So I hear it alot that the more coyotes you kill the worse it actually is for management because it helps increase litter size. Anyone have any links or proof of studies done that backs this claim up? I myself call BS on it and continue to shoot them regardless but would like to shut everyone up that uses this excuse not to shoot them.
Coyote studies of litter size
- Thread starter rjp44
- Start date
baitpile
Active member
Just a tid bit from a quick search. Something to ponder anyway...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170831101505.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170831101505.htm
A parcel of land can only support so many coyotes, what you remove will be replaced, either by migration or larger litters. You have to kill the faster than they can reproduce to dent the population and that is hard to do just hunting them. But then if you're a coyote hunter that loves to hunt coyotes that isn't a big deal. If you're a hunter that wants to lower the coyote population that isn't going to be as easy as some think.
GC
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: rjp44So I hear it alot that the more coyotes you kill the worse it actually is for management because it helps increase litter size. Anyone have any links or proof of studies done that backs this claim up? I myself call BS on it and continue to shoot them regardless but would like to shut everyone up that uses this excuse not to shoot them.
You're funny, thanks for the chuckle.
You're funny, thanks for the chuckle.
6mm06
Well-known member
Years ago I heard a wildlife biologist give a speech to a group of people. I was present. He said (and I’m assuming he would know) that in order to bring coyotes under control, not eradicate, that you have to take a good percentage yearly (in theory) for 20 years, but if you can’t maintain that degree of culling, even up to the 19th year, then all is lost. The coyotes respond to the pressure by having more pups.
derbyacresbob
Well-known member
Around here the lack of rain and mother natire controls the coyote population way more than hunting them does.
When the coyote population is high you can kill lots of coyotes off of a big ranch. let's say 15,000 acres. If no coyotes are taken off of the ranches that border the 15,000 acre ranch that you have killed lots of coyotes on. Lots of the coyotes on the neighboring ranches will move over onto the ranch that the coyote numbers have been lowered. If there are less coyotes to protect that territory coyotes will start moving in to that territory very quickly.
When there is no ground cover and feed for the birds, rats, mice, squirrles and rabbits the coyotes have very small litters or no litters or maybe they eat the pups. The drought we are in right now is the third bad drought we have had in the last 15 years. On the second year of these bad droughts the coyote calling has been very good.
A fair amount of adult coyotes are around and they have very few creatures to eat. When the coyotes are full or carrots and Juniper Berries the coyote calling has been very good because they want to eat meat not berries and carrots.
One year on the second year of the drought I killed 104 coyotes, the next year the third year of that drought I killed 16 coyotes.
It looks to me like this season is one of those years that the coyotes may not have had pups or they ate them. I have seen hardly any coyote scat on the ranch roads and the 8 coyotes that I have taken so far were all adult coyotes.
One thing is for sure around here coyotes do not produce pups if there is no creatures and birds for them to eat.
If you could kill 80% of the coyotes in a 40 mile by 40 mile area "1600 square miles" and there was plenty of birds and creatures for the coyotes to eat. The coyotes probable would have big litters.
It seems to me like if coyotes produced way more coyotes every year just because some got killed we would have way more coyotes than we have now since people have been killing coyotes for the last 100 years.
When the coyote population is high you can kill lots of coyotes off of a big ranch. let's say 15,000 acres. If no coyotes are taken off of the ranches that border the 15,000 acre ranch that you have killed lots of coyotes on. Lots of the coyotes on the neighboring ranches will move over onto the ranch that the coyote numbers have been lowered. If there are less coyotes to protect that territory coyotes will start moving in to that territory very quickly.
When there is no ground cover and feed for the birds, rats, mice, squirrles and rabbits the coyotes have very small litters or no litters or maybe they eat the pups. The drought we are in right now is the third bad drought we have had in the last 15 years. On the second year of these bad droughts the coyote calling has been very good.
A fair amount of adult coyotes are around and they have very few creatures to eat. When the coyotes are full or carrots and Juniper Berries the coyote calling has been very good because they want to eat meat not berries and carrots.
One year on the second year of the drought I killed 104 coyotes, the next year the third year of that drought I killed 16 coyotes.
It looks to me like this season is one of those years that the coyotes may not have had pups or they ate them. I have seen hardly any coyote scat on the ranch roads and the 8 coyotes that I have taken so far were all adult coyotes.
One thing is for sure around here coyotes do not produce pups if there is no creatures and birds for them to eat.
If you could kill 80% of the coyotes in a 40 mile by 40 mile area "1600 square miles" and there was plenty of birds and creatures for the coyotes to eat. The coyotes probable would have big litters.
It seems to me like if coyotes produced way more coyotes every year just because some got killed we would have way more coyotes than we have now since people have been killing coyotes for the last 100 years.
Softpoint
Active member
There are plenty of factors that determine coyote populations but from what I've seen, food and disease are the major ones. Coyote hunting and trapping plays a small and temporary part.
I was looking back on historical records years ago and was amazed how few coyotes were taken statewide by trapping before the leghold ban. It was 2% to 4% of the estimated population. Add in hunting and you only scratch the yearly reproduction rate.
I'm pretty sure wolves and cougars dent populations far more than we do in remote areas as they compete for food and kill intruders to their territory 24/7/365.
I was looking back on historical records years ago and was amazed how few coyotes were taken statewide by trapping before the leghold ban. It was 2% to 4% of the estimated population. Add in hunting and you only scratch the yearly reproduction rate.
I'm pretty sure wolves and cougars dent populations far more than we do in remote areas as they compete for food and kill intruders to their territory 24/7/365.
SlickerThanSnot
New member
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: rjp44So I hear it alot that the more coyotes you kill the worse it actually is for management because it helps increase litter size. Anyone have any links or proof of studies done that backs this claim up? I myself call BS on it and continue to shoot them regardless but would like to shut everyone up that uses this excuse not to shoot them.
You're funny, thanks for the chuckle.
lol
You're funny, thanks for the chuckle.
lol
Kirsch
Active member
The better a coyote eats and the less strain on a coyote, results in a higher number of pups in a litter. This typically happens when coyote numbers are lower. As has been mentioned, coyote populations rebound either because more pups are born or other coyotes move in. This typically happens if an area is a good area for coyotes based on food, water, shelter, etc.
A skilled caller, trapper, etc can help. For instance, if during calving season removing coyotes coming near feedlots can be very important. It may not change the population 10 years from now, but there is a temporary impact when timing is crucial.
A skilled caller, trapper, etc can help. For instance, if during calving season removing coyotes coming near feedlots can be very important. It may not change the population 10 years from now, but there is a temporary impact when timing is crucial.
Compensatory natality is some pretty fuzzily done science. The field data collection methodology leaves a lot of room for other interpretations. Publish or perish and a novel new idea with some data that can be manipulated to support it has long been a tradition in wildlife study.
Draw your own conclusions.
- DAA
Draw your own conclusions.
- DAA
spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
Often people think a generalized theory fits all situations. But in nature that is not the case.
K-22hornet.
New member
Very interesting read!
When you look at the yellow circles of coyote territories, this might, maybe, possibly, explain coyotes coming, or not coming, to a call.
For example, if you are set up in the middle of a territory, you might only get one or two coyotes to show up;
however, if you are on the edge of 2 territories, it might explain why you have multiple coyotes coming from different directions.
I believe that is why they howl, not to say 'Good morning or afternoon' to other coyotes, but to find out who survived the day/night. If no coyote howls from an area for a day or two, it might be ripe for a territory takeover.
You Colorado guys might know Andrick Ponds SWA, a 711 Acre property. From about 1992 until about 2007, when John Andrick sold to Colorado DOW, I was just about the only guy he let out to coyote hunt. It was my honey-hole.
Mot of the times I went, I would kill 2-3 coyotes, and I would go twice a month, October thru April. This property had such good small game habitat, that there was never a vacancy of coyotes. And, it seemed that the replacement coyotes would have very similar territories to the coyotes I just killed.
AS the old saying goes, 'Nature abhors a vacuum'.
When you look at the yellow circles of coyote territories, this might, maybe, possibly, explain coyotes coming, or not coming, to a call.
For example, if you are set up in the middle of a territory, you might only get one or two coyotes to show up;
however, if you are on the edge of 2 territories, it might explain why you have multiple coyotes coming from different directions.
I believe that is why they howl, not to say 'Good morning or afternoon' to other coyotes, but to find out who survived the day/night. If no coyote howls from an area for a day or two, it might be ripe for a territory takeover.
You Colorado guys might know Andrick Ponds SWA, a 711 Acre property. From about 1992 until about 2007, when John Andrick sold to Colorado DOW, I was just about the only guy he let out to coyote hunt. It was my honey-hole.
Mot of the times I went, I would kill 2-3 coyotes, and I would go twice a month, October thru April. This property had such good small game habitat, that there was never a vacancy of coyotes. And, it seemed that the replacement coyotes would have very similar territories to the coyotes I just killed.
AS the old saying goes, 'Nature abhors a vacuum'.
Quote:When you look at the yellow circles of coyote territories, this might, maybe, possibly, explain coyotes coming, or not coming, to a call.
I'm a firm believer in coyotes respecting boundary lines. Have seen many instances where coyotes came to the call with great gusto, but would hit a real (fence line, road, etc.) or imagined boundary line like it was a glass wall and reverse directions or stopped and challenged. A number of such occurrences were repeated year after year at exact same locations.
One such real boundary line is the SE corner of a ranch I've hunted for 20 years. Have had several similar encounters at this location over the years.
Regards,
hm
I'm a firm believer in coyotes respecting boundary lines. Have seen many instances where coyotes came to the call with great gusto, but would hit a real (fence line, road, etc.) or imagined boundary line like it was a glass wall and reverse directions or stopped and challenged. A number of such occurrences were repeated year after year at exact same locations.
One such real boundary line is the SE corner of a ranch I've hunted for 20 years. Have had several similar encounters at this location over the years.
Regards,
hm
K-22hornet.
New member
HM1996,
Yes, I think boundary lines are a real thing, and your prior post illustrates that. I remember reading that when you posted it before.
Yes, I think boundary lines are a real thing, and your prior post illustrates that. I remember reading that when you posted it before.