Coyotes and the deer population

[HunterZ]

I have read alot from all sources on how disapointed so many hunters are with the number of sightings over the last few years. All I hear is the DNR are trying to wipe out the deer here in MI. I don't even want to open that can of worms. Though this is a factor, what I have been expressing in any conversation when this comes up is the following:
Do you have coyote in the area that you hunt? Are there more now than 5 or 10 years ago? What do you think they are eating?
The conclusion always comes down to how many fawn crops can be removed (eaten) before the deer population in a given area is desimated?
These areas seem to be getting larger and more consistant across the state.
Could this be a large enough problem to actively address before it gets worse?
Dan

[kingfisher 11]

I believe they play a role. Just a piece of the puzzle. I am planning on doing my first predator hunt in the next week or so. I know our ground in Genesee county has quite few. I hope by knocking down some coyotes and foxes will help all game big and small. My boys and I were just talking about. I am hoping by taking my youngest son out for this kind of action, might make him more interested in hunting. Right now he can take it or leave it.

Now I just need to read the rules. Sounds like I need to educate myself on what I can and can't do.

[ds619]

I agree they play a role but I think that us as hunters have a role in it. I know of some people that will shoot any doe they see. Add this up and you are losing 2 to 3 deer the next year in the area. So when people complain of not seeing deerit makes you wonder. The farm that is north of where I hunt the people would shoot any legal deer they saw. We didn't see many deer the next two years. They aren't hunting there anymore and we are seeing deer again. Less doe permits would help out. That is my .02 cents worth

[lwingwatcher]

Read the information in the other two threads on yotes and deer, one here and one on the Whitetail Mgmt Forum.

Sure, yotes have expanded their range for years, they are quite adaptable critters. But, they are not worthless animals that need to be shot on site, they do play an important role in things. They even help in some ways by dining on smaller varmints. Sure, they also eat rabbits, mice and cats but...

When it comes to yotes and deer, I think things are blown way out of proportion as yotes in much of this state have enough to eat and don't put nearly the dent in the deer population that cars do. Heck, I would venture a guess and think that hunters prolly kill more deer that are unrecovered than all the yotes in this state kill.

[Liv4Huntin']

Not to sound controversial, but it seems its a lot easier to see dead deer on the highway than it is to see newborn fawns dead and eaten or partially eaten in the woods. The folks that have seen the fawns dead, and seen lots of coyote activity in the area have some kind of 'documentation'/ evidence. I'm not sure how we could prove or not prove how many or few fawns are taken by coyotes, but I DO know when for years and years the does had two (mostly) and sometimes three fawns, and now have only one or NONE by their sides for several years in a row.... well I know SOMETHING is affecting the fawn numbers. And we have more coyotes now than ever around here. Oh yeah.... we also have LOTS smaller and fewer 'mom and polt' turkey flocks every spring now, too.

Perhaps trappers could make a dent in the coyote population.... I sure hope so.
~ m ~

[walleyechaser]

There's a comprehensive study that was done by the State of Pennsylvania
in one of the Whitetail Management Threads from a week or so back.
You may be surprized by the yote predation numbers as well as info on yote hunting and its effect on the overall yote population.
Very good reading!

[buckwhacka]

i just found a dead button buck in the woods just today that got took down by coyotes