Markc,
It all started a year ago in August. We live in western Colorado on the edge of BLM land with a large wash running behind the house. It's a wildlife conduit to the Colorado river and since this is the desert that is the water source. I was working in the garage at dusk putting my night riding lights on my mountain bike, I ride a lot at night in the summer. Spark is always with me or nearby, in this case looking for a rabbit, lizard, or rodent to chew on. I heard him yip and make a couple of other noises which is not too unusual since he often requests my help in turning over a rock with a lizard under it or some such. I ignored the sound for about five seconds and then the hair literally stood up on my neck and I knew what the noise meant. I ran out of the garage, barefoot, and around the corner and saw a coyote had spark by the throat and had him pinned to the ground, there was no fight going on, the yote had the airway choked off and was waiting it out. I screamed at him at ran as fast as I could towards him (about 30 yards) through the cactus and greasewood. When I was fifteen yards away I saw the yote flick his eyes up at me and determine that a middle aged, balding man, with a bad temper was not something he wanted to tangle with and he let go and took off down the wash. Spark just kind of rolled over, I thought he was probably dead, and then he got up and ran in the same direction as the coyote, I think he was just looking for somewhere to hide. I got Spark to come to me and ran for the house. He had crapped on himself and had five puncture wounds on his neck. I handed him to my Wife in the house and rushed for the gun cabinet. I was so amped up I couldn't remember the combo to get a rifle out.
The next day I bought a cheap electronic caller and put on my old bowhunting camo's. I set up the caller on the edge of the wash and sat cross legged with my 3006 in my lap. In my naievity I assumed that I would see a coyote from enough distance to set up a shot. Should have brought the shotgun, the caller hadn't been on for longer than 20 seconds when a coyote ran out of the sage about 30 feet away and skidded to a stop beneath the caller. I stood up and took aim but the coyote was gone. About that time an second coyote skidded to a stop where the first one had stopped, all I had to do was drop the muzzle and touch off the 180 grain nosler partition. They do a pretty good job killin at 30 feet, but don't try to save that hide. Anyway Sparkey lived through it and had a very sore neck for a few days. We started hunting coyotes together after that and I convinced my Wife that I needed a new Tikka T3 in .223 to protect the homestead. I've shot a few more from the house after this and keep better track of my buddy, Spark now.
Hopefully this was the culprit (the next day after the attack)
Another one in the winter
About two weeks ago (repost)
