# New coyote predation study



## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

Here is a very eye opening article from Field and Stream.

Skip to comments.

The Other Deer Hunters 
Field and Stream ^ | February 09, 2011 | Scott Bestul 

Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2011 9:07:37 PM by SJackson

As whitetail predators, coyotes may be more destructive than ever. 

If you think coyotes arent killing a lot of deer, youre not alone. Youre also probably wrong. Significant coyote predation has been documented in various parts of the whitetails range. But throughout much of the South, Midwest, and suburban Northeast, the coyote is a fairly new predator and is barely on the radar of many whitetail hunters and experts. 

In over three decades of deer hunting and observation, I had personally come to view them as bumbling opportunistsmore Wile E. Coyote than the Big Bad Wolfwhen it comes to killing whitetails. But a pair of new research papers presented at the February 2009 meeting of the Southeast Deer Study Group, both conducted where coyotes had not historically been a problem, reveal a different story. Whats more, with coyotes now virtually everywhere whitetails are, and their numbers exploding in many areas, their impact is likely more lethal than ever. 

The New Research In the first study, conducted by John C. Kilgo with the USDA in west-central South Carolina from 2006 to 2008, researchers implanted vaginal transmitters in pregnant does. When a doe gave birth, the transmitter was ejected along with the fawn, allowing researchers to capture the newborn deer and fit it with a monitor. When a fawn died, the monitor led researchers to the remains, where they collected DNA evidence to ID the fawns killer. 

The results were jaw-dropping. Out of the 60 fawns monitored, 44 died within eight weeks. The killers were abandonment (one), unknown predators (two), bobcats (six), and coyotes (28 confirmed and seven probables). In other words, if you include the probables, coyotes accounted for 80 percent of all mortality. 

The second study was conducted by Brent Howze and Robert Warren of the University of Georgia on a 29,000-acre area of the Peach State with a low fawn-to-doe ratio. To determine whether predation was causing poor fawn recruitment, researchers removed 23 coyotes from an 11,000-acre study block from January through August 2008. On a 7,000-acre control block of similar habitat, no predators were removed. In the fall, camera surveys showed a meager .07-to-1 fawn-to-doe ratio in the control area. In the zone where predators had been trapped, however, the ratio was a vastly better .72-to-1. 

Coyote predation is the big issue right now, declares noted University of Georgia deer researcher Dr. Karl V. Miller, who supervised the second study. Its something we must take more seriously in whitetail management going forward. 

So what can you do? First, aim for a balanced buck-to-doe ratio on your property. It ensures a short, intense breeding season, which results in a short, intense fawn dropand that narrows the window of opportunity for coyotes to kill young deer. Second, encourage grassy, brushy, young growth so does can drop fawns in comparatively predator-safe cover. Third, if you notice an upswing in local coyote numbers, you may want to decrease your doe harvest. Finally, become a coyote hunter. Youll help keep predator numbers in check, and have a lot of fun, too. .



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## ohiogary (Dec 14, 2006)

That was a pretty good survey,


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Lewis, thanks for posting this ; I hope every deer hunter reads it & takes it to heart because it's accurate.

I read this shortly after the research was completed & it really is scary. The ODNR has responded a couple times to me that coyotes are rarely a problem with deer predation & only if/when they pack up. Also said that yotes don't pack up much in Ohio. This was a couple years ago & I gave up trying to convince them of what was actually going on. The deer herd in our area is way smaller than 10 years ago & it just happens to coincide with a spike in the coyote population.
Working on a solution as we speak !!


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## rrtresp28 (Sep 6, 2006)

if you have the chance to shoot them. SHOOT them. Ive seen an increasing amount over the past few years. they need to be thinned. we are planning a hunt this summer for them.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Went camping one long 4 day weekend, Heard them kill one deer the first night and another one on the 3rd night. So they will anything to eat given a chance especially packs.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Kill em all. Humans are the only necessary predator for deer in Ohio IMO. Let's not forget coyote are technically an invasive species in Ohio.


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Sit back and think....how many times have u been in the tree stand and either heard or seen a yote??? Also how many times you been sitting on your back porch and heard or seen them? They are becoming ridiculous. I'm a firm believer on wack'em and stack'em with yotes.....I think odnr needs to put out another funding for killin a yote and turning them in for a reward. Granite I dont think we should need a reward for doing so considering its only helping our hunting out, but it would give more encouragement to involve more hunters towards coyotes. Before I believe it was $40 or $50 per coyote turned in.....Even if they would do $20 a dog it'd be worth it. Pay for your time/shells and gear. 

Put the cross between there eyes and blow their heads off.


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## Wildlife (Dec 12, 2010)

I don't know about you guys, but my small game as virtually disappeared, which is hard to imagine since I live right next door to a Federal Wetlands Preserve. Rabbits; *****; possums; even wild cats, gone for the most part. I also haven't seen hardly any pheasants at all this year. I used to have pheasants in the area almost daily. If I couldn't see them, I could hear them off in the distance. This year, hardly heard a one. 
I do have a large coyote problem around my place and I try to eliminate as many as I can. I have seen these guys go after not just the little deer either; last season a large coyote on the heels of a nice 6pt and the year before, 2 on 1 large doe. Granted, I have a healthy deer population in the area, but I also have one hell of coyote issue. I live right near a Metro Park. No one seems to manage the coyote population there. I was told by one of the park ranges that they keep the park clean; duh Why sure they doo, along with all the neighbors place. Can't stand it. When is enough, enough? When all of game is virtually extinct in the area? I'd really wish they would thin those packs out. I hear them almost every night tearing something up. My wife is freaks out about it, because she has one of those little rug rat of a so called dog (shiatsu or whatever). I give her the gun when the dog goes to do the dirty deed. Now, my Field Champion Beagles on the other hand, they are my game alarm. When I hear them going ape sh#tb, I grab the gun, lock the crosshairs and bye, bye yot. I let all the others clean the mess!!!


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

I've done my share in waking those (vermin) critters. 

In my parts we used to be loaded with pheasants. Sweet to hear them cackling & seeing them especially during the Winter when they would come into my yard during heavy snows. They would feed under my bird feeders & got to lure them into my drive as they were eating on seeds. Had a picture of 15/17 birds just pecking away to the feed I spread. That was over 15 years ago. 

NOW; have'nt heard or saw a 1. Gone, gone, gone,

Nik,


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## Wildlife (Dec 12, 2010)

i


Wildlife said:


> I don't know about you guys, but my small game as virtually disappeared, which is hard to imagine since I live right next door to a Federal Wetlands Preserve. Rabbits; *****; possums; even wild cats, gone for the most part. I also haven't seen hardly any pheasants at all this year. I used to have pheasants in the area almost daily. If I couldn't see them, I could hear them off in the distance. This year, hardly heard a one.
> I do have a large coyote problem around my place and I try to eliminate as many as I can. I have seen these guys go after not just the little deer either; last season a large coyote on the heels of a nice 6pt and the year before, 2 on 1 large doe. Granted, I have a healthy deer population in the area, but I also have one hell of coyote issue. I live right near a Metro Park. No one seems to manage the coyote population there. I was told by one of the park ranges that they keep the park clean; duh Why sure they doo, along with all the neighbors place. Can't stand it. When is enough, enough? When all of game is virtually extinct in the area? I'd really wish they would thin those packs out. I hear them almost every night tearing something up. My wife is freaks out about it, because she has one of those little rug rat of a so called dog (shiatsu or whatever). I give her the gun when the dog goes to do the dirty deed. Now, my Field Champion Beagles on the other hand, they are my game alarm. When I hear them going ape sh#tb, I grab the gun, lock the crosshairs and bye, bye yot. I let all the others clean the mess!!!


I'm sorry, I forgot to mention the big game issue that is going on in places like Montana and Wyoming as we speak with regards to the wolves. Now, I see why our forefathers managed these kinds of predators... Kinda funny we don't follow their foot steps... Seriously, I'm Not trying to offend those "PETA" lovers.


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## fordman (Sep 23, 2010)

im with everyone else on this topic. lower deer and small game numbers in sandusky county also. pretty bad when you go out coonhunting and gotta start blastin shots to get the coyotes off your dog. also had two thinkin of makin me their dinner on another night while sitting in a fencerow waiting for my dog to strike track. scary! on another note we have way too many hawks around also. i believe they kill way too many rabbits and squirrel. odnr should start a hawk season. i bet they taste like chicken. lol


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

I was interested to see that bobcats took some fawns. Thats interesting seeing how just a couple of years ago the state was asking for any evidence of bobcats in Ohio because they were supposedly so rare. They must have made a very fast come back. 

As bad as the yotes are, I would much rather have my daughter who just turned 16, run over a yote than have a deer run out in front of her. The yote might give her a small bump as she runs over it, but the deer could come throught the windshield. Deer are way too thick where I live. They need to be thinned out.


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

I live in cleveland and have lots of coyotes and have heard the people at the stables say that they have seen many bobcats over the years...its awesome to be seeing bald eagles, fox, and coyotes in my backyard..also wild turkeys date becoming a more common sight

_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors_


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## Wildlife (Dec 12, 2010)

Mean Morone said:


> As bad as the yotes are, I would much rather have my daughter who just turned 16, run over a yote than have a deer run out in front of her. The yote might give her a small bump as she runs over it, but the deer could come throught the windshield. Deer are way too thick where I live. They need to be thinned out.


Deer are pushed all around my place by these damn yots. I have approximately a half dozen deer/car incidents annually around here. Most occur at night when you hear all the yapping going on in the near distance. I'm a neighbor of a 1,850 acre wildlife refuge. I have seen these yots myself chase the deer and in each case, where that deer did everything it could to get away from them until it got so winded and then succumbed to tummies of these four legged predators. I dont know what's happening up in your neck of the woods, however here the small game population has declined each year as the yots increase theirs. Any suggestion as to why you think this is happening? Never had the issue before, nothing else has changed in the area for decades but the yots!


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Wildlife....I would much rather do whats in your picture one day than take a monster buck.....Only because I know taking that many yote's would do better justice in the future. I am 100% in on taking any yote in site. I think we should make a challenge here on ogf and make a seperate thread just for posting pics of coyotes killed this year.......so go out and yote hunt and first to bag one start a new thread and post a pic.....Let's put a hurting on them this year.

ps....wildlife do you use mouth calls or electronic?? Wouldnt mind a pm with some better tips on bringing them in....sharpening my tools is always appreciated.


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

Scum_Frog said:


> Wildlife....I would much rather do whats in your picture one day than take a monster buck.....Only because I know taking that many yote's would do better justice in the future. I am 100% in on taking any yote in site. I think we should make a challenge here on ogf and make a seperate thread just for posting pics of coyotes killed this year.......so go out and yote hunt and first to bag one start a new thread and post a pic.....Let's put a hurting on them this year.
> 
> ps....wildlife do you use mouth calls or electronic?? Wouldnt mind a pm with some better tips on bringing them in....sharpening my tools is always appreciated.


We've shot a lot on drives, or sitting over bait - kind of like deer hunting and also with electronic callers. All work well.

I never saw too many coyotes in Ohio when I wasnt hunting them, but after moving to Oklahoma Ive seen at least a dozen in 3 weeks. Most of which were from my back door. Saw one this morning in the field behind my house on the way to work. My .22-250 is going to get a work out once I get some landowner permission out here! 

Haven't seen a deer yet near Tulsa - could be a coincidence or could be partly due to the yotes.


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## Wildlife (Dec 12, 2010)

I have two large horse stables around me with some very expensive horses. Owners; animal lovers big time. Owners DO NOT hunt nor ALLOW others to hunt their property.   I think that's another reason why the yots are in the area. Why not, the small game is practically gone, horses may be next???  Barn cats are few and in between. I wonder if or when one gets spooked and runs off; breaks a leg or whatever else, then perhaps the neighbors may reconsider the idea of having a hunter around, at least I hope. They have some real nice deer and yot habitat.


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## Wildlife (Dec 12, 2010)

The Coyote will attack a human and will kill them. It's like any opportunistic predatory animal, when the opportunity presents itself, they will take advantage of it. It's not common but they are capable.

Like this 19 year old killed by Coyotes.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/worl...ands_nati.html


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## Gern186 (Feb 2, 2010)

Wildlife said:


> Deer are pushed all around my place by these damn yots. I have approximately a half dozen deer/car incidents annually around here. Most occur at night when you hear all the yapping going on in the near distance. I'm a neighbor of a 1,850 acre wildlife refuge. I have seen these yots myself chase the deer and in each case, where that deer did everything it could to get away from them until it got so winded and then succumbed to tummies of these four legged predators. I dont know what's happening up in your neck of the woods, however here the small game population has declined each year as the yots increase theirs. Any suggestion as to why you think this is happening? Never had the issue before, nothing else has changed in the area for decades but the yots!


Did you shoot those yotes or copy that picture from another site?


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## Wildlife (Dec 12, 2010)

> Did you shoot those yotes or copy that picture from another site?


Yes, I did copy this from a different site for impact, which is a hot topic there too. If you are interested in getting some really good information and want to get on the band wagon to rid these guys? Try getting with someone like this gentleman who originally posted his methods. I found it to be vary informative and helpful... ______________________________________________________________
"Foot holds and snares.... Snares are easy my 8 year old snares coyotes....
Lot's more pics of the solution!!"

http://www.ohiosportsman.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=42905 
__________________


American Trap Tralk Forum>> http://londonlureco.proboards.com

Buckeye Predator Control>> http://buckeyepredatorcontrol.weebly.com/



Read more: http://www.ohiosportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43008&page=2#ixzz13TvncXPy


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## Gern186 (Feb 2, 2010)

Hey, I'm on the bandwagon......I agree more guys need to hunt them, but it takes more work than most guys are willing to do.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

Gern186 said:


> Hey, I'm on the bandwagon......I agree more guys need to hunt them, but it takes more work than most guys are willing to do.




Great photo's.

Nik,


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## rrtresp28 (Sep 6, 2006)

What are the legal weapons of chose for coyotes. Can i use a high powered rifle.??????


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Absolutely you can use a hi-po rifle , but be careful of your surroundings & watch for ricochets. Take some every year with either a 7mm or '06 with light handloads .... they do the job.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

I've never seen a bigger scapegoat than the coyote recently. Seems to me everybody wants to place all the blame on decreasing deer/ small game, and/or birds (whatever YOU hunt) on coyotes. There are a lot of factors involved and certainly the coyote is one of those factors, but IMO you guys are blowing their impact out of proportion.

The ODNR is well aware of their impact on deer and other game...they've been doing studies since the 70s. They conducted their own fawn studies just like the one in thsi article here in OH and have localized data from those studies. ODNR views the coyote as a useful tool in deer management and they know they are killing deer; in fact they welcome the help.

Not to mention these type of studies take away the deer's best natural God given defense mechanism the second a human touches that fawn and attaches a monitor. Humans have a strong odor no matter how hard we try to control it. Fawns have no odor by design making them difficult to locate the first few weeks after birth.

The domestic dog has attacked and killed far and away more humans and livestock, as well as cause significantly more property damage. Yet, we call the domestic dog "man's best friend"

Do coyotes kill fawns and eat deer...sure they do. They also eat a whole lot of other things many of which aren't animals. Coyotes have been fairly thick in OH since the late 80s and on the rise right along with the deer population. Certainly not a coincidence. Deer populations were too high during the early 2000s and ODNR purposely wanted to reduce the herd and they have. Coyotes also kill other predators..for every feral cat a coyote eats he is likely saving dozens of rabbits and birds from certain death.

*Balance*is the key word and OH isn't as far out of balance as most of us armchair biologists beleive. If you feel you've got way too many coyotes in your area - stop shoooting does and kill coyotes for a few years if you really care. If you own land, let some acres go fallow and create some good habitat. But, the attitude of killing every coyote you see is not the conservationalist attitude I would hope to see from fellow sportsman. That same attitude has cost this nation dearly in the past...let's not let it cost us in the future.

And for the record, I've personally killed many coyotes in OH. And I will kill more in the future...when I believe it needs ot be done; just not every time I get one in my crosshairs.


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## sam kegg (Jun 23, 2007)

so fishing fool does this mean i can shoot high powered rifles? lol jk


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## rrtresp28 (Sep 6, 2006)

Getting my high powered rifle ready.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Sure can Sam...just be careful. I'm not against hunting coyotes nor trapping them. If you really want to have an effect trapping would be the way to go..they are tough to hunt. They have a much greater range than other game here in OH. Most guys I know that attempt to hunt them give up and those that stick with it aren't all that successful. A single good trapper could do more damage than two dozen guys like me hunting them.

It just seems to me deer hunters are the worst (I love to hunt deer so I am including myself in this group) and the bird hunters follow suit. Nevermind the fact the deer pop has risen steadily until only recently right along with the coyote pop. Seems to me most deer hunters I run into either haven't hunted deer in OH long, or have a foggy memory. Heck, deer hunting went form buck only to practically unlimited tags and deer around every corner over just the last 25 years. It seems today's local OH deer hunter EXPECTS to see deer every trip afield and gets bent out of shape at the thought of having less deer. To me, we've had too many deer statewide the last 10 years or so. A reduction isn't a bad thing and I hear comments like "I'm only seeing a handful of deer in my fields when I used to see a dozen or more". Look at harvest numbers...they along with some events of disease and the rough winter last year have more to do with seeing less deer than coyotes IMO.

And lets face it, coyotes aren't the reason this state has suffered with birds....anybody remembr what the landscape looked like 10, 15, 20 years ago? Quality bird habitat is scarce and continuing to decrease.

I just had to step up and counter the coyote killing bandwagon here. Truth is, most guys will TALK about it, but few will do anything about it anyway. And coyotes are too shy and smart for most of us to go killing them in numbers anyway. I'd say we better get used to it...the coyote isn't going anywhere and exists with deer just fine in most areas.

And the guys that point them as such a threat to man....give me a break. Lightning strikes kill more people annually; maybe it should be illegal to be outdoors in a thunderstorm LOL. There have been some freak events with coyotes, but they are minute at best. Just another justification to kill them IMO; especially when our own domesticated species of dog does FAR more harm to both people and property (livestock included).

I'm sure I won't change any minds here today, but a lot of people read these boards and I feel somebody should speak out with some counter points. As I said, I've killed several with bow and gun in OH. 

Go get em boys and post your results...I'll be waiting to see how many coyotes you guys can kill. I'm guessing you don't kill much except time and a single trapper can bag more than all of us hunting them combined.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

People enjoy being able to shoot 3+ deer a year. I sure as heck do. The meat doesnt last as long as I wish either! And I'm not a coyote hunter yet, but with the amount I've been seeing lately, it's coming. Already shot one with my bow basically in a urban backyard.

Also, the bird (pheasant) and rabbit habitat we have remaining is also prime coyote habitat. While most CRP lands should be thick with birds after an adequate time for recovery, they are not and are instead thick with coyote. Can't say that predatory birds aren't helping the situation, but at least they're native. I wish someone would come trap the property we hunt in Columbus! Its thick with dang yotes.


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