Excelent post! I agree that a lot has been said here in NY about the pros and cons of yotes, mostly cons. The Coydog thing I have always believed was just an urban legend. I love the one about the short tail Collie, ever here of a Australian Shepard,(short tails)probably the neighbors dog come to see what the racket was all about.
The planting of yotes by the DEC, yesI do believe that was done certainly. Was it a good idea, in my opinion no, but so was planting Fishers to kill the Porcupine remember how they decided that white rabbits were more tasty. Frankly I think planting Turkeys was a bad idea, because now we have no Pheasants to hunt, can't have both. OK I can live with that and I guess I can live with the yotes as long as they leave me alone.
We have a family that yodels all night every so often, sure gets the kennel barkingand I have seen them chase a doe around the field now and again, but I will say that the poulation of deerat least on my land has not decreced what so ever.
Interesting though I did shoot one yoteabout 15 years ago from my deer stand and he had numbers tatooed along the inside of his upper lip. Explain that one!