One Less

[Tom Flanigan]

Joe, I hunt deer also and with the bow. I have for the last 63 years. I don’t take a deer very late in the evening any more. Instead of staying in until dark like I used to, I now stop hunting when I no longer have enough light left to follow up a shot. I do it for two reasons, one is that a deer left overnight in Indian Summer weather will spoil and second, coyotes will certainly find it and reduce the carcass to skin and bones very quickly.

I don’t take a deer out of the woods. I carefully bone it out in the woods and take it back to my refrigerator (for aging) in pieces. Invariably, the next day the parts of the carcass I left behind are pretty much cleaned up.

Up in Saskatchewan some years ago, we had a surge in the coyote population that endangered the pronghorns in the southern portion of the province. If I remember correctly, the pronghorn season was closed in some areas. The coyotes took an inordinate number of fawns. Prior to the coyote surge, non-residents were not allowed to remove pelts from the province. During the surge residents and non-residents both were encouraged to kill them whenever possible and the ban on taking pelts out of the province was rescinded.

Given favorable conditions predator populations can get out of control in certain areas at times. But their numbers are generally managed by nature over a period of time. Predator populations are highest where there is an abundance of food. Once the food diminishes, they move on. The problem is that they sometimes compete with humans for the same resource and for this they are often vilified.

But I’ll go back to a statement that I made in an earlier post. Since they kill for survival, I believe they have more of a right to game than we do. I firmly believe that, knowing that sometimes it is necessary to kill them in areas where the population exceeds the carrying capacity of the land. It provides a more immediate response than nature.

[Dean Romig]

We are amazed that our bird dogs can pick up the scent of a pheasant, grouse, quail or woodcock at twenty or thirty yards or even more. But the nose of a predator is even keener because he survives by his sense of smell. They hunt at night when the ground roosting birds are at their most vulnerable and the predators know this. They can sneak in soundlessly and kill them in their sleep. I am really surprised any of these ground roosting species are even as plentiful as they are today and I’m not surprised in the least by the “kill em on sight” of the old time plantation owners and managers.





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[Bob Jurewicz]

Here is a picture of the 52 lb. coyote Harry shot that he mentioned on the previos page.

[Dean Romig]

I’ve read of coyotes taken in New England in the low 70’s in weight.





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[Harold Pickens]

Those big northern coyotes supposedly have wolf genes from cross breeding now.

[Dean Romig]

That has been scientifically proven true.





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[Tom Flanigan]

I don’t believe that coyotes or any other predator is much of a threat to WILD populations of birds that have feed and good cover. Food and cover is the key. Although predators can do damage to populations in areas with marginal or poor feed and cover.

We’ve learned a lot and have become more enlightened on the ways of nature, and the value of each species to ecosystems, since the days of old time plantation owners and managers. I have no doubt that modern plantation managers kill foxes and coyotes on sight to protect their revenue producing pen birds that aren’t attuned to living in the wild.

We all have to make our choices based on varying criteria and our own values, whatever they may be. I have made mine not to shoot predators or anything I won’t eat.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

I don’t believe that coyotes or any other predator is much of a threat to WILD populations of birds that have feed and good cover. Food and cover is the key. Although predators can do damage to populations in areas with marginal or poor feed and cover.

Really?

How about wild populations of ruffed grouse in the Northeast like PA, NY and Northern New England who’s numbers are severely depleted in many localities by such factors as WNV? I think your arguement is misguided and doesn’t take into account localized problems.





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[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

I don’t believe that coyotes or any other predator is much of a threat to WILD populations of birds that have feed and good cover. Food and cover is the key. Although predators can do damage to populations in areas with marginal or poor feed and cover.

We’ve learned a lot and have become more enlightened on the ways of nature, and the value of each species to ecosystems, since the days of old time plantation owners and managers. I have no doubt that modern plantation managers kill foxes and coyotes on sight to protect their revenue producing pen birds that aren’t attuned to living in the wild.

We all have to make our choices based on varying criteria and our own values, whatever they may be. I have made mine not to shoot predators or anything I won’t eat.

And I continue to make my choices in individual situations as they occur.





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[Tom Flanigan]

Dean, I think you misunderstand what I was trying to convey, to wit, all wildlife, predators included, have an important role to play in the ecosystem. Coyotes are no exception.

I did not criticize any legal hunting activity. Further, I would never say individuals should not shoot coyotes or other predators. I stated MY perspective which counts only for me regardless whether others agree or disagree. I don’t preach to anyone and would never have the gall and presumption to say what others should do. I stand by my statement, in an earlier post, “we all have to make our choices based on varying criteria and our own values, whatever they may be”.

Also, my comment on feed and cover is not “misguided” I was obviously speaking in general since no one can accurately speak to the myriad of other local and regional reasons game population diminish. This is outside the scope of my comment.