ADDITIONAL INSIGHT ON POTENTIAL FOR EASTERN COYOTE PREDATION ON MOOSE CALVES

Brent Patterson of Trent University and Paul Curtis of Cornell University reinforce below and illuminate further what we have heard from their colleagues and counterparts across the USA........................

Eastern Coyotes(Coywolves)  occasionally are able to make a meal of Moose calves.................However, with the information known at this time, only Black Bears and Eastern Wolves(C.lycaon)--those 50 to 100 pounders --are trophic predators of Moose Calves..............

 ______________________________________________________________________________-----Original Message-----

From: Patterson, Brent (MNR) [mailto:brent.patterson@ontario.ca]
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 11:40 AM

To: Meril, Rick
Subject: RE: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hi Rick,

While it may be possible that eastern coyotes occasional take a young moose calf, I don’t believe it is overly common. We tagged radio-moose calves for several years in an area just west of Algonquin with a dense eastern coyote, and eastern coyote * eastern wolf hybrid, population and documented only occasional predation by these animals. In the Cape Breton Highlands, where moose are very abundant and eastern coyotes the only “large” canid predator, predation on calves has long been suspected, but to my knowledge not documented. In Algonquin, where we think most canids are the closet living relative to what was once the eastern wolf, predation on moose occurs (calves and adults) but predation on calves by eastern wolves is no more prevalent than that by black bears. In fact, in the northeast states, my suspicion is that black bears remain a more substantial predator of moose calves than eastern coyotes.

Cheers,

Brent

Brent Patterson Research Scientist – wolves and deer
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Wildlife Research and Development Section
Trent University
_____________________________________________________________________________


-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Curtis [mailto:pdc1@cornell.edu]
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 12:01 PM

To: Meril, Rick
Cc: dab93@cornell.edu

Subject: Re: FW: Moose foraging in the temp forest of southern new england

Hello Rick-

I think that eastern coyotes have the potential to kill a young moose calf, as coyotes can kill 120-pound+ adult white-tailed deer (esp. if the deer is compromised in any way). I agree with Ed that such an event would be uncommon given the current low density of moose on the landscape. Heat stress might be a more important factor for future moose populations with earlier and warmer spring temperatures resulting from climate change.

-Paul Curtis