question for big number coyote trappers.

[goosejerky]

Hi there!
I'm just curious if anyone could share their personal experiences with trapping g large numbers of coyotes in a given area and then coming back to the same area the next year to trap the yotes again. Are the numbers of coyotes caught the second year up/down as compared to the previous year? Is the population of coyotes healthier as a whole? Do you notice greater numbers of rabbits, pheasants? etc. Etc.
This is my first year trapping yotes and have taken a total of right around 120 thus far and I'm very curious to see what next year has in store. I have yet to see any yotes in the fields of the area I've been trapping which is kinda out of the norm so I'm guessing that the overall population has taken quite a hit by yours truly.

Also, I'm addicted to trapping.

[bill9044]

That's a great first season. The couple baits I baited last year have produced the same numbers this year. Only real way to find out in your area is try it again next year. More yotes will filter in from other areas this summer. Hit me hard this fall then you have data.

[tikka250]

i know its not trapping but i will add my 2cents. i have one feedlot where i shoot a large number of coyotes both calling and off of the deadpile in the winter i have shot in and around 20 each year from that area for the past 2 years and so far have yet to notice a decline in coyote numbers.it seems where there is good area to hold coyotes new ones will move in not long after you remove some.

[HunterDave]

Nice haul of coyotes, Congrats!

I don't consider the total number of coyotes that I catch as big numbers (between 80 and 100) but I do take out a significant number from the relatively small area that I trap. Last year I took out all of the local dogs and this year there were just as many. What I did find different this year was I was catching better quality coyotes with a lot fewer mange and shoulder mites. One season doesn't determine much but it would appear to me that catching all of those bad dogs last year improved the quality of the coyotes that I caught this year.

[PCP_ECOM]

Correct me anyone if i'm wrong but I believe local resident coyote's have approximately a 10 square mile home area,where transient coyote's could be up 100 square miles,so they sure can replenish an area pretty fast,along with new pups being born,cheers Peter

[H380]

88 for me and 90 for a local bunch of colony kids in about a 6 mile radius this year . I will know better next winter but I think it will rebound nicely ..

[rcmc]

In my area over harvesting of fur can decline the numbers for next year, were I snare its very open, with limited recruitment of coyotes moving in to replace the caught ones. I have to manage my harvest to maintain my numbers.

[hwkirby]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Nice haul of coyotes, Congrats!

I don't consider the total number of coyotes that I catch as big numbers (between 80 and 100) but I do take out a significant number from the relatively small area that I trap. Last year I took out all of the local dogs and this year there were just as many. What I did find different this year was I was catching better quality coyotes with a lot fewer mange and shoulder mites. One season doesn't determine much but it would appear to me that catching all of those bad dogs last year improved the quality of the coyotes that I caught this year.

X2....except that I only snare about 25% of what your doing Dave! On that note caught one yesterday and it is in prime condition still!

[Clarksen]

Where to start? rcmc - if it's a relatively small scale coyotes will gravitate to another area if subjected to stress e.g. from open farm country to creek bottoms or coulees where there is more cover. This may explain what you are seeing, I have no other explanation. My 1080 comments are based on direct experience which compared bait uptake throughout the winter. If the baits were reducing coyote numbers then bait uptake would decline as winter progressed and from year to year. This proved to not be apparent over a three year period where uptake was the same from year to year and from start to end of winter. In conjunction relative population comparisons were done. These do not give numbers of coyotes but do give a comparison to previous years. This is known as scent post transects and has proven to be effective in indicating rising, falling, or stable populations. This showed no change. This was done in order to test wheather 1080 was effective in reducing coyote numbers and ultimately livestock predation. The 1080 program was stopped and livestock predation did not increase.

Marty S - it's immaterial to me if you believe anything I've commented on or not.

Jim Summit - for some reason coyote numbers have fluctuated through out the province the last several years. Numbers have declined where I live to the point there are now fox everywhere. In real numbers this means from a high of 67 coyotes from a quarter section years ago to 2 this winter. I am told numbers in eastern Alberta are good. If anything trapping pressure is much less today than years ago. The best estimates available indicate that hunters and trappers combined can take a maximum of 10-15% of a wolf population yearly and I suspect this number would be lower for coyotes. In any event it would be well below their compensatory abilities.

Hunter Dave - I'm saying that for the mechanism which increases litter size to kick in a coyote population has to be subjected to some kind of stress [unknown] to a degree that would over time [unknown] cause their numbers to decline. There is no doubt that this occurs but the science behind it is not clear.

Braggado - not sure what you are saying but maybe think about this. If all coyotes trapped or shot were additive to natural mortality over very few years they would be gone. This is why hunting and trapping have no impact on coyote numbers. I would quantify the statement by saying there may be isolated situations as some have suggested where there can be a short time impact. I haven't seen it but strange things happen with animal populations that we do not understand.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Jim Summit, I suspect your low coyote numbers in the north is because the very high wolf population. Wolves like to eat them for lunch and do not like competition.

[braggadoe]

Originally Posted by Clarksen

Where to start? rcmc - if it's a relatively small scale coyotes will gravitate to another area if subjected to stress e.g. from open farm country to creek bottoms or coulees where there is more cover. This may explain what you are seeing, I have no other explanation. My 1080 comments are based on direct experience which compared bait uptake throughout the winter. If the baits were reducing coyote numbers then bait uptake would decline as winter progressed and from year to year. This proved to not be apparent over a three year period where uptake was the same from year to year and from start to end of winter. In conjunction relative population comparisons were done. These do not give numbers of coyotes but do give a comparison to previous years. This is known as scent post transects and has proven to be effective in indicating rising, falling, or stable populations. This showed no change. This was done in order to test wheather 1080 was effective in reducing coyote numbers and ultimately livestock predation. The 1080 program was stopped and livestock predation did not increase.

Marty S - it's immaterial to me if you believe anything I've commented on or not.

Jim Summit - for some reason coyote numbers have fluctuated through out the province the last several years. Numbers have declined where I live to the point there are now fox everywhere. In real numbers this means from a high of 67 coyotes from a quarter section years ago to 2 this winter. I am told numbers in eastern Alberta are good. If anything trapping pressure is much less today than years ago. The best estimates available indicate that hunters and trappers combined can take a maximum of 10-15% of a wolf population yearly and I suspect this number would be lower for coyotes. In any event it would be well below their compensatory abilities.

Hunter Dave - I'm saying that for the mechanism which increases litter size to kick in a coyote population has to be subjected to some kind of stress [unknown] to a degree that would over time [unknown] cause their numbers to decline. There is no doubt that this occurs but the science behind it is not clear.

Braggado - not sure what you are saying but maybe think about this. If all coyotes trapped or shot were additive to natural mortality over very few years they would be gone. This is why hunting and trapping have no impact on coyote numbers. I would quantify the statement by saying there may be isolated situations as some have suggested where there can be a short time impact. I haven't seen it but strange things happen with animal populations that we do not understand.

alot of (unknown),(unknown),(unknown),(we don't understand) you have going on in your statements.

sadly, some people believe this to be science. and you probably got paid a bunch of tax payer money for these ground braking revelations.

[braggadoe]

Originally Posted by goosejerky

Hi there!
I'm just curious if anyone could share their personal experiences with trapping g large numbers of coyotes in a given area and then coming back to the same area the next year to trap the yotes again. Are the numbers of coyotes caught the second year up/down as compared to the previous year? Is the population of coyotes healthier as a whole? Do you notice greater numbers of rabbits, pheasants? etc. Etc.
This is my first year trapping yotes and have taken a total of right around 120 thus far and I'm very curious to see what next year has in store. I have yet to see any yotes in the fields of the area I've been trapping which is kinda out of the norm so I'm guessing that the overall population has taken quite a hit by yours truly.

Also, I'm addicted to trapping.

couple things for certain. coyotes are difficult to kill twice. dead coyotes don't reproduce.

after that, its all speculation.