2. Since 2006, coyotes have been
significantly depleting the deer
population on our land each year.
They are quick moving animals
who prey upon baby deer. In result
leaving less fawns that grow up
and reproduce and causing the
mother deer to relocate and the
big bucks to follow.
On an average hunting night we
use to see somewhere around 10
to 15 deer each night.
However, this number has dropped
to only 1 deer and often none.
3. Avg. Deer Seen/Day
November
'10 In result, each year less
hunters return to renew their
November
'09 membership at our hunting
club each year.
November
'08 Avg. Deer/Day
This leaves us with minimal
November
funds to keep up the
'07
facilities, as well as purchase
the products necessary to
November
'06 attract the deer (Such as deer
corn, feeders, and supplies
0 5 10 15
required to create and
maintain a food plot).
4. What can we do?
Possible Solutions
1. Shoot the coyotes when they
come into the hunters line of
sight.
After brainstorming I came up with several
2. Purchase traps for the
courses of action we could take to
coyotes, and once we catch
minimize the coyote problem at hand. them turn them over to a
local game warden.
3. Let nature take its course.
5. Possible References
Blogs from people in South
Carolina who are experiencing
the same problem.
Talk to local game warden.
Look online for internet
It is imperative I research each of articles of issues pertaining to
the three solutions I came up with coyotes depleting the deer
and figure out the pros and cons to population.
each of the three solutions.
Book on the lifestyle of
coyotes.
6. Difficulty with this Solution
Coyotes are very fast animals that
sleep during the day and come
There is no restricted season out to eat after dark. This
if you’re hunting the coyotes meaning the animals are rarely
on private land. seen making them extremely
difficult to kill. While night
You do not have to obtain a hunting is permitted, it is very
hunting license to shoot hard to find volunteers who will
coyotes within a 100 yards of stay up half of the night hunting
your land. down a coyote so they can kill it.
It is a very difficult process that
Night hunting is permitted requires great skill from someone
however there are weapon who knows what they are doing.
restrictions.
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/coyote/index.html
7. Drawbacks to this Solution
Trapping season is permitted
Coyotes are smart animals and they from December 1 through
will not go in a live trap. The only way March 1.
to trap a coyote is to set up a leg hold
trap. The drawback to this is the trap
No license or permit is
is hidden in the ground so it will also
catch deer and other wildlife. These required to trap a coyote
traps are very dangerous and must within a 100 yards of your
be set by someone who knows what home. However, it is
they are doing. In addition each trap
cost about $30.00 so to purchase important to know trapped
several of these traps could be rather coyotes may not be relocated.
pricey.
If coyotes cause damage to
your property the SCDNR will
issue a depredation permit.
http://police.greenvillesc.gov/animal-control.aspx
8. This is a picture of a (closed) leg hold
trap. The trap is set on the ground, in
the woods, disguised under leaves. The
trap is sensitive to pressure applied to a
sensitive lever. Once the animal steps
on lever the trap instantly closes on its
leg stopping it in its tracks. From
instinct animals try to escape the trap
by pulling away from it often causing
them to loose a leg or bleed to death.
The problem with these traps is deer
are just as likely as coyotes to run in its
path.
9. Could this be Our Solution? Canine Parvovirus, most
commonly known as parvo, is
In the beginning of fall 2011, we noticed a a viral disease that is deadly
decline in the amount of howling we heard at to dogs if they are not
night at our hunting land. We went and talked
to a local game warden, who informed us a vast vaccinated.
majority of the coyotes died the past year after
catching a deadly disease know as Parvo. It It is a rapidly developing virus
spread rapidly amongst the wild dog decreasing that generally affects the
their number on our hunting land by half. intestines, causing bloody
diarrhea, vomiting, and often
heart failure.
It is spread through feces and
http://y.wisegeek.com/what-is-parvo.htm highly contagious.
10. Of the three solutions I presented only
one of them is the most viable, sensible
solution. Shooting the coyotes would
only be a time consuming process that
would give us minimal satisfaction due
to the difficult process that goes into The only solution that
hunting the animal. proves to be a beneficial
and productive method
for depleting the coyote
Trapping coyotes is a route that could be population in our area, is
taken. However, there is a MAJOR issue to let the coyotes be
that invalidates this method completely. eliminated by natural
The problem with this potential solution causes. By letting nature
is that the only trap that will capture a take its course, disease
coyote is a leg hold trap and it is just as will be a major factor in
likely to catch the deer and other the decrease in survival
wildlife. This could seriously injure and rate of this predatory
even kill the animals we are working so
species.
hard to protect.
