Coyotes in the corn

[dak109]

I was talking with my Aunt the other day, she swears the coyotes are eating her sweet corn. Anybody ever hear of this? We setup one night and didn't see anything except deer. She told me her neighbor saw two coyotes come out go the corn patch.

 

[Jason R. Bruce]

Coyotes do eat corn, and various other plant materials, especially when the milk is up and it's full of moisture. My beagle ate 4-5 years yesterday afternoon while I was clearing off my finished corn patch.

 

[Hardscrable]

I seriously doubt that coyotes are responsible if her sweet corn is being eaten by animals. From decades of experience, virtually 100% chance that raccoons are to blame. They can literally destroy an entire patch overnight. They also normally do this just as it is "ready" - as in the night or two before you are going to start harvest. They pull the stalk over normally breaking it and you find the ear lying on the ground. The ears may have barely any kernels eaten or almost entirely consumed. If your patch is near a wooded area, fence row, river or stream it is particularly venerable to this. Rabbits, etc may nibble on the kernels once the ear is at or near the ground but the coyotes are probably just passing thru.

 

[Hardscrable]

Coyotes do eat corn, and various other plant materials, especially when the milk is up and it's full of moisture. My beagle ate 4-5 years yesterday afternoon while I was clearing off my finished corn patch.

Agreed. Possible coyotes but still expect coon if a lot of damage. All my dogs through the years have enjoyed corn...sweet and field. I use to keep ears of field corn on hand throughout the year to give them as a "treat". One of current dogs however eats the cob also and this can be very dangerous. We now just scrape the cobs off on top of a bowl of dog food after we eat a meal with sweet corn then feed the dogs...they still love it in this manner.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Coyotes, raccoons....

del *.*

 

[dak109]

Coons and deer was my thought too. The Aunt and Uncle have been raising corn long enough to recognize the damage coons, deer and crows cause. I never really thought about coyotes getting into it though. Makes sense as well as they adapt though. I foresee more trips over to their place in my future.

 

[yote hunter]

Coons, deer, rabbits and birds are the ones eating the corn the yotes are there for another meal and it ain't corn... Your Aunt prob. did see them coming out of the corn but they are traveling looking to sneak up on something.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

I thought this was a new bluegrass tune...

Apologies.

 

[Hank in Indiana]

I had some critters getting my corn and an old farmer told me that If the cobs are torn off its deer, if the stalk is pushed down its coons.

 

[BoilerWes]

I doubt the yotes are doing much damage as far as the sweet corn goes. The sweet corn patch does make an excellent hunting ground for yotes because of the many other critters who are enjoying it this time of year.

 

[BigMatt]

I have a hot wire around my patch which has kept the coons out for the last two years.

The damage I get is from blackbirds. I'll be the blackbirds have damaged 25% of the ears in my first planting.

Also, my dogs eat sweet corn just like a person. They bite the kernels off when you hold it for them.

 

[Hardscrable]

I have never had deer do much to sweet corn. Field corn is a different matter. A lot of the damage is caused by bedding down. They totally flatten areas. When they eat corn, they normally do it while standing and thus don't break over the stalk in my experience. They also will eat ears already on the ground Just as grazing on grass. If it is deer and the sweet corn is growing in tilled soil, the hoof prints should be visible.

 

[dak109]

I saw one on my way to work Wednesday morning. It was within a mile of their farm. Beautiful black phase. If I can kill it it would make a nice mount. Not sure if it is one of the culprits or not

my Uncle lowered the electric fence around his corn and the damage seems to have stopped at least for a night or two. It is now at a heights that the deer can probably get over and the coons under. Guess we will see what happens between now and the weekend.

 

[BigMatt]

I have two wires - one at about 4" and the other at 10". This makes it hard for coons to get under or over.

My neighbor dog just jumps over it, but my dogs won't even got near it.

 

[Whosyer]

I had some critters getting my corn and an old farmer told me that If the cobs are torn off its deer, if the stalk is pushed down its coons.

This has been my experience. But, I also have an idiot Red Tick Hound that goes out and drags up a whole stalk about once a day.

 

[Airborne18th]

Racoons will take one bite and throw the corn down on the ground and get another. I could see a coyote eat one that was on the ground I guess. At least you now know where to aim.

 

[remauto1187]

The Turkey are in on it too!

 

[Dead Duck]

The coyotes in my fields mostly eat lead.