Coyote Impact

Predator and Prey: American Coyote
Impact On Whitetail Deer

By Tommy Kirkland

Are whitetails becoming elusive and more difficult to hunt? Are deer sightings down? If so, then maybe you are facing an obstacle that if not controlled – will in time frustrate your hunting opportunities …. The American coyote!
You’ve cultivated the clover plots, managed the timber, and continually worked for proper harvest quotas. The land is ripe for whitetail habitat; and yet deer sightings are minimal. Signs still prevail such as rubs, scrapes, and droppings, but it doesn’t add up. There should simply be more deer. In fact, a decade ago, you saw more whitetail activity on the property. By providing nutritious native forage in combination with quality supplemental food sources, whitetails should be more visible - especially females with newborn fawns.
Finally one cold morning while quietly sitting atop the tree stand, the answer for evasive deer is revealed as a lone coyote trots along the woodland edge. Before you can get a closer view, it vanishes into the underbrush. White-tailed deer are nowhere to be seen – a big disappointment for opening day.

For so long it was believed that coyotes had very little impact on white-tailed deer populations and were not given much consideration – especially since the animal is primarily an omnivorous scavenger. Yet now, biologists in certain areas of the country are seriously reevaluating coyotes and their impact on white-tailed deer. There is diverse controversy amongst biologists as to how much influence coyotes have on fawn mortalities; yet an increase in coyote sightings nationwide is prompting new research on the subject.
In Georgia, Dr. Karl Miller, a leading expert on whitetails, will be heading up an extensive study. Researchers will be radio monitoring some 28 coyotes, collecting scats for deer remains and installing cameras near coyote dens. Their objective with the gathered research is to determine if adult coyotes are bringing fawns to feed their pups and to what degree fawn recruitment is being effected.
A study conducted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission concluded that various predators such as coyotes, black bears, and bobcats accounted for 23 percent of fawn mortality. Out of 49 newborn deer, coyotes led the way for predation of 18, followed by bears taking 16 fawns, and bobcats only three.

Yet these statistical numbers showed that overall predation isn’t risking the deer population. Whitetails are still able to thrive – despite predators and seasonal harvest by hunters in the Keystone state.
Even though several states are not affected by coyotes, some geographical areas are and others eventually could be. For example, overpopulated coyotes in south Texas have a significant impact on white-tailed deer fawns. Unmanaged coyotes forming high densities can jeopardize fawn recruitment. Combine this loss with drought, hunter harvest, other environmental conditions, and sportsmen can have limited hunting opportunities for a couple of seasons. But the question remains, if these events linger too long and if certain areas need to implement predator control or change harvest quotas due to predators adversely effecting whitetail deer populations?

Though it is rare for coyotes to kill adult deer, with the exception of a sick or injured animal, these canines are quite effective in locating newborn fawns. For coyotes that have previously preyed upon newborns, they are quick to learn the season and traditional fawn birthing grounds as well.
Hunting by sight, smell, and hearing, the coyote’s carnivorous instincts in time become enhanced – increasing the odds of fawn predation. Fawns born in agricultural fields are highly vulnerable. If the newborn survives the raking and baling of the late spring to early summer mowing season, the low-cut forage easily exposes the infants to roaming coyotes. Coyotes will sit along the woodland edge adjacent to a field or slowly traverse a small tributary – intensely waiting to spot any movement or hear any cries of distress. If fawns are malnourished or the parenting doe stays gone from its side for too long, fawns are more inclined to “bleat”; then the ole coyote through hearing capabilities can quickly pinpoint the fawn.

Once a coyote moves in, the response of the mother doe may have an effect on the predatory outcome. Typically, female deer try to lure predators away by fleeing opposite of the fawn’s bedding site – instinctively relying on the infant’s motionlessness, lack of odor, and camouflage. The doe’s flight behavior is an attempt to draw the predator to her and not the bedded offspring. With inexperienced predators, the evasiveness of the doe’s innate behavior does work, but the more and more a predator has success, the easier it becomes for them to locate prey – be it coyotes, bears, wolves, or bobcats.

Some whitetail does tend to behave opposite to predator intrusion. Does and bucks may actually charge the coyote, kicking, and possibly even flailing the dog. Assertive deer standing their ground will also stomp the ground with their front hooves and create a carousel of cat and mouse with short circular movements, running toward the coyote and then retreating – redirecting and confusing the canine mammal. Bucks can turn on coyotes with their antlers pointed downward in the direction of the intruder. These confrontational predators and prey encounters are more common than we might think, despite the natural response for whitetails to alert the herd by stomping, snorting, and swiftly fleeing.
Despite these bold and unique attempts on the part of parenting does, coyotes are persistent. Yet, another problem posed against the fawn-rearing doe is that just before birthing, the pregnant female breaks away from the herd’s social protection – finding a secluded area for birthing and bedding her newborn fawn. This natural act on the part of female deer can add to the fawn’s vulnerability and likelihood for survival.
Coyotes pose a threat for fawn recruitment and to all whitetails in general. The presence of coyotes alone can reduce the overall visibility of whitetail deer which in turn can affect scouting and hunting opportunities for sportsmen. Some coyotes tend to waste time and energy chasing adult deer – particularly during the nighttime and pre-dawn hours. It is a merry-go-round of chasing. Whitetails are in and out of cultivated fields – utilizing whatever available cover they have such as high grasses and thick underbrush.

Occasionally, more than one coyote runs deer – sometimes up to three; but this is extremely rare and coyotes are by no means effective pack hunters like wolves. Nonetheless, all this physical exertion can put stress on the whitetail – negatively affecting impregnated does, nursing does, as well as hindering bucks from developing good antler growth. This chaotic activity also disrupts whitetails from feeding uninterrupted and can change where and when whitetails’ forage. Unless drought is adversely affecting food sources, whitetails have an advantage here. They have the ability to actually digest what they consume – hours later. The physical exertion will take a toll, but biologically whitetails still survive the canine pursuit after evading the coyotes.

These occurrences may provide hunters with answers as to why some mornings or evenings they see whitetails feeding in plots and why some days they don’t. Coyotes keep the whitetail wary and so both does and bucks are not only evasive because of hunting pressure; the animals are also eluding coyotes and other predators. Also, some geographical locales may be impacted more so by coyotes than others depending on the habitat and how it’s managed.

So how can one determine if coyotes are adversely affecting the local deer herds? Examining coyote scat to see what they’re eating and if and where scat remains are increasing is one way to determine their degree of activity. Fawn observations also help to equate if there is a coyote problem and if harvested single does are not lactating (nursing).

So, what if coyotes are reducing deer numbers and keeping the herds less visible? Well, depending on the degree of impact, it may not be such a negative aspect. Keeping a stable deer population is necessary and the coyotes’ pursuit works to make whitetails more elusive – creating more of a challenge in harvesting due to the instinct of flight being stimulated. However, roaming canines can undesirably affect deer numbers and hunting opportunities. For example, a 3,000 acre tract in Georgia managed with whitetails in mind was beginning to experience a loss in the number of deer sightings and deer harvested. This particular property had a high density of coyotes. In just three weeks, a professional trapper captured some 30 coyotes! Of course, there were more on the property.

Coyotes exceeding uncontrolled numbers need to be managed despite recent environmental claims that the animals are able to self-regulate and control their numbers through natural acts such as starvation, cannibalism, and dominant hierarchy dispersal. This is the theory of natural regulation where man is eliminated from the predator food chain. It is not proven scientifically and is highly controversial. Ultimately, man and the traditions of hunting and trapping need to be incorporated into a management agenda if coyotes are going to be effectively controlled. Trapping is the most effective way of predator control and should be done in the fall and winter. The only problem here is that these seasons are also deer hunting times and trapping activities could conflict with hunting opportunities.

Ensuring that the land has sufficient cover such as thick patchwork acreage of native bluestem and Indian grass can be a plus for whitetail concealment – despite that native grasses have no nutritional benefits for deer. Another alternative if seeding natives isn’t feasible is just to allow particular areas to mature and either bush hog or burn the tracts so the forest doesn’t take over in time.
Using records of harvest, sightings, and trying to manage the herds with a buck to doe ratio of 1:1 will help. Hopefully the majority of females will breed within a two week period; therefore the birthing of most fawns the following year will occur within a two to three week period. The theory is so many fawns are born at the same time that predators will not be able to prey upon them all – allowing a good number of infants to survive.
Most states allow a year-round season on coyotes and sending a message to the persistent canines is the best method of predator control. Yet, there is another prospect if your property or lease provides habitat for other predators – primarily the American black bear. Throughout North America, black bears are making their presence known and the nutritional benefit of deer management is an irresistible lure for these lumbering omnivores as well.
During the spring and summer months and into the fall season, these powerful creatures attempt to establish territory by various scent marking behaviors. Observations have concluded that the black bear’s pheromones released by scent marking are not only communicative signals to other bears, but a pronouncement to all wildlife that it is bear country now.

For the last several years in the southern Appalachian mountains of Tennessee, during the winter and spring seasons, coyotes have been establishing themselves along creek basins – birthing pups and preying upon the whitetails in adjacent forb feeding fields. Throughout the night, deer must feed and evade – a constant cycle of predator and prey.

By May, black bears finally amble into the creek basins and begin to make their presence known by scent marking. A process of releasing bear pheromones is established throughout the coyotes’ territory – signaling to these dogs that a top predator has shown itself. The coyotes’ activity is minimized; and although they still pursue the deer, it is nothing in comparison to chasing routines before the bears moved in.
The only downside to having bears on your property or lease is the risk of human interactions and bears preying on fawns as well, but not to the extent of coyotes. Yet, if natural foods are abundant and the animals do not get access to human foods; then for the most part, bears usually stay fearful of man. Roaming black bears should only be permitted if the habitat can support them through natural forage and that the bruins have plenty of acreage – reducing the risk of human encounters.

If whitetails share habitat with cattle and horses, the advantage here is that the presence of large domestic animals will to some degree discourage coyotes. On rare occasions, coyotes will attempt predation on domestic young, but if cows and horses are nearby, their defensive stampedes are too much for the coyote. Deer learn to mingle and feed around cattle and horses – using them as a type of protective shield from predators.
Obviously too many predators will pose a threat to whitetails and not enough will create an imbalanced habitat. Predators reduce the number of venomous snakes, yellow jackets, and hornets. On the other hand, out of control coyote numbers can jeopardize the survival rate of fawns as well as induce stress on the deer.

As coyotes and other predators expand their range and numbers, then determining their impact will be needed in regard to future whitetail harvest. If predators are taking fawns and unfavorably antagonizing deer; implementing predator control and limiting the deer harvest numbers for a few seasons may be an important viewpoint to consider. Otherwise, allowing a balanced number of predators to roam has its benefits for the whitetail and the hunter as well.