Prior to the coyotes becoming the "problem" many see them as, GA had numerous outbreaks of blue tongue disease and with warmer winters and longer periods of drought we can expect more outbreaks. Apex predators actually help control this and many other contagious diseases amongst the animals they prey on. I have nothing against trapping at all, I made a living doing it at one time, and I believe it is one of the better methods available for furbearer management. With all that being said, I do not believe killing all so called coyotes is a good idea. There are parts of this state that have too many deer, by that, I mean more than the carrying capacity of the land they live on. I hear deer hunters all the time saying how the deer are crashing, etc...in GA, they are not. I grew up hunting deer in the early 70s and late 60s, I promise, I never thought I would see the number of deer we have now. I am also seeing browse lines in the woods....this means there are too many deer. Me, and a few other older sportsmen on this forum have our own ideas about the GA coyote...which has been discussed extensively on other boards within the GON forum. I do know this though, I have trapped coyotes out west and have trapped them in GA since they first showed up in the mid 70s, the canine we have in GA ain't the same one that is out west. I have also trapped wolves in Alaska in the late 70s....I can tell you this, the coyotes in GA act more like wolves than they do the coyotes I trapped out west. I would also suggest people who are interested in the natural history of the South East read William Bartram's writings on his travels during the 18th Century and pay close attention to how he described the wolves of GA and Florida during this time frame....most were black with a white patch on their chest....he wrote of these canines in the 1770s....Oh, and a recent study done tends to show that our "coyotes" actually benefit both bobwhite quail and wild turkey populations by preying on the primary nest predators, the coons and possums. This study was done by The Albany Quail Project now done by Tall Timbers. Frankly, I could live with less deer if it meant more turkeys and quail.
Yep.
I`ve been watching and observing this very thing for the last 23 years right around the house here. In spite of a healthy population of brush wolves, we have a better deer herd than probably anywhere in this part of the country. We also have plenty of turkeys, and wild quail have made a fine comeback. In my everyday activities I run into several coveys a day. I`ll never apologize for "Thinking Like A Mountain".
A healthy ecosystem needs some of all. Lot of folks can`t see that, nor do they understand.
Shooting coyotes when possible can only result in more deer, turkeys, rabbits etc. but it sure isn't going to eradicate coyotes.
My taxidermist had a guy bring him pics early in bow season a couple of years ago. He found a coyote den in the summer and put a camera on it. My taxidermist who is not one to exaggerate said that guy had pics of the 2 coyotes carrying in 17 different fawns throughout the summer
You people setting out corn and feeders are just making perfect ambush sites if you are so worried about them.