Impact of Coyotes on Deer Population

[blackbeard]

Thanks to Curran and Facebook I saw the following article. http://gameandgarden.com/sustainable/land/do-coyotes-affect-deer-populations/?fb_source=pubv1

Very interesting. It really hit home with me because coyotes are getting thick on and around my property. I have more trail cam pictures this year than ever before.

http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/gallery/files/2/2/3/mdgc0010_thumb.jpg (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=2529)

http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/gallery/files/2/2/3/mdgc0034_692687_thumb.jpg (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=2530)

http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/gallery/files/2/2/3/mdgc0155_thumb.jpg (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/gallery/showimage.php?i=2531)

[Griz]

When I was hunting the Athens area last Nov, there wasn't a night that I didnt hear coyotes when I was walking out to the truck. I saw one bobcat but not coyotes. My hunting partner heared them every night and saw four. He was hunting the other side of the road. So we were hearing different coyotes. It was surprising.
At home here in NH we have alot also. There is no closed season here but it doesn't seem to change the population. A few yrs ago NH opened a night time predator hunting season, but only rim fire can be used.
The article makes you wonder if the deer herd can keep up.

[mrbb]

well I agree coyotes will eat fawns and even adult deer
BUT??
I do think the drop in deer numbers has a lot more to do with other things, than just with coyotes being in the picture
I personally have coyotes where I hunt and I have a very very good idea on my deer numbers as well as coyote/bobcat numbers on my lands, due to running so many trail cam's and how much time I spend there, plus legally being allowed to spotlight at night, and I do think thats a big deal, as so many critters anymore are nocturnal animals!

I have no shortage of deer, and no increase or de crease in coyotes, and haven't in the past 12+ yrs
I am the ONLY major farm/food source for many many miles, backed up by about 10,000 acres of a big forest
deer flock to my place to feed,(90% at night) and as such I always have deer, and have always had coyotes here since I started running trail cam's in 1999
some yrs I might get a small increase in trail cam pic's of coyotes, but yr to yr its always been about the same
the biggest thing I personally feel is effecting deer is habitat loss
or quality habitat
and the increase of housing
yrs back deer to me seemed to adjust better to housing expantion, living in neighborhoods, but had access to food and farms near by
farms have been dropping at an alarming rate across the USA
here in PA, we have less than 50% of the active farm we had just 20 yrs ago
thats a 50% loss of a major food source to so much wildlife
and so many farms here have turned into housing developments
further loosing habitat for wildlife
on the 200 acres here there is almost ZERO cover/browse, due to yrs of over browsing, thus driving deer to live esle where, and only visiting here at night mostly to feed
giving coyotes a better chance at a deer due to how many visit at nite

where as Coyotes to me have learned to live better in closer contact with homes, and thus find fawns better
as they have more options to eat, wider range of foods, than deer do
maybe yrs back again when this major expantion and loss of farm started, they could still live near homes, and walk to feed, but now a days after yrs, they ate all they can reach in many place, and have no grond cover to hind in, hide fawns and such

over the past 12+ yrs at MY farm where I hunt
I have coyotes and deer in food plots at the same time and neither one pays much attention to each other?
I get the most pictures of coyotes in Oct, not fawning time too!
I won't say other places don't have coyote deer killing issue's
just saying its not a big problem here
as a fact I typically don't shoot coyotes here due to I need there help on controlling deer numbers
this again is my personal experience in my area
and on a side note I have seen coyotes here where I hunt since the 80's, and I will say some areas have more coyotes now than in the past
, but most places I notice lot more coyotes now, are in areas, where habitat loss has changed a lot in the past 10+ yrs
pushing more deer into smaller areas, thus making it easier to MAYBE for them to find fawns??
or where deer are forced to eat in areas now that ONLY have food
thus increasing the amount of deer to ambush/making ambush easier, as they have to feed
My 2 cents

[tpjeep]

Very interesting article, tnx for sharing Blackbeard, do you think it has effected your area? I hunt down by you, seems ive seen a steady decrease in deer sightings while on stand, although I hunt public. I figured it was from over harvesting. Have also read that coyote litter sizes are food available, and population orientated, More food , larger litters, less food smaller . higher density of coyotes, smaller litters,

[radicalxl]

I believe our deer numbers have went down here also. In the last few years the neighbors have told me about sightings and attacks on their animals. Although I haven't seen any myself, I had seen the injuries on the neighbors dog and it was pretty obvious what caused them.. Having lost a dog also, it has to be some of the reason I have been seeing less deer.

[blackbeard]

Very interesting article, tnx for sharing Blackbeard, do you think it has effected your area?

I have no proof but with as many running around I can't imagine they haven't had some type of impact. It definitely has me re-considering keeping a feed site going next year to get trail cam photos of the local deer because the coyotes hang around there a lot and it probably doesn't help the deer.

[SSpengSS]

Coyotes are running all over the place where I hunt. Over the past two years we have killed at least 7 on our 100 acres and we still see them everywhere. Kill one and another just replaces it.

Every morning this fall when our turkeys were flying down from their roost, the coyotes would be all over them. Also, I haven't seen hardly any racoons, possums, and have never seen a fox. That right there tells you how big of an impact coyotes have. 2 years ago I would see racoons on almost every hunt....this year I don't recall seeing more than 1. If you aren't seeing a negative impact yet, trust me you will, unless you start to do something to prevent it. Don't forget coyotes don't have any predators in ohio other than humans, and they are extremely adaptable.

Calling coyotes is a ton of fun, though. I have a primos alpha dogg e-caller and a .22-250 with a nikon coyote special scope mounted on it.....a lethal combo. If any of you want to learn how to predator hunt I'd be more than happy to help. They're getting ready and/or already mating and are extremely territorial, so now is the time to be out thinning them out.

[mrbb]

SSpengSS
I again have and have coyote's here at my farm, and I have over the past 13+ yrs now, and I have TOO many deer here as well, and have for the past 13+ yrs with coyotes the whole time!

I also have a lot of coons, possums and all sorts of small game critters, minus Grouse, which, just have been droping numbers state wide for past 10+ yrs here in PA
and I have lots of foxes, and have for the past 50+ yrs on this farm(owners were BIG time trappers and fox and coyote hunters )

I again am not doubting that coyote numbers can be up, and when up can be a hazard to your deer
but I don't have that problem at ALL, never have!
as a FACT I don't shoot them, as I need there help in balancing deer numbers
and over the yrs my population of coyotes hasn't grown, and its NOT because of folks hunting them, or lack of places for them to live, or food(again I have lots of critters for them to eat, that might be why they don't bother my deer as much as in some places)
if anything I think the biggest reason I don't get too many is of Mange
every time the numbers of them seems to get bigger than normal, mange comes in and seems to thin them out real fast and then it take time to get them back to normal

so as for copyote not having any preditors, I agree
but since i have hunted them across the USA over the yrs
I do see that Mange is a BIG problem for coyotes all over and not just at where I hunt in PA

seems morther nature has a cure for too many of them, if folks don't help out
But again, I still think Habitat, and Quality Habitat is the biggest reason ause
sure they eat, they have to eat to live, and will eat what they find
like all other critters, thats nature at work in my eye's

but without good habitat, all critters will loose out, and numbers will drop of all them

[Big_Holla]

We had a pair (or so I thought) hanging out on our property while I was down bowhunting the beginning of November. Then one morning I was headed out early when I heard one sound off on the neighboring property to the West, then another with that one, then the two up in our fields chimed in, then at least 3 more to the East got in on the banter!! Damn things I can only wonder what they have been up to lately!!

[blackbeard]

SSpengSS, PM me your cell phone #, I'd like some tips.

[SSpengSS]

Blackbeard, please send the initial PM to me and I'll try to respond...I've tried to send you one a couple times, but I don't believe they actually sent.

[PlayTheWindMike]

Hey Speng would you mind starting a thread and give us some tips on actual "How To" and the best methods of yote hunting. I have never done it so if you start a thread maybe we could learn a thing or two from you.

[SSpengSS]

Yep, I can do that. I'll type it up later this evening and post it in the predator forum.

[blackbeard]

Blackbeard, please send the initial PM to me and I'll try to respond...I've tried to send you one a couple times, but I don't believe they actually sent.

Here's the reason, I tried to PM you and I can't PM you either. You probably need to allow private messaging in your settings.

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[SSpengSS]

Alright, PM should be working for me now. I couldn't change any settings on the tapatalk app I was using on my iPhone.

[SSpengSS]

OK, I started a thread on the Predator Hunting Forum that is titled "Coyote Calling/Hunting Tips". If you have any other specific questions or experiences about hunting coyotes, please share them there.

[Toke2]

A couple of our crew are going to attend to a coyote seminar in Akron this coming week. Sponsored by the ODNR - should be interesting. We are from the Akron and Youngstown area but hunt public land down in Guernsey county. We hear the Yotes every night and have them on just about every trail cam. Deer Numbers are still solid in that area... but we may try a few Yote hunts to help control. I am interested to hear what the ODNR says about this subject. Just thought I'd let you know in case someone was interested...
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2013/01/outdoor_calendar_highlights_ar.html