What time of year is most beneficial to remove coyotes?
Filed under: Ask Grant, Predators
Thanks,
Michael
I tried to attached a copy of the article.
Michael,
I haven’t read C.J. Winand’s article titled Coyote Update.
I suspect he’s referencing research that showed coyotes can be very mobile and tend to fill areas/territories that aren’t defended by other coyotes. One of the grad students I helped advise published the results of removing coyotes just before and during fawning season. There was an amazing response in fawn survival! You can read about that work at: https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/vangilder_cory_l_200808_ms.pdf
However, in many states, including where I live in Missouri coyote trapping season closes well before fawning season. That doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits to trapping coyotes during the winter. I’ve trapped at my place for years. Through the years we’ve noticed an improved fawn survival rate. It seems trapping during the winter requires many more years to achieve the same results at trapping just prior to or during the fawning season.
As the State Director of Wildlife in Virginia said recently “…dead coyotes don’t eat deer…” If the predator/prey population is out of balance where you hunt, I encourage you to remove coyotes whenever you legally can.
Enjoy creation,
grant