For Love of Nature: Killing coyotes increases numbers
- SHANNON BRENNAN
On a walk earlier this year, I saw the carcass of a recently shot coyote. The vultures hadn’t even had time to start working on it.
A couple of men appeared to proudly tell us that they had shot the coyote, even as their own dog trotted along behind them.
Humans are strange creatures. We view one canine as an enemy, and the other as our best friend.
Coyote in Virginia
But if these guys thought they were reducing the coyote population, they were wrong.
Research, including studies at Virginia Tech, suggests that when under threat, coyotes can increase their reproductive rate by breeding at an earlier age and having larger litters, with a higher survival rate among young. This allows coyote populations to quickly recover.
Conversely, when coyote survival rates increase, females breed later, give birth to smaller litters and push juveniles out of family groups sooner.
Small livestock or poultry should be kept in an enclosed or sheltered area. Coyotes rarely bother larger livestock.
While coyotes are primarily nocturnal, they are commonly seen during the day, especially in urban and suburban areas where they are attracted by trash, birdseed and pet food.
There is no question coyotes can be problematic for farmers raising livestock. In fact, U.S. government agents routinely shoot, poison, trap and kill about 90,000 coyotes each year to protect livestock, primarily in western states.
This wrong-headed approach obviously isn’t working.
I was far more impressed with a cattle farmer friend who told me he doesn’t hunt or trap coyotes because he understands the biology. He decided it was better to occasionally lose a calf or two than increase the coyote population.
Coyotes are primarily meat eaters. They prey on a variety of mammals, including fawns, groundhogs and raccoons, keeping their populations in check. This helps protect gardens and ground-nesting game birds like turkey, grouse and ducks. Game bird populations tend to be higher in areas where coyotes are present.
Other prey species include bison, sheep, rabbits, rodents, birds, amphibians, lizards, snakes, fish, crustaceans and insects.
Although coyotes prefer fresh meat, they will scavenge when the opportunity presents itself. They will also feed on a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Despite bounties and large-scale efforts to kill coyotes during the last 100 years, coyotes have in fact expanded their range throughout the U.S. and Canada.
One study found that killing 75 percent of a coyote population every year for 50 years would still not exterminate the population.
Efforts to eradicate coyotes through trapping are inhumane. The most common devices used are leg-hold traps and neck snares. Both can cause severe injuries, pain and suffering. Pets and other wildlife can also get caught in these traps.
Prevention is the best defense against nuisance coyotes. Small house pets, especially cats, small livestock and poultry are vulnerable to predation by coyotes.
Pets should be put indoors during the night, as this is the coyote’s primary hunting time, or kept in well-fenced areas to discourage coyotes.
Small livestock or poultry should be kept in an enclosed or sheltered area. Coyotes rarely bother larger livestock.
While coyotes are primarily nocturnal, they are commonly seen during the day, especially in urban and suburban areas where they are attracted by trash, birdseed and pet food.
There is no question coyotes can be problematic for farmers raising livestock. In fact, U.S. government agents routinely shoot, poison, trap and kill about 90,000 coyotes each year to protect livestock, primarily in western states.
This wrong-headed approach obviously isn’t working.
I was far more impressed with a cattle farmer friend who told me he doesn’t hunt or trap coyotes because he understands the biology. He decided it was better to occasionally lose a calf or two than increase the coyote population.
It’s too bad that common-sense solution isn’t a universal one.
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Why killing coyotes doesn’t make livestock safer
"Female coyotes become more likely to breed and their pups are more likely to survive, so their numbers may actually increase"....
"Packs(family groups) generally protect territories, so breaking up a pack allows new animals to come in, raising the population"...
"In addition, some new arrivals may opportunistically prey on livestock, which can increase predation rates""
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