle of the night every night for a month solid. It was funny seeing and hearing him get all agitated over it. Deserved him right. Sis's dog wasn't barking or bothering anyone.

I was curious though about playing Cougar sounds, if it would freighten the horses any?

~Karen

 

[CAM]

Can you get a recording of a politician campaigning for office!

That will scare off anything!

Mark

:risa_suelos: :risa_suelos: :risa_suelos:

Fortunately or unfortunately, my laptop volume doesn't turn up very loud. I bet the horses can't hear it although that is a good point. I understood coyotes to have excellent hearing so I figured it playing quietly would do the job and so far it is either working or they are moving in quietly instead. :new_shocked:

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

...

I was curious though about playing Cougar sounds, if it would freighten the horses any?

~Karen

It's an interesting idea but that would be my concern as well. You may frighten off what you don't want around but you have to consider prey animals like horses could also be very stressed by it.

 

[SilverRidgeMinis]

Well, it is very interesting idea. Please let me know if it works. Maybe I need to put a sound system outside the barn and crack it up. Coytoes scared us the other night. They came in closer than ever since we have lived here (past 3 years). Scared my neighbor (who is pretty big guy). He came charging over to rescue the horses. It is nice to have a neighbor who likes the horses and will get worried about them.

Freida

 

[CAM]

I think my neighbors are worried too. They are a good mile away and this morning I drove down to the barn to feed (it was 2 degrees w/snow and I haven't unpacked my gloves and hat yet). While feeding I heard a blasted coyote just over the hill from where I was standing. He was moving in closer and our Anatolian pup was squealing because he heard my voice.

I ran to the car where my dogs and kids were waiting to head to school, jumped in and honked the horn a bunch. My husband came running to see what the big hubbub was about. The coyote stopped but I was worried it would hear the pup and come to the barn. My husband....he was concerned I would scare off the elk and deer!

:

I left for the morning and came back to a note from my neighbor on the door who was "just checking to see if I was ok". He is a retired police officer so I suppose he hears and sees everything, even a mile away.

: I appreciate my neighbors checking up on me but I'm going to have to make a mental note to not empty the garbage in my birthday suit.

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