Coyotes and Deer

[seymojo536]

My guess is he had a good catch pole. Still wouldn't make me comfortable.

Yeah, that can get pretty dicy. One time my cousin and I tried to snare a coon that was in the top of our wire corn crib. It was full of ear corn so there was only a foot of space at the top. Mrs. coon had climbed up and was having herself a feast. Bud and I decided to make a snare out of a broom stick and some bailing wire. Got a ladder and I climed in the access door onto my belly. Put the loop of wire around a very upset momma's neck and yanked. This popped the staple out of the handle and I was left with a stick in my left hand and a 6 foot wire snare in my right hand. So there I was face to face with a very p*ssed off coon and no real means to control her. Much yelling, cussing and hissing ensued. I do believe I could hear my cousin laughing from the ground. Momma coon decided it was time to go, only problem was I was between her and the one way out. I used the broomstick to keep her a fair distance from my face as I tried to dance on my stomach away from the door. We circled the top of the crib and she made a break for the exit. She jumped from the top but only fell a couple of feet before the slack in the wire ran out. The next time we took the 22.

 

[Jesse masterson]

I guess the video on you tube settles the question if coyotes can take down full grown deer . 2 coyotes take down a 6 point buck easily. In SC . If they can so that there's not a lot a pack can't bring down!

 

[N80]

I guess the video on you tube settles the question if coyotes can take down full grown deer . 2 coyotes take down a 6 point buck easily. In SC . If they can so that there's not a lot a pack can't bring down!

The thing we never know in most of these videos is what leads up to the takedown. The videos leave no doubt that coyotes will attack and kill an adult deer. But are these healthy adult deer? A number of the videos are in snow and ice. Is the deer sick or starving? In the ones with bucks, they have horns. Is it deer season? Have they been hit with an arrow or a bullet? In SC many deer are wounded by cars.

Anyway, the evidence surely points to coyotes attacking and killing adult deer and the doe I saw being chased was clearly very healthy. So it seems reasonable to assume that coyotes will chase, and possible catch and kill adult deer. Others have cited pretty heavy fawn tolls by coyotes in some regions. So the question is, will deer predation by an ever increasing coyote population have a significant effect on deer herd size. Obviously this will vary by region, climate, coyote populations and deer populations. But there can be no doubt that coyote populations are growing fast here in the SC piedmont. There are times when we can hear literally dozens of coyotes in a 360 degree arc around out cabin. During calving season you see them all the time, day and night. And the DNR is encouraging pretty much indiscriminate killing of coyotes. (A hunting license is required, but there is no season and they can be hunted at night. A trapping license is required and there is a season for trapping.)

Finally, the question I have to ask myself is do I want to actively hunt and kill coyotes, and or kill them whenever an opportunity arrives. I would say yes, but with the realization that in reality I will have no significant effect on coyote populations or the effect they have on cows, deer, turkeys or foxes. But, it is legal, I enjoy it and it makes me feel better about at least attempting to restore a balance to the property I own and manage. What the right 'balance' is is open to much debate but I have an idea how I want things to be in my neck of the woods and that is what I will strive for.....that is what management is all about, right?

P.S.: Years ago I read an article that coyotes where also integral in decreasing quail populations even thought they do not actually kill and eat that many quail. The thinking was that coyotes kill foxes and foxes are much more effective predators of rodents than coyotes. Then rodent populations increase and rodents prey on quail nests. I make no claims as to the validity of this idea. Quail populations around me seem to be stable or maybe slightly on the rise. I have also read that feral cats and roaming domestic cats take a major toll on quail and song bird populations......I'd be willing to bet that coyotes take a healthy toll on roaming cats...which is a good thing.

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

Yeah, that can get pretty dicy. One time my cousin and I tried to snare a coon that was in the top of our wire corn crib. It was full of ear corn so there was only a foot of space at the top. Mrs. coon had climbed up and was having herself a feast. Bud and I decided to make a snare out of a broom stick and some bailing wire. Got a ladder and I climed in the access door onto my belly. Put the loop of wire around a very upset momma's neck and yanked. This popped the staple out of the handle and I was left with a stick in my left hand and a 6 foot wire snare in my right hand. So there I was face to face with a very p*ssed off coon and no real means to control her. Much yelling, cussing and hissing ensued. I do believe I could hear my cousin laughing from the ground. Momma coon decided it was time to go, only problem was I was between her and the one way out. I used the broomstick to keep her a fair distance from my face as I tried to dance on my stomach away from the door. We circled the top of the crib and she made a break for the exit. She jumped from the top but only fell a couple of feet before the slack in the wire ran out. The next time we took the 22.

LMAO !!!!! Would have loved to see a video of THAT !!

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

The thing we never know in most of these videos is what leads up to the takedown. The videos leave no doubt that coyotes will attack and kill an adult deer. But are these healthy adult deer? A number of the videos are in snow and ice. Is the deer sick or starving? In the ones with bucks, they have horns. Is it deer season? Have they been hit with an arrow or a bullet? In SC many deer are wounded by cars.

Anyway, the evidence surely points to coyotes attacking and killing adult deer and the doe I saw being chased was clearly very healthy. So it seems reasonable to assume that coyotes will chase, and possible catch and kill adult deer. Others have cited pretty heavy fawn tolls by coyotes in some regions. So the question is, will deer predation by an ever increasing coyote population have a significant effect on deer herd size. Obviously this will vary by region, climate, coyote populations and deer populations. But there can be no doubt that coyote populations are growing fast here in the SC piedmont. There are times when we can hear literally dozens of coyotes in a 360 degree arc around out cabin. During calving season you see them all the time, day and night. And the DNR is encouraging pretty much indiscriminate killing of coyotes. (A hunting license is required, but there is no season and they can be hunted at night. A trapping license is required and there is a season for trapping.)

Finally, the question I have to ask myself is do I want to actively hunt and kill coyotes, and or kill them whenever an opportunity arrives. I would say yes, but with the realization that in reality I will have no significant effect on coyote populations or the effect they have on cows, deer, turkeys or foxes. But, it is legal, I enjoy it and it makes me feel better about at least attempting to restore a balance to the property I own and manage. What the right 'balance' is is open to much debate but I have an idea how I want things to be in my neck of the woods and that is what I will strive for.....that is what management is all about, right?

P.S.: Years ago I read an article that coyotes where also integral in decreasing quail populations even thought they do not actually kill and eat that many quail. The thinking was that coyotes kill foxes and foxes are much more effective predators of rodents than coyotes. Then rodent populations increase and rodents prey on quail nests. I make no claims as to the validity of this idea. Quail populations around me seem to be stable or maybe slightly on the rise. I have also read that feral cats and roaming domestic cats take a major toll on quail and song bird populations......I'd be willing to bet that coyotes take a healthy toll on roaming cats...which is a good thing.

I DETEST feral cats, dogs, and feral hogs, basically I detest feral animals in general...I'll eliminate a feral (anything) before I'll shoot a wild critter that is native...if the wild critters become a problem up close and personal I'll take 'em out...otherwise I usually leave 'em alone...on the other hand, feral spotted is feral shot at...

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Would put your face pretty close to those teeth to open the trap, hopefully you have someone you trust on the catch pole.

 

[dmccarty]

The thing we never know in most of these videos is what leads up to the takedown. The videos leave no doubt that coyotes will attack and kill an adult deer. But are these healthy adult deer? A number of the videos are in snow and ice. Is the deer sick or starving? In the ones with bucks, they have horns. Is it deer season? Have they been hit with an arrow or a bullet? In SC many deer are wounded by cars....

The camera was placed to pick up wildlife. I would assume the placement was because the camera setter up'er knew animals would be seen by the camera. Does that mean the deer was baited in and/or, on a well known trail used by the deer that allowed the coyotes to ambush the buck?

I do think that the coyotes can take down a deer. But the question is how often can they do so and can they run down a healthy adult at will? Not sure the video proves much except that coyotes can kill deer which I don't think anyone would doubt.

I personally don't care about the coyotes eating the deer. We have too many of the danged deer as it is. However, I don't like animals that are a threat to the family or our animals around the house.

Later,
Dan

 

[Jesse masterson]

Coyotes will literally run a deer to death , it's not true that a coyote can catch a healthy deer unless ambush which they will do , however there stamina is so much better than other annals that unless the terrain interrupts the chase , as in gullys, ditches etc, which is advantage deer, they will set a pace and won't stop, but usualy that's on a need to basis, as long as there's ground hogs mice , rabbits, etc, why go to the bother. But if those items are scarce they can decimate deer.also as far as quail a warden friend of mine said turkey populations is what destroys quail. They bust up there nests and destroy there eggs.

 

[N80]

I personally don't care about the coyotes eating the deer. We have too many of the danged deer as it is. However, I don't like animals that are a threat to the family or our animals around the house.

Later,
Dan

It is my impression that our deer population here is relatively high and stable despite coyotes being here in large numbers for at least 15-20 years. But as you say, it is the cumulative threat that puts the coyotes in such bad light. Deer, foxes, turkeys, pets, cows, sheep, chickens, people(?!?). Our own deep sort of fear of wild dog-like animals doesn't help. The fact that they can be fun to hunt is another thing not in their favor. And when you can give a hunter, like me, a reason to deeply dislike an animal species and maybe even valid reasons for killing them, well, as they say....open season. I would like to think that we can make a difference. We probably can't. And even if it were possible to erradicate them I don't think I would be for it. I just feel they need to fill a smaller niche than they currently occupy in my local.

I don't even like the idea of leg traps so I won't resort to that. Found a couple that a poacher of sorts put on my place "by accident". Chunked them in the lake. Dangerous to my dog, my brother-in-laws calves, etc. and I find them quite inhumane. I'm not necessarily against someone else doing it if it is legal, but just not on my place.

 

[Tororider]

I read an article in Field and Stream a couple years back about coyote hunting. Talked about how a lot of bored deer hunters take it up because it is more challenging and thrilling. You are in fact hunting a predator instead of the prey. It was an interesting article.