How big of a threat are coyotes?

[robbcayman]

Where we hunt an night we constantly hear them howling. I wonder how often they pick off deer? I'm sure they can easily take a fawn, but what about a maturebuck/doe?

Should I start thinning out the population of coyotes? If so, what is the best method for doing this?

[GMMAT]

I dont think the bio's have a handle on what they're doing to our deer herds. Most of the data (concerning fawn mortality rates anddeaths other than through disease, starvation, winter die-off, etc...)I've seen cited is 10's of years old......and that doesn't take into effect the population explosion of the coyote (or the re0introduction of wolves to some areas).

We have 100 counties in my state.......and we have coyotes in all 100 counties.

I'd like to have one mounted......but to be honest....it would be like killing a black snake out of my yard. They serve a valuable purpose where I hunt.

[huntingson]

I hate coyotes so I would say kill as many as you can whenever, however you can. They are the #1 killer of fawns. An article in American Hunter claimed that coyotes are responsible for 87% of fawn fatalities.

It would be tough for a coyote to take a healthy adult deer. Most of their diet is actually bugs and small rodents. However, this time of year they will try their best to dine on fawns.

[07tomkat]

ORIGINAL: huntingson

I hate coyotes so I would say kill as many as you can whenever

X2

[Edcyclopedia]

I don't recall any "specifics" on death by coyotes, but here's a conversation with a resident around my camp in up-country NH 2 years ago.
The lady I had the conversation with raised Bison @ the time and she asked if I wanted to buy the remaining 4 Bison before the coyotes got to them.
At one point she had 27 total and as little as 1 year, they killed the other 23, to leave her with 4.
She said they would pack up and surround the 200 lb. Bison and nip at the achilles heal until bring them down and finishing them off.
A long and painful death from a predator

[TG78]

My parents have a ranch and a lot of coyotes and in the last 25 years we have never lost a calf to a coyote direct attack. I know that a fawn is a fair amount smaller but depending on how well the parent defends the fawn I bet most kills are avoided. Actually defense of the youngone is how we do onoccasion loose a calf,by the mother spinning around soo much to fend off the coyotes that she ends up tramplingthe calf. Now with that being said my parents and I thin the coyotes as much as we can for the simple reason that they are overpopulated for the area and really hard on our pheasent, quail, and duck populations. Heck we have lost two small dogs in our yard (miniature schnauzers with Napoleon complex) to coyotes. P.S I warned my wife those dogs are too small for the country.

[robbcayman]

I think I am going to start killing them. There are plenty of hawks, owls, snakes etc.. to keep the rodent population in check. It would really irk me if a coyote got a big future buck. I just don't see the harm in at least killing some of them.

Plus, with less coyotes, means less opportunity for killing fawns.

[kickin_buck]

I love shooting yotes, but I do only be I love to do it. I am not trying to save my deer herd. I am sure they pick off a few fawns every year, maybe the 87% number is evern correct. I guess the way I look at is, here in Illinois the herd continues to grow every year, having the yotes picking off a few fawns here and there is natures way of keeping itself balanced. If you want to shoot of few of them for the sport, have at, but don't kind yourself and think you are saving a herd.

[rybohunter]

A fawn mortality study recently done in PA showed black bears preyed more on fawns than coyotes did.

That said, I will take any chance I get to shoot a yote. I"™ve got 2 now, it"™d be cool to get one with a bow eventually.

[Dr Andy]

I can't wait to kill a yote. Missed one last year at 30yds.