How can I know if the yote population in my ranch is affecting deer population?

Last week I saw a doe with her two to three months offspring running as being chased by four or five yotes. I shot one of the coyotes as he stop to take a look at me by the fence but I did not know what happened with the doe or her little fawn.

That leave me with the question if the yotes population is growing and in need of more food. My ranch has always had a regular to abundant coyote population.

Nice shot. It sounds like a few predator control hunts aren't going to help you. You need to snare the area for a few weeks. Deer proof snares can be made easily enough and if you check them daily you could reduce your problem to a very manageable number of coyotes. If some are removed the remaining dogs would have fuller bellies and be less likely to take the deer.

some p say a coyote wont take down a deer but a few of them together will I would get the coyoe problem under control before it starts taking a dent out of your deer population

ah, my favorite critter: Wile E. Coyote

coyote's can and will kill deer, but (imo) 'yotes provide a service to the deer population as a whole.... a healthy deer can easily defend itself by outrunning coyotes --- i would imagine most of the deer killed by predators (excluding mountain lions) are either sick, injured, or old. a young fawn may fall victim to a coyote every now and then, but that's just how nature works.

if you are trying to improve the quality and/or quantity of your deer herd, i think coyotes are not a very high priority in the overall scheme of things. don't get me wrong, shoot every 'yote you can ---- it's a lot of fun!

i've hunted coyotes using every method available (calling, snares and traps, dogs, etc.) and i'm telling ya', you cannot kill enough to make a meaningful impact on their overall population in your area --- the 20th century taught us that.
throughout the 1900's, white guys tried to eradicate coyotes in kansas. 'yotes were bountied, poisoned, trapped, shot, etc. w/ limited short-term success and no long-term reduction.

coyotes are the ultimate survivor! there's nothing you can do that hasn't been tried a hundred times before, they are too resilent.

I agree 100% with StrmChzr -

Also, the fact that you are seeing fawns is good (even if they are being chased) - because the highest predation time is June - right after the fawns are dropped.

You need to keep things in perspective (like Bad Winters, Bad mast year, etc) - and take a survey of the twin fawns you see in late summer. All else being equal - you should observe twin fawns, about 1/2 the time you see does/fawns in a healthy population. If - following a good year - you are not seeing multiple fawns - then there is a problem of some type.

Curiously, Bears are much tougher on fawns in the spring than Coyotes - but coyotes can also have an impact - as you know.

We've learned to live with the coyotes - a 50 lb coyote here is nearly average for a full grown animal.

One thing a landower/lease can do - is work to increase the small game population. Clover plots, bordered by heavy blackberry patches have really helped our rabbit population come on. Increased plots overall, during the last 5 years - has REALLY allowed our woods to have an UNDERSTORY again. Mowing fallow fields, and leaving the grasses/weeds laying - provide food and cover for mice. You might want to consider Log - or Living Brushpiles in young woods - for small game cover. These management techniques can increase the preferred food sources for Coyotes.

Shooting a few is good too - You want them to fear Man - and taking a few will help you to enjoy having them around as a healthy part of the habitat.

Thanks for the input guys! Let me say that your comments are very helpful. Regarding my post, I have to add the fact that my concern is merely theoretical. I haven't seen any sign of yotes affecting the deer herd in my property, is just that the scene I saw last week let me wondering about the issue.

I been seeing twin fawns for the last two years in the ranch and 1 and 2 year deers are pretty abundant, so I guess there is nothing wrong with the deer population in the area.

Anyway, coyotes are fun to hunt and this weekend I'm going to hunt some!!!

Thaks again.

In my opinion is you see one coyote then your deer population is affected. One coyote or 4 or 5 it doesn't really matter. I have had a single coyote work up the courage to come into the cattle pasture in broad daylight, trot into the herd and kill a week old calf. I have also witnessed a yote try at a mature calf elk while the mother attempted to fight off the dog. The yote nipped the calf a few times but the cow was able to win the battle. If the dogs want that meal bad enough they will get it. I agree with what was stated earlier that they usually pick on the sick and the lame. Its a natural selection issue which is critical in maintaining a strong healthy population however if the yotes really need dinner they are capable of alot more than we think.

Trying to lower your coyote population isn't going to happen. The more you shoot the more yotes will disperse to your property from other areas. Try some habitat enhancement to increase you rabbit/upland bird populations. Those species are generally easier and quicker prey for a coyote to prey on so they will be less apt to concentrate on deer.

If you see coyotes often, then they are probably over-populated and are hurting your deer population.

I think that yotes affect deer numbers more then people realize, and usually they aren't hunted much.

Take a day, and go sit out and shoot a few of the boogers.

They might come in in herds, or you might take solos out every once in awhile.

It is a fun time, you'll get some trophies, and it's an effective way to help manage your deer herd and help produce maximum deer numbers.