Coyote pop increase?

[AZHunter]

I don't know for sure, but I will say that in times past I have hunted pheasants in areas with strong pheasant populations AND strong coyote populations, year in and year out. That's not scientific, but it suggests to me that both can exist in good numbers in a given area. That is not to say that a coyote wouldn't enjoy a meal of cold pheasant whenever he could. But my sense is that they DO NOT single handedly destroy the pheasant population.

However, after having watched multiple coons and possums and some skunks "work"/hunt a draw or fenceline, etc, it is quite conceivable to me that few nests will escape unscathed if one of those beasts gets downwind of a batch of eggs. My hunch is that these nest marauders probably kill more pheasants annually than coyotes, but again, I really don't have any science behind that, just multiple observations.

In short...I could buy that.

I would have to do some digging to find the scientific journal articles, but yes, this is generally true (although not specific to pheasants). Coyotes are great at controlling the coon, skunk, opossum, etc. populations, thereby helping with the hatching success of all ground nesting birds.

I also have journal articles burried somewhere that have very solid scientific data that reflect and support the clipping that Blake posted earlier. Hunting coyotes can actually lead to increased populations. Females coyotes respond to increased pressure by producing more litters per year and having more pups per litter (its called increased fecundity). I've posted this information in another post a year or so ago and like I said that time, I'm NOT anti-coyote hunting. I work in wildlife management and there is definitely a need for predator control; however, I wanted to point out the irony of helping increase the population of coyotes by trying to decrease the populations!

If anyone is really interested, I can dig to find the article(s) and email them a pdf of them.

 

[nannyslayer]

Are the hides still in good shape?

Their still in great shape, but it's the time of year your going to start getting tore up one's from boar's fighting, and getting rubbed coons as well. Get out and have some fun, they are responding great to the callers.

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

Two dogs down this past weekend! That's 4 on the year.

Bro shot one.

I snared this one! Time to get more snares...

 

[SaskGuy]

I would have to do some digging to find the scientific journal articles, but yes, this is generally true (although not specific to pheasants). Coyotes are great at controlling the coon, skunk, opossum, etc. populations, thereby helping with the hatching success of all ground nesting birds.

I also have journal articles burried somewhere that have very solid scientific data that reflect and support the clipping that Blake posted earlier. Hunting coyotes can actually lead to increased populations. Females coyotes respond to increased pressure by producing more litters per year and having more pups per litter (its called increased fecundity). I've posted this information in another post a year or so ago and like I said that time, I'm NOT anti-coyote hunting. I work in wildlife management and there is definitely a need for predator control; however, I wanted to point out the irony of helping increase the population of coyotes by trying to decrease the populations!

If anyone is really interested, I can dig to find the article(s) and email them a pdf of them.

So very true. We put a bounty on them last yr, more than 71000 were tunred in in the short period before they pulled the bounty.

Population came back higher.

Coyotes are also death on "domestic" cats,

Billions of birds meet their end each yr b/c of cats. I'd be more worried about the farm with 20 cats running around than a pack of coyotes if I were worried about bird recruitment.

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

Interesting the irony behind hunting and population trends... but it is too fun to hunt and trap them to stop. Makes a guy feel like he's at least doing something about the problem!

 

[nannyslayer]

I'm doing my part!!

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

So Nanny knows the trick to making a good dirt hole set... Any tips! We've got one farm that has problems with yotes ruining lots of late season muzzy hunts but it doesn't have any good spots in fences for snaring. We're thinking dirt hole sets are going to be the only way to get some. And the .204 and 00 buck shot...

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

I feel like if a guy had a solid snare line and ran them from November 1st to January 31st he could knock a significant amount of yotes down. This has be way more effective than hunting them in population control? Or still not enough to offset the effects of fecundity perhaps.

I guess we'll give it a go. One thing is for sure, we're seeing/hearing WAY more the past two years than ever before. There a fun animal to chase!

 

[nannyslayer]

Trick to a good dirt hole set is

#1. Be in a location where coyotes are going to run. This particular one I caught today was in an intersection of 2 fences.

When you make a dirt hole set, first thing to do is take a claw hammer and clean all the grass out in a V patter, with the bottom of the V your hole with bait. Once you do that, I usually still use the hammer to make a kind of a small ditch. Then I use a shovel to level the ground in the small ditch. Then make your hole, stake and bed your trap about 9-10 inches behind the whole. Sift dry dirt over it all so it looks level from the bottom of your hole to across the trap pan.

One thing to make sure of is, make SURE your trap is bedded strong. If a coyote steps on the jaw and the trap moves, he will be gone. Also helps to stick some wadded up dead grass under the pan, so dirt doesn't get packed down in there.

Here is a dirt hole I made today. Need something for reference in there I guess, but the hole is about 10 inches in front of the trap. Also, the clump of grass on top of the dirt hole has a squirt of coyote urine on it, and I have scrap deer meat in the hole with a little bit of call lure on a stick in the hole as well. The call lure is mink musk.