Efficacy of Predator Management

[ThunderJack49]

I tried using chatgpt to get an idea of the effect of predator hunting in my area and this is what was returned

Output (3-year neonate effect, summed)​

• Coyotes removed (60 total): ~+2,637 neonates saved
• Black bears added (1.5 total): ~−22.5 neonates
• Mountain lions added (0.6 total): ~−27 neonates
• Wolves added (0.9 total): ~−108 neonates
• Net total (all species): ~+2,480 neonates over 3 years

Interpretation​

• The single hunter, focused on high-intensity coyote removal year-round, produces the largest measurable benefit by far: thousands of neonates saved over 3 years, even after accounting for the modest losses from occasional black bears, mountain lions, and wolves taken under legal seasons.
• The main driver is sheer numbers: removing many coyotes multiplies a relatively large per-coyote benefit.
• The losses from taking (or adding) larger predators are meaningful per animal, but because a single hunter will realistically take far fewer of those large predators, their net negative effect is small compared to many coyotes removed.

I found this interesting. And motivating.

 

[S-3 ranch]

We had 20 hunters on 15,000 acres all trying to kill any coyotes they saw and never put a dent in them, so we bought 200 snares and put them around all the places they were digging under a sheep wire fence, we put a major dent in them with snares and traps, minute we stopped natural recruitment from other places just filled the gap again, so imo a year round hard press trap and snares
Is only option

 

[mt terry d]

We had 20 hunters on 15,000 acres all trying to kill any coyotes they saw and never put a dent in them, so we bought 200 snares and put them around all the places they were digging under a sheep wire fence, we put a major dent in them with snares and traps, minute we stopped natural recruitment from other places just filled the gap again, so imo a year round hard press trap and snares
Is only option

Wouldn’t poison be even more effective ?

 

[yfarm]

6 years ago you seldom heard a gobble on my buddy's property. After 5 years of intensive trapping, especially nest predators, I have now taken 7 adult gobblers the last 4 seasons.
I have taken out nearly 250 nest predators in that time. I may not be affecting turkey populations on a macro level but I sure as hell have helped in my little corner of the world.

Have a 5000 acre lease, one of ten hunters on the lease is a turkey hunter. In an area where adults are regularly seen at the beginning no juveniles were ever seen in the summer or early fall. Started trapping raccoons in that area, after two years of regular trapping are now routinely seeing juveniles in the area.
One of the Oklahoma universities did a study with 200 acre plots to analyze quail populations. One control with no fencing, the other with a predator proof( including snakes) fence. The absence of coyotes and snakes specifically correlated with higher quail populations.
The raccoon trapper and two others regularly hunt coyotes but seem to make little difference in that population.