Coyotes Kill Deer, Not Deer Herds

Interesting info coming out of Trent University and MNRF:

Quote:

---

Most deer hunters can agree on one thing about coyotes: They can be hell on fawns, muley or whitetail, especially during a fawn’s first six weeks of life. Researchers in some Southeastern states report fawn “recruitment” rates as low as 16 to 25 percent, meaning 1.6 to 2.5 fawns per 10 does surviving their first year.

But here’s something most deer hunters hate to hear: No matter how many coyotes you shoot, they’ll still be hell on fawns.

Coyotes can affect a deer herd’s size, but they can’t cause its decline on their own. Granted, when deer numbers are low, coyotes can keep them there. In fact, they can drive them even lower unless wildlife managers reduce hunting quotas for antlerless deer. However, the bigger factors affecting deer numbers are habitat quality and extreme weather, such as prolonged drought in arid climates and deep snow with subzero winters in the North.

---

Read the rest of the article here: ttp://www.themeateater.com/conservation/wildlife-management/coyotes-kill-deer-not-deer-herds

When I was in University we did a study which showed wildlife was affected by loss of habitat much more than all other factors combined. Hunters played a much smaller role behind weather, predation was not included in our study as we looked at numbers in aggregate but when someone drills down and looks at the degree of coyote predation, as mentioned above, it is very informative in that it falls behind weather in terms of impact.

I'm fully convinced that is what's happened to the deer numbers in my area. WMU 73, 74A, 74B is kind of a transition zone between big woods and farmland. Winter isn't the same problem that it can be in more Northern WMU's. Even a half-hour drive North of here the conditions can be entirely different.

There are almost no fawns and not many yearlings and the coyotes are big and plentiful. This past season the stories from most groups and individuals were the same. Hardly any deer seen, lots of coyotes. One or two groups did well but those are isolated reports.

Interesting post!

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GW11

I'm fully convinced that is what's happened to the deer numbers in my area. WMU 73, 74A, 74B is kind of a transition zone between big woods and farmland. Winter isn't the same problem that it can be in more Northern WMU's. Even a half-hour drive North of here the conditions can be entirely different.

There are almost no fawns and not many yearlings and the coyotes are big and plentiful. This past season the stories from most groups and individuals were the same. Hardly any deer seen, lots of coyotes. One or two groups did well but those are isolated reports.

Interesting post!

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

---

Deer situation same in my area of WMU60,low numbers seen or harvested but plenty of coyote scat and tracks seen.I think we need to drop the name coyote
and just call them coywolf as they are deer eaters for sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gilroy

Deer situation same in my area of WMU60,low numbers seen or harvested but plenty of coyote scat and tracks seen.I think we need to drop the name coyote
and just call them coywolf as they are deer eaters for sure.

---

Eastern Wolf. Use any part of coyote in the name and people just think cute puppy. Say Wolf and grim fairy tales, and horror movie images fill their minds.

The big bad wolf. The wolf at the door. Thrown to the wolves.

**SARCASM ALERT**

Anything that eats what we eat is evil. Ecosystems should not have a top predator. Death to coyotes cormorants bears and anything else that has sharpish teeth.

**END SARCASM ALERT**

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by benjhind

Anything that eats what we eat is evil. Ecosystems should not have a top predator. Death to coyotes cormorants bears and anything else that has sharpish teeth.

---

***Sarcasm***
By your theory, you would be evil because you eat what I eat.
***Sarcasm***


( Desmond Morris type explain mode on)

If you put humans and all other predators in the animal kingdom on a scale from 1 to 10, we only rate a 4.5. When you look at success rates across the animal kingdom the Dragonfly with an average success rate of 97% makes the Lion at 20% look like a clown.

The one physical ability of humans that has likely made us able to become what we are, is the ability to accurately throw an object. No other animal or even primate can develop the skill to constantly throw an projectile and hit a target. Once the concept of "throwing" a projectile is understood, then the ways that we "throw" things just get better and better.

We can not only fight off predators that are not only larger, stronger and better equipped then we are, but we can hunt down and remove those predators from the area.

Why can we do that? Because humans don't fight tooth and claw against tooth and claw. We "STAND OFF" and throw things.

Imagine the poor cat that encountered early humans for the first time, and is greeting not by a fleeing prey but by a bombardment of rocks and sharp sticks. Then if it does make a kill or even if it gives up on taking human prey the human prey seeks it out and attacks it.

The final insult is of course that the humans that the cat did/tried to eat will now eat it.
( Desmond Morris type explain mode off)

I don't specifically target coyotes, and I have never kidded myself that I could impact the overall coyote population if I did target them. BUT...

I will shoot a coyote (and have) when I see one, particularly during the rifle deer hunt in which we run hounds. I do it to protect our dogs. Coyotes are very intelligent and averse to danger and I will not hesitate to remind any coyotes around that when we are doing a push they need to go the other way. I have no intention of letting my beagle get eaten.

Our group hunts the northern part of 75. This was the worst year in 12 years, since we owned the property. 1 deer taken....usually we get 4-6. On 4 separate occasions, we saw deer running being followed by coyotes in the mid of the day. There were way more coyotes tracks in the snow, than deer. Our trail cameras showed no fawns. Where is the mange when you need it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Snowwalker

By your theory, you would be evil because you eat what I eat.

---

I've edited my post to provide additional clarity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by benjhind

I've edited my post to provide additional clarity.

---

Ok I will too.