Originally Posted by
craig
nclem135,
I disagree with Nomercy in regards to their increasing their breeding/litter numbers, that is no lie, they do. A study done back around 1968 showed this very plainly. Back then western ranchers used stricnine (sp) and 1080 poisons as well as shooting & trapping, even bounties to eliminate every last yote they could. Large numbers of yotes on a sheep ranch is the bane of that ranchers existence. This did greatly reduce yote numbers, but failed to eliminate them. It was found that yote litter sizes had increased by 40%+, a survival tactic that is in their genes. Due to the cascading deadliness of 1080 which killed far to many non target birds of prey (including eagles), cougar, black bears & neighbors dogs ect. + it killed many scavengers as well, use of these poisons was outlawed. Bounties also have mostly gone out of favor, though bounties are now returning in some areas with really large numbers of yotes & not enough hunter/trappers.
This is not to say that you can't make a dent in their numbers via shooting & trapping because you can. And as has already been said, you'll kill far more with a good trapping program than you ever will with guns.....even if you get a couple friends helping you & dogs to boot, one good trapper can do even more for you. A good trapper + steady & determined shooting of them can cut fawn losses by up to 80% according to studies done in some SE states in recent years. You'll never get rid of all of them, but you can reduce the impact on your deer herd.
edit 12/29/14
Something I should have said, but did not is this: When I posted above that you can make a dent & reduce impact, I should have also said this..............To make really serious impact on yote numbers is only possible if it's a full court press effort. Call them in, run & gun them with dogs & a full out trapping program. So long as this is maintained you can have a real impact on the numbers of yotes in your area. But let up, just for one season.........and your going to be pretty much back where you started, or with even a few more as you now have a better food source for them, which will draw them. But even given this, it's still a worthwhile endevor IMO. Enjoy the hunt! ! !
You might have mis-identified me as saying something about breeding numbers/litters that I didn't actually say, but it really sounds like we're saying the same exact thing, your post suggests that "to make a serious impact on yote numbers is only possible if it's a full court press," and my post said "it's INCREDIBLY difficult to actually "eradicate" a coyote population." I grew up ranching and making every attempt to eliminate coyotes around our herds, short of the now illegal practice of lacing bait with poison and strapping 12ga shotguns to fence posts. Try as you might, they still keep coming back. If there's a food, water, and shelter suitable for coyotes, there WILL be coyotes.