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RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

Coyotes will attack a full grown deer....trust me, I have witnessed it from 40 yards while ML hunting. Full grown doe comes busting down a trail right out in front of me, took me 2-3 seconds to register the coyote knipping at her heels. It kept bighting at her backside, trying to trip her up. late season hunt, so early December. She ran full steem and plunged off into the icy creek, the coyote came to a screeching halt at the bank....Doe swam across froze and stared back, as if taunting the coyote, then jogged off. I then shot over the coyotes back and it tucked tail and took off.[:@]

I take out coyotes, but only because i love hunting them....You want to see a hard animal to hunt, pick up predator hunting. Not as easy as it may seem.

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

:D:D:D:D:DIm telling JZ[8D]

Quote:

ORIGINAL: dukemichaels

I'm not a big fan of yotes either really.. in fact I would say I hate them.

But killing an animal based on hate.. is not as appealing as it sounds. Ive taken a few down.. and each time.. I feel wrong for doing it. Killing just to kill is a hard thing to do.

(I am now going to leave and visit my wife in the bedroom to correct any thoughts you might have that I'm anything less than straight.)

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Dubbya

I've done a significant amount of research on coyotes, primarily because I love hunting them, but through my research, I've found that "thinning out" coyotes is nearly impossible. I'll explain.

Coyotes (as well as mosquitos)have the natural ability toadjust their litter sizes to reach carrying capacity, unlike most animals (deer, elk, antelope, etc.) that generally have 1 or 2 babies per year.

For easy numbers, let's say that an area has a carrying capacity of 60 coyotes and that 25% of those (15)die each year from a combination of disease, hunters, vehicles, and old age. That means that 15 pups are are raised to maturity (more are born) each year in order to maintain the carrying capacity. In an area like this, it's probably that less than half the females breed each year. So, let's say that through intense "hunting control" that an additional 15 coyotes are killed in a year, meaning that 1/2 of the population is eliminated. Coyotes will respond to this in two ways; First, more females will breed and therefore increase the population. Second, their litter sizes will increase from say 2-3 pups to 4-6. This will occurr naturally and boost the population.

I'm not saying that the population is at 100% of the carrying capacity in every area, but the same holds true.

I recall one study that was done somewhere in Arizona (I believe). It was a population that was fairly low and not much was done to control it. They studied the females and realized that roughly 1/3 of them were breeding each year. After the breeding season took place, serious control measures were taken and the fall population was decreased significantly. The next spring, they found that almost 90% of the females were breeding and that their litters were nearly double what they had been the year before.

So, controlling the population of coyotes is very difficult. And their threat to the deer herd is exaggerated by a lot of people. Mice and other rodents make up the large majority of coyote diets. Granted, they'll take a deer if they have the chance, but they realize it's much easier to catch mice and rabbits than a deer. And like any animal, they'll generally eat what is the easiest to find. This definitely holds true during the winter in colder climates, where expending large amounts of energy on chasing deer is more detrimental than helpful.

I agree with you in the big picture...thats why wolves dissapeared out west last century and coyotes thrived. However, it is possible to keep individual properties from becoming home ranges for a coyote family group. Trust me, there are coyotes on every place I hunt...they wander across occationally, but its not 'home' range...or they are dead. I have agressively hunted and trapped them for 5-6 years now and it seems to be working. Tons of coyotes in the general area still though.

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

By the anology of some of you guys, wyou would think that there wouldn't be a deer any where west of the Mississippi. After all, coyotes have been there for as long as deer have been, but yet deer numbers florish!

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: A11en

I'm doing my part!

Me too :D, but I will admit that this one was trapped.

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

BobCo - the top picture looks like you're being attacked (the old going for the jugular).

I can't take credit for that particular coyote mounteither, my son shot it. It was his first (age 9) so I had it mounted for him. I didn't even see a coyote until I was an adult.

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

Allen, I bet that was a proud day for yourboy.

RE: How big of a threat are coyotes?

Robbcayman,

It was a proud day for me as well. He hadn't even shot a deer yet. Since then he's taken a buck and a doe. My youngest just took his first deer last season (8 years old). I've found I get that same level of excitement whether I shoot or the boys.