Predator Control
Predator control is defined as “a wildlife management policy specifically aimed at reducing populations of predatory species either to protect livestock or boost populations of game animals.” At times, we explain our love of predator hunting by calling it “wildlife management,” but does it actually make an impact on game animal’s survival rates? The answer is yes, as long as you do it at the right time of the year.
We’ve all heard somebody say, “It doesn’t matter what I’m hunting, if I see a coyote, it turns into a coyote hunt.” But does that actually help the deer crop? The sad truth is, the coyotes you kill before late spring will have little effect on the fawn predation. In fact, a study by Dr. Marcus Lashley states that shooting the occasional coyote may do more harm than good. Lashley states that “the alpha female is very good at defending her territory and keeping other coyotes away. If you kill her, others will move in and fight over the territory. You may actually end up with more coyotes than you had to begin with.”
Studies have shown that when you kill a coyote, another will move into the area and take its place. That is why it is so important to strategically trap coyotes just prior to the nesting/fawning seasons. In a South Carolina study, coyotes accounted for up to 80% of the death toll. An Alabama study showed a 67% fawn mortality rate, with coyotes accounting for 63% of deaths.
The best time to trap coyotes for management purposes is in late spring just before fawning season. This gives fawns enough time to grow enough to fend for themselves before new coyotes move into the area. If you trap any other time of year you will be removing coyotes that will just be replaced before the fawns hit the ground. Kip Adams, of the Quality Deer Management Association or QDMA, says that the timing of coyote removal is actually more important than the number of coyotes removed.
For those of you that would like to get into trapping, but don’t know how, F&T Fur Post has an excellent starter kit that will give you everything you need. It comes with a great set of entry level traps, stakes, trapping tools, gloves, baits, lures, and even an instructional video. There is also a wealth of knowledge and videos on YouTube that will have you trapping predators and contributing to your deer population in no time.
-Brendan Scott, Fall Obsession Field Staff