ORIGINAL: mauser06
without the prey, the predators will not be there and the habitat will not support the population size of the predators...plain and simple.
deer hunters hunt where deer are because they want to kill a deer...same with the predators...they live and roam and hunt where they can find their food....
just like they did out west years ago killing all the wolves and such thinking it would make "hunters paradise" the deer population exploded and crashed due to starvation and disease....mother nature will take care of her own if humans do not help in forms noone wants to see like starvation and disease.
the predators just keep the populations in check....they arent going to whipe out anything because if/when they do, they also whipe their own food source out...they arent dumb.......and predators prey on alot more than just deer! deer are large, fast animals. predators only take the weak/sick deer for the most part...as well as some fawns...why chase a deer around for hours and burn tons of energy when you can hunt mice or chipmunks or rabbits or birds etc etc etc that are much easier to come by than a deer that can run as fast or faster than the hunter.....
i think its more than some fawns from what i hear in june 15th area.
i agree with you, they usually dont bother adult doe but i have pictrures of 2 coyotes on my deskthat went after a fawn with her mother this fall in oct.
i wish i could find article of well known hunter that works forredhead group at bass pro.
he was from lock haven and had article on finding 20 somthingfawns in den,i think it was 26 fawns in 1 den.
i just cant find it, it was in paper here at one time, like 5 years ago.