Fawn Eaters

[C.Killmaster]

With all due respect, I would bet those instances coincided with environmental issues that cannot be helped! Such as drought, disease, habitat loss or degradation, etc. but given suitable factors the removal of coyotes does help exponentially the vast majority of time.

There has been a ton of research over the last decade in the Southeast and the results vary greatly. What we've learned is coyote predation on fawns is highly variable across the landscape and trapping can be very effective on some properties, but not others. On some properties it was successful the first year, but not subsequent years. Sounds like it's been working for you, so keep it up! One thing we know for sure is that coyotes should be removed just prior to fawn drop and throughout it to be the most successful. Transient coyotes fill in so quick that it negates most of the work done earlier in the year.

 

[jakebuddy]

NGA44
Lighten up man, careers are where experience is gained. I didn’t come out of the womb knowing everything about my job either. Charlie is a good guy and provides a lot of information, doesn’t know everything for sure but he is passing on what he learns a lot better than other state biologists. But you are correct in what you stated just not the manner that you said it.

 

[C.Killmaster]

https://www.qdma.com/how-much-venison-are-coyotes-eating/

Folks, please read this and the related articles at the bottom of the page. Although predator control is an important management tool, predator-prey interactions are far more complicated than just removing more predators. Habitat management is equally important.

 

[Doug B.]

Folks, please read this and the related articles at the bottom of the page. Although predator control is an important management tool, predator-prey interactions are far more complicated than just removing more predators. Habitat management is equally important.

I for one respect your knowledge, experience, and input. I honestly believe that habitat management is a big part of conservation, but would trapping several years in a row make more of a difference or is it just an infinite circle. Either way I am going to keep trying to catch as many coyotes as I possibly can, just because I don't like them being here!

 

[Doug B.]

I expect the state deer biologist would be well skilled in numerous wildlife management techniques. If you’re not, then where is the foundation that your career should be built upon? A fancy piece of paper from a big university doesn’t qualify someone for a job IMO. Real world experience, or a solid base of hands on knowledge if you will, is what should qualify someone for a job like this.
Can you also run a chainsaw? Operate a tractor to plant food plots? Effectively trap hogs?
My point being that if you don’t know the on the ground, extremely skilled techniques to implement all the findings of this ‘research’ then who are you to tell others they should be doing them.

Whoa buddy!! What are your credentials to make this kind of statement. A man's opinion don't carry as much weight sometimes as a man that has devoted his life to studying a topic. This man is just trying to do his job just like you try to do yours. I respect C.Killmaster and I think he knows a lot more than you are giving him credit for.

 

[C.Killmaster]

I for one respect your knowledge, experience, and input. I honestly believe that habitat management is a big part of conservation, but would trapping several years in a row make more of a difference or is it just an infinite circle. Either way I am going to keep trying to catch as many coyotes as I possibly can, just because I don't like them being here!

I would focus on trying to remove the resident coyotes rather than transients, they probably kill most of the fawns in a given area. Transients use roads a lot and that's mostly what you'll catch if you're trapping roads. For whatever reason, residents tend to avoid roads in their immediate home range. No one has actually tested selectively removing residents to improve recruitment, so I can't say for certain if it's more effective. This was all based on GPS-collared coyotes, their movement data, and food habits.

 

[furtaker]

I would focus on trying to remove the resident coyotes rather than transients, they probably kill most of the fawns in a given area. Transients use roads a lot and that's mostly what you'll catch if you're trapping roads. For whatever reason, residents tend to avoid roads in their immediate home range. No one has actually tested selectively removing residents to improve recruitment, so I can't say for certain if it's more effective. This was all based on GPS-collared coyotes, their movement data, and food habits.

What is the average number of coyotes in a family unit in Georgia?

 

[mossyoakpro]

That isn't necessarily the case all the time everywhere. There have been several instances where intensive trapping of coyotes has done nothing to improve fawn recruitment.

It has on our farm...our deer herd has expanded significantly. I'll continue to trap the things that prey on the animals I enjoy hunting....

 

[C.Killmaster]

What is the average number of coyotes in a family unit in Georgia?

Transients are often roaming loaners and residents will be a breeding pair plus a couple offspring that survived from a previous year. In reality, it's really fluid because Georgia coyotes have really high mortality rates and packs are constantly broken up when one of the pair gets killed. Packs are much smaller in the east compared to their western counterparts. When a pack is broken up, the individuals become transient until pairing up and start the process over again.

The largest reported pack size in the east was 7 documented in an un-hunted urban area.

 

[j_seph]

@NGA44 I would suggest you call him at the number he provided you with. I would about wager that you might learn something. Killmaster is a great guy and no need to bash at him. I went and took a class on trapping, like others I am sure once I left and started pricing all I needed to have a decent trap line, just as Killmaster said the money to put into it was not worth it to me. On another note, we have yotes at our club and see several deer as well as fawns. Had 15 in a plot this year and half were fawns.

 

[280 Man]

I would focus on trying to remove the resident coyotes rather than transients, they probably kill most of the fawns in a given area. Transients use roads a lot and that's mostly what you'll catch if you're trapping roads. For whatever reason, residents tend to avoid roads in their immediate home range. No one has actually tested selectively removing residents to improve recruitment, so I can't say for certain if it's more effective. This was all based on GPS-collared coyotes, their movement data, and food habits.

The yotes I catch are just that, transients imo. In my area I don't have a big problem with yotes, however I run trail cams year around and do get pics from time to time. I may get a pic or two today and it might be 2 weeks before I get another pic, of which Im grateful..

 

[Zeke thefishgeek]

As many as she can catch!

Very nice... my thoughts exactly!!!

 

[Zeke thefishgeek]

What is the average number of coyotes in a family unit in Georgia?

Depends on...
-time of year
-food availability
-as well as coyote numbers in the surrounding territories
-> but gun to my head... #7 to #9+ is my answer for an established group in my area of agricultural and fields/woods mixed land extreme Northwest Georgia...