explorer_Jack

What is the estimate number of coyotes,bobcats and bears combined total for PA state. Any guesses on this from your officials there? I read in 2005 that over 20,000 coyotes alone was taken by trappers and hunters. That is a huge predator force just for coyotes in that state alone. That number I would think would yield 60,000 live ones easy. Take into consideration how many deer they kill alone,especially fawns is mind boggling. Now coyotes give birth to 3 to 9 pups a year. Your deer herd is going to be wiped out if you all don't do some serious reevaluation of how you manage it.
When you have a predator like the coyote that gives birth at a much higher numbers and rate than deer,Its not hard to figure out what is going to happen. Especially when the eastern coyotes are2.5 times larger than the western coyote. They have to eat2.5 times more than theirwestern cousins.

bowtruck

more yote hunters and more yote derbys

explorer_Jack

Still wouldn't accomplish it. You need to have them hunted and trapped 24/7/365 to might make a bit of difference.

pabowhunter22

A couple years ago i would hear a pack of coyotes almost every night after hunting. The last 3 years I have not heard a single coyote in the area I hunt. However the bear numbers have really been increasing the last 2 or 3 years. I don't know if the bears are driving the coyotes out of the area or not. I am see more bear every year and where their is bear sign their seems to be little deer sign. I have also tried hunting coyotes probably 40 times but haven't seen any. I saw one back in June chasing a fawn while driving on the mountain roads. These eastern coyotes are very smart and I think it will be a large challenge to keep the coyotes in check.

explorer_Jack

2 options for deer herd. Kill the predators or don't have a doe season.I really can't see any other options for states like NY and PA.The hunterscombined with predators I do believe is going to wipe the deer out. The numbers are there as proof. Where the hunters can't access private land,the predators will. They will stay where the largest foodsupply is untill it is gone.

R.S.B.

I think you could benefit by becoming more aware of the real relationships between predator and prey.

Prey control the predator populations just as much as the other way around. Both are a benefit to the other. It might even be that the increase in predators is helping the deer learn to better avoid being a hunter harvest or even being seen by hunters?

Here is a link to get you started.


http://biology.about.com/od/ecology/a/defensemechan.htm


R.S. Bodenhorn

pabowhunter22

I think to fix the deer populations the PGC has to get rid of the WMUs and go back to counties for allocating licenses. One part of a WMU could be overpopulated with deer while another part of the same WMU may have almost no deer. The WMUs cover way to much of an area. Does anyone know why the PGC made the change? I think this a big reason for the deer heard decline.

explorer_Jack

Can it bevery possiblethat atleast 75,000 deer are killed by predators alone in PA each year? Take in all the predators in the wild not counting people or.

sproulman

that would save the doe, no way PGC/DCNR would want that.

plus, douge would not get his 6 doe each year if thats done

sproulman

biggest predator is hunter with a pocket full of doe tags/dmap tags and a new floor model freezer.