Some years ago, coyotes were imported into eastern SC by fox hunters as a prey with more stamina than native foxes. Since then populations have skyrocketed as they have no natural enemies and abundant food. They grow as big as German Shepards. This year, deer hunters have reported seeing no fawns on the deer cameras running since July. Has anyone else experienced this and what can be done? The state allows unlimited hunting on them but they are so cagey that only a few are shot or trapped.

Many states have a significant coyote population, and some have wolves to add to the mix. We all still have deer, but in many places less than before. Less fox here too. Trapping is by far the most effective control method, though little incentive to trap them in SC as the furs can't be worth much. No chance of eliminating them as long as there is food available. Best bet is to take up coyote hunting for some extra outdoors fun.

SC DNR coyote info



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The state allows unlimited hunting on them but they are so cagey that only a few are shot or trapped

Find a good dry land trapper take some lessons and trap them.

I have caught many it isn't that hard to do.

You will never be able to completely control coyotes, but if everyone that is concerned starts killing the things when they get the chance and actively starts hunting/trapping them, their numbers can be reduced.

Coyotes/Sea Gulls/Rats and English Sparrows will all be still in abundance when the last human being is laying on the ground dead.

Maybe the hunters/land owners in your state could work with your game and fish department and institute a bounty system to encourage folks to actively hunt the things.

If you ask me, importing coyotes sounds like about one of the dumbest "management moves" anyone could make.

That's despite the fact they would find their way there anyhow in time. That's the way that works every place else.

They take a big toll on all small game (they are on the short list of why we have no quail - not the only reason, but one of them), and I have found remains on our place where they take down pregnant does and eat both, probably while giving birth.

However, the deer have adapted and overcome and their population continues to thrive.

Hunting and trapping in my opinion does nothing as they quickly fill in again from adjoining areas, and that's even if you go the high fence route. They find a way. I've seen a high fence that after about ten years has spots you could about drive a truck through.

Best plan, shoot them on sight. And don't worry about ruining your deer hunt. I never see deer and coyotes on the same morning. The deer know, and make themselves scarce.

Btw, despite what some say, they are dangerous to humans under certain circumstances...

Game cameras set up by the Ill dept of Conservation on Coyote dens showed on average fawn parts where brought to the den at least weekly during the time the coyote pups where in the vicinity of their dens. They are not only fawn killers bit also take mature deer even large bucks.
look at this site, as I recalls 2 yotes chased this trophy class buck until it could not run any farther, this ocurred in front of a game camera. As I recall it took 10 hours of torture before the buck died...gruesome
fficial&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3JQpVMzuLJLsaNLOgvAG&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1091&bih=555" target="_blank">https://www.google.com/search?...sAQ&biw=1091&bih=555

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I never see deer and coyotes on the same morning. The deer know, and make themselves scarce.

That shows the difference between one region and another. I have been in the stand with clients and had coyotes come in while deer were at the feeders feeding.

Have watched deer chase coyotes away from the feed area, and have had coyotes come in and try to feed on deer we had down but not retrieved.

Out here in this part of Texas, it is pretty much of a shoot on sight concept concerning coyotes.

same with feral hogs, because hogs will kill and eat fawns if they get the chance.

in s.c. you can trap dec.through march with a trapping lisence and the other 9 months with a predation permit. i live in edgefield county.the area where i live has probebly only one fifteenth to one twentieth of the deer we had in the 90s.thinning timber instead of clear cutting, herbiciding the vegetation and coyotes have brought this about. if every land owner would trap year round it would help a great deal.if your going to trap you need to learn to do it right.once they are educated to traps they are very difficult to get rid of.probably die of old age. if you are the only one trapping there is an endless supply to fill the void you created.

I don't remember much of the specifics, but I remember reading an article a few years ago where a university did a research project & one of their conclusions were that the average coyote kills & eats approximately 10 deer a year, the majority are naturally fawns.
Our deer & rabbit populations seem to run in cycles, the years we see or hear a lot of coyotes, we have fewer fawns & rabbits, the years we don't see or hear them we see many more fawns & rabbits.

That means the coyotes too must run in cycles.

Anyway, CH, what do you guys in TX do when you see those coyotes coming in while the deer are at the feeders? The obvious I guess. Shoot both?

Seriously, are deer shot legally over feeders there? Just curious. I have no idea how that works. Maybe the feeders are just there to bring them to the area? It'd be illegal here, for the deer that is.

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If you ask me, importing coyotes sounds like about one of the dumbest "management moves" anyone could make.

Importing wolves from Canada was probably dumber.

There has been a lot of research done on coyote/prey relations. The researched prey have included deer, antelope and upland birds. What we have seen is that you can impact prey populations by reducing coyote numbers but the population increase is usually quite small and the intensity of control effort has to be very high. That amount of effort is too costly to be able to be used over large areas. If you only take a small number, you may actually increase the amount of predation on prey species. If you take out older yotes, they are replaced with younger animals that have smaller territories. Consequently, you end up with more coyotes. Hunting by sport hunters will never have any significant affect either way. So go ahead and shoot all you want but don't kid your self that you are increasing prey populations.

465H&H

I lived in OK for 15 years. There they could dog them, airplane them, trap them, call thm, and so forth. You still didn't have to try very hard to see a coyote.
Lived in WVA for 8 years and anybody that didn't get a deer blamed it on he coyotes. When I left there I think heir were more deer than ever.

Seems strange that folks in SC would import coyotes since the coyotes have been expanding their range on the east coast since back in the 60's at least. I did some trapping for a Memphis U study back then.
At that time, the bag limit for deer in TN was 1 buck and the season was a week long. When I left, AC (after coyotes) the bag limit was 10 with a very generous season.

Blue tongue has took a toll on populations in the past 4 years.

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Originally posted by Bigasanelk:

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If you ask me, importing coyotes sounds like about one of the dumbest "management moves" anyone could make.

Importing wolves from Canada was probably dumber.