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Coyote Hunting - From 10 Yards to over 1,000 Yards
Are Coyotes Negatively Impacting Our Deer Herds?
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<blockquote data-quote="SBruce" data-source="post: 588537" data-attributes="member: 21068"><p>I find myself needing to respond to this.</p><p> </p><p>I've hunted/trapped and watched/studied coyotes quite extensively for over 20 years. Although not a whole lot during the past couple years due to other recent obligations and interests. </p><p> </p><p>I've observed coyotes and their behavior as it relates to livestock, game animals and rodents.</p><p> </p><p>Simply put, yes coyotes feed on game animals. But they are truly oportunistic and actually prefer the easiest and safest meal they can get. Coyotes survive soo well mostly because they are just big cowards. </p><p> </p><p>If there are alot of rabbits and other rodent type prey around, the predation on deer/antelope is greatly reduced. If there is alot of winter kill on deer/antelope they prefer to eat the carrion over using the effort to catch and kill a rabbit. If there is a cow having a calf that is paralized and cant fight back......the coyote will eat the calf and the *** end of the cow, however; they rarely bother healthy cattle, young or old, it's just too risky to the coyotes' survival. Adult deer and antelope will defend their fawns from coyotes if able. I've watched this first hand. Likewise, cattle will defend their calves from coyotes if able. IME, attacks on healthy living fawns and calves are actually rare. Obviously, this varies some from year to year and prey population/density has alot to do with this, as does coyote population and natural occuring wildlife deaths due to disease, winter kill, and other naturally occuring deaths.</p><p> </p><p>If small rodent populations are relatively low, then coyotes are more apt to take fawns. They can survive quite easily eating on stuff that is already dead, example winter kill.</p><p> </p><p>So, I guess what I am trying to say here is that yes coyotes will kill fawn deer, but it is definately not their prefered food in my experience. </p><p>Why would a coyote risk the hooves of an adult deer when they can easily get a rabbit without any risk. Why spend the massive amounts of energy if there are safer and easier food supplies available................this is what I've observed with coyotes. They will eat just about whatever they can find to survive. I've watched them eat mice and rats, birds, grass, grasshoppers and other bugs, and even the worms out of cow pies.</p><p> </p><p>I submit that if they are feeding extensively on deer fawns, it is because there isn't enough other varieties of prey/food available for the current population of coyotes.</p><p> </p><p>I truly believe that the growing population of wolves and encroachment on deer habitat by humans will ultimately (in the long run) affect the deer population more than coyotes ever did. Besides, once the **** wolves get spread out all over the county, coyotes populations will reduce greatly and we'll have another, bigger issue.</p><p> </p><p>Sorry for the long rant, just my .02.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SBruce, post: 588537, member: 21068"] I find myself needing to respond to this. I've hunted/trapped and watched/studied coyotes quite extensively for over 20 years. Although not a whole lot during the past couple years due to other recent obligations and interests. I've observed coyotes and their behavior as it relates to livestock, game animals and rodents. Simply put, yes coyotes feed on game animals. But they are truly oportunistic and actually prefer the easiest and safest meal they can get. Coyotes survive soo well mostly because they are just big cowards. If there are alot of rabbits and other rodent type prey around, the predation on deer/antelope is greatly reduced. If there is alot of winter kill on deer/antelope they prefer to eat the carrion over using the effort to catch and kill a rabbit. If there is a cow having a calf that is paralized and cant fight back......the coyote will eat the calf and the *** end of the cow, however; they rarely bother healthy cattle, young or old, it's just too risky to the coyotes' survival. Adult deer and antelope will defend their fawns from coyotes if able. I've watched this first hand. Likewise, cattle will defend their calves from coyotes if able. IME, attacks on healthy living fawns and calves are actually rare. Obviously, this varies some from year to year and prey population/density has alot to do with this, as does coyote population and natural occuring wildlife deaths due to disease, winter kill, and other naturally occuring deaths. If small rodent populations are relatively low, then coyotes are more apt to take fawns. They can survive quite easily eating on stuff that is already dead, example winter kill. So, I guess what I am trying to say here is that yes coyotes will kill fawn deer, but it is definately not their prefered food in my experience. Why would a coyote risk the hooves of an adult deer when they can easily get a rabbit without any risk. Why spend the massive amounts of energy if there are safer and easier food supplies available................this is what I've observed with coyotes. They will eat just about whatever they can find to survive. I've watched them eat mice and rats, birds, grass, grasshoppers and other bugs, and even the worms out of cow pies. I submit that if they are feeding extensively on deer fawns, it is because there isn't enough other varieties of prey/food available for the current population of coyotes. I truly believe that the growing population of wolves and encroachment on deer habitat by humans will ultimately (in the long run) affect the deer population more than coyotes ever did. Besides, once the **** wolves get spread out all over the county, coyotes populations will reduce greatly and we'll have another, bigger issue. Sorry for the long rant, just my .02. [/QUOTE]
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Coyote Hunting - From 10 Yards to over 1,000 Yards
Are Coyotes Negatively Impacting Our Deer Herds?
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