Coyotes

[Strick9]

Coyotes do catch, kill and eat full grown Turkeys more often than one would think but where they really hurt the Turkey is during the nesting season..

If you understand Turkeys you know that the hen will go broody, meaning she absolutely won't leave the nest as she sits on her eggs. Farmers even run them over with disk plows and combines while they are sitting on the nest which shows how stubborn they are to leave the nest.

Coyotes in survival mode will search for the easiest meal available during that time period. A Hen turkey with a clutch full of eggs is an easy meal full of calories and nutrients and is most certainly a targeted species and meal.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Hens shed the feathers that are associated with scent ducts during nesting season so they cannot be tracked back and forth to the nest.

What empirical data can you reference to validate claims that nesting turkeys are targeted by coyotes?

[tha bugman]

They gonna die if in range


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[Dr Juice]

We killed three last weekend in front of the hounds.

Great job.


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[WisTurk]

Coyotes are definitely a problem on our property with the deer and turkey.  But also keep in mind that nest raiders like coons, possums and skunks can be a major issue as well since they will wipe out a nest in no time.  Those critters need to be controlled just as much as coyotes in my opinion.

[HogBiologist]

There have been some studies done recently with coyotes. They show that by disturbing the social structure (taking out individuals) you may be increasing your predation rates. By removing members you create a vacuum for invaders to come in and investigate the territory. By having new members covering the area, you increase predator/prey interactions.

Also, if you are feeding corn or other feed (protein pellets, etc) you are increasing P/P interaction. Feeding stations attract turkeys and they nest near those locations. Your other opportunistic animals (nest predators) key in on those locations and studies have shown that nests within a certain distance were 100% predated. Your larger predators are also using the bait stations to pick off adult prey.

If you feed deer corn, you are also poisoning your turkeys. Deer corn is sold as wildlife feed because it contains high alflatoxin rates. Turkeys are very succeptible to alflatoxin. Just a little can be lethal.

Theses are just some quick thoughts I had after reading how gun-ho you guys are about killing coyotes. Very few people actually have the time to put in the intense effort to properly control predators.

[Farmboy27]

With all due respect Hogbiologist,  I don't see how the intruders invading because of a "vacuum" are going to cause anymore predation than the ones killed in the first place.  As a turkey and deer
hunter I'm going to kill the predators of these animals anytime that I legally get the chance to.  And although I am not a biologist, many years of coyote hunting has taught me that, at least around here, they are not terribly territorial.  There isn't a line of coyotes waiting to get into a certain area as soon as one in that area is killed.  Killing predators (when legal) may or may not help turkey populations.  But it sure isn't going to hurt. 

[HogBiologist]

With all due respect Hogbiologist,  I don't see how the intruders invading because of a "vacuum" are going to cause anymore predation than the ones killed in the first place.  As a turkey and deer
hunter I'm going to kill the predators of these animals anytime that I legally get the chance to.  And although I am not a biologist, many years of coyote hunting has taught me that, at least around here, they are not terribly territorial.  There isn't a line of coyotes waiting to get into a certain area as soon as one in that area is killed.  Killing predators (when legal) may or may not help turkey populations.  But it sure isn't going to hurt.

The study I'm referring to was done with GPS collars and tracking of coyotes in an area. It showed that when you took out members they went from patrolling their area  to having new infiltrating invaders crisscrossing the entire area and trying to dominate the new area. This caused more animals to be encountered more in the interior of their home range.

[Farmboy27]

That may well be true.  I'm sure that the original "non intruder" coyotes never criss-crossed the area looking for prey!!  I have hunted coyotes with hounds for years.  Before turning the dogs losse we drive the back roads checking tracks to find the patch of woods or ridge that the coyote might be on.  Believe me, a coyote does plenty of crisscrossing, not just patrolling!!  A coyotes first concern is food.  I'm not saying that they kill huge amounts of turkeys.  But don't try to tell me that shooting one is going to cause more harm than good because new coyotes eat more than existing coyotes!!

[bangbird]

I removed 5 coyotes off my property last year (trapping) and have hardly seen any sign of them since.

There have been some studies done recently with coyotes. They show that by disturbing the social structure (taking out individuals) you may be increasing your predation rates. By removing members you create a vacuum for invaders to come in and investigate the territory. By having new members covering the area, you increase predator/prey interactions.

Also, if you are feeding corn or other feed (protein pellets, etc) you are increasing P/P interaction. Feeding stations attract turkeys and they nest near those locations. Your other opportunistic animals (nest predators) key in on those locations and studies have shown that nests within a certain distance were 100% predated. Your larger predators are also using the bait stations to pick off adult prey.

If you feed deer corn, you are also poisoning your turkeys. Deer corn is sold as wildlife feed because it contains high alflatoxin rates. Turkeys are very succeptible to alflatoxin. Just a little can be lethal.

Theses are just some quick thoughts I had after reading how gun-ho you guys are about killing coyotes. Very few people actually have the time to put in the intense effort to properly control predators.

[Cut N Run]

I have the shoot to kill green light on coyotes at both horse farms I hunt.  A farmer behind one horse farm raises chickens and he keeps them pretty well shot down. 

A few years ago, I had a coyote run a huge 5x5 buck away before it got in bow range.  I had been hunting that buck since the season before and it would have been the first time he ever got in range.  Nope, never saw him again. The coyote was moving too fast to get an arrow through him.  He couldn't out-run my rifle a few weeks later though.

Jim

[owlhoot]

With all due respect Hogbiologist,  I don't see how the intruders invading because of a "vacuum" are going to cause anymore predation than the ones killed in the first place.  As a turkey and deer
hunter I'm going to kill the predators of these animals anytime that I legally get the chance to.  And although I am not a biologist, many years of coyote hunting has taught me that, at least around here, they are not terribly territorial.  There isn't a line of coyotes waiting to get into a certain area as soon as one in that area is killed.  Killing predators (when legal) may or may not help turkey populations.  But it sure isn't going to hurt.

The study I'm referring to was done with GPS collars and tracking of coyotes in an area. It showed that when you took out members they went from patrolling their area  to having new infiltrating invaders crisscrossing the entire area and trying to dominate the new area. This caused more animals to be encountered more in the interior of their home range.

So if i kill one coyote on a square mile , another from the next square mile will invade the dead yotes territory? Now the invader is covering 2 square miles?
I would think the yote would spend most of its time in the area with the most prey.
How was the control area?
I would also think 1 coyote on 2 miles is better than 2 on 2 miles.
What about fear of humans , give them a pass and they lose it.
If i you kill a female , she isnt having any pups.
The coyote that is up patrolling? Is one that is more likely to run into some trouble!

[HogBiologist]

  Coyote Space Use and Population Turnover in Virginia's Western Mountains: Implications for White-Tailed Deer
Author(s): Dana J. Morin - Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic and State University; Marcella J. Kelly - Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic and State University; Nelson W. Lafon - Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Year: 2014
Abstract: The Virginia Appalachian Coyote Study was initiated in 2011 in the western mountains of Virginia in response to documented declines in local white-tailed deer population on low productivity public lands. We deployed 21 satellite GPS collars on 19 coyotes over two years, and used biased-random bridges to estimate utilization, intensity, and recursion distributions to evaluate space use and territoriality. In addition, we collected fecal DNA from 5082 scat samples on established transects in the 3 summers and 2 winters (2011-2013). We used mtDNA to differentiate coyote, bobcat, and bear scat samples and used microsatellite markers to identify individuals and calculate relatedness between conspecifics. Coyote space use was highly variable (1.2 - 603 mi2) with individuals defending stable home ranges, shifting home ranges, or displaying transient behavior. Highest intensity of use was at the edges of home ranges, suggesting high effort allocated to defending territories and high levels of competition. Despite high detection rates of collared individuals in scat samples (75%), a large number of coyotes were only detected one time (84%), and few coyotes were detected throughout the study (0.02%). Considering the high known mortality rate of collared coyotes (63%), this suggests there is high population turnover and delayed dispersal resulting in larger, loosely-formed family groups. Potential implications for white-tailed deer include increased predation risk and associated stress as encounter rates with coyotes may increase with unstable coyote home ranges and high population turnover. This is the first of three studies evaluating predator guild impacts to white-tailed deer in the area.

[WV TURKEY THUG]

I shoot everyone i can but i dont think they have to much of impact on the population. Bobcats opossums raccoons skunks and hawks have more of a impact on the population then yotes.

[shokgobble]

Kill all of them you can... They don't do anything good for the population.  They are a dime a dozen where I'm at.  Raccoons, Opossums and Skunks definitely hurt alot too. Anything that wants to eat eggs will surely eat lead first if I have anything to do with it...