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.

 

[ThunderJack49]

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

Trapping is certainly superior. I would invest more into trapping if I had a job that allowed for it.

 

[Coyote Commander]

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

Rarely in the coyote world is “more” better.



And I’ve said it before, if just half of the shooters out there killed just half of the coyotes they claim they do, there wouldn’t hardly be a coyote left out there!

 

[WRO]

Wouldn’t poison be even more effective ?

Back when it was legal, it was deadly effective.

Snaring is the second best option.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[204_ruger]

I trap a 5000-acre hunting club. I took 53 coyotes off it trapping in 1 season. I was checking traps after 12 hr work shift. I was trapping other animals too.
Bobcat, grey fox, coons, opossums, and skunks. It made a difference. This is the first yr. I have seen turkey polts. Seeing more quail and rabbits too. In the pass. But the land has got a ton of hogs. I also caught a few hogs in coyote sets. That was when I first started trapping that land. Coyotes killed and eat all the hog in less than 24 hrs. U can trap or hunt coyotes, bobcats, coons, Grey and red fox, opossums, and skunks yr around. Here on private land 24/7 365. To help deer, turkeys, and small game out. I will start trapping again in October.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Rarely in the coyote world is “more” better.



And I’ve said it before, if just half of the shooters out there killed just half of the coyotes they claim they do, there wouldn’t hardly be a coyote left out there!

That’s not really true honestly.

We spent 10 years doing depredation for ground squirrels and coyotes, shooting nearly daily on ranches in Northern California.

We had over 10,000 acres at our disposal and used side by sides and pickups and were incredibly effective at killing them.

The coyotes, while you can keep the numbers down quite well, still find a way to have enough of them to still give us daily kills. We even eradicated dozens of dens over the years killing 6-10 pups per den.

Life still finds a way with that much terrain and plentiful food and water supplies.

 

[Coyote Commander]

That’s not really true honestly.

We spent 10 years doing depredation for ground squirrels and coyotes, shooting nearly daily on ranches in Northern California.

We had over 10,000 acres at our disposal and used side by sides and pickups and were incredibly effective at killing them.

The coyotes, while you can keep the numbers down quite well, still find a way to have enough of them to still give us daily kills. We even eradicated dozens of dens over the years killing 6-10 pups per den.

Life still finds a way with that much terrain and plentiful food and water supplies.

View attachment 925553

If you had enough coyotes to provide you daily kills, on ~10k acres, you really never got in front of them.

They were moving in on you as fast (or faster) than you could kill them.