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Articles: Features

Predator Control and Deer Management

by Ben Koerth, Institute for White-tailed Deer Management

Predators kill deer. Therefore, it seems logical that if you want to protect and increase the investment in your deer herd you need to reduce the number of predators, right? In a simplistic world, that's exactly what you would do. However, the issue of predator control is not as black and white as it may seem on the surface. As in management of most biological situations, there are many varying shades of gray.

Many biologists have long been ingrained with the concept that predators are responsible for only minor losses and any mention of lethal control is virtually sacrilegious. Others contend that some degree of predator control is nearly always necessary to maintain a balance between predators and prey. Depending on the circumstances, both sides are right. My position is not to specifically advocate one side or the other, but to present some of the pros and cons of predator control in deer management. Hopefully, this will help you decide if controlling predators may actually have positive benefits or simply be a situation where it makes you feel good to have done something. In the end, the decision about the particular role that it may play in your management program is up to you.

It seems most people just like to hate predators. This notion probably stems from somewhere in our ancestral heritage. Prehistoric people presumably killed predators, at least in part, because predators competed with them for food and for their very survival. There was little question that predators were a threat either directly to the person's safety or to the availability of their food source. However, with the efficient food production capabilities in today's world, wildlife often is valued more for recreation and enjoyment than as a survival necessity. Yet, there may be times when controlling the number of predators can enhance the production of what we consider to be a more desirable species of animal. The trick is determining when predator control will have a beneficial outcome.

In terms of the white-tailed deer, I think there would be little argument that the coyote is the main predator of concern. Mountain lions certainly can have a localized influence, but because of their limited numbers and distribution, they probably are not an important overall threat to whitetail populations. Bobcats and lynx kill some fawns and an occasional adult deer, but likewise do not appear to be a major threat. A host of other potential predators from fox, alligators, feral hogs, eagles to bears have been known to occasionally prey on deer, particularly fawns. However, their effect on the size of a deer population is minimal at best.

Where they still occur, wolves may be a different story. Wolves are considered a major historical predator of deer and can have a tremendous impact on local populations. However, the limited range where wolves and deer occur together today, makes wolves a minor player over most of the whitetail's range. In most cases, if predation is a problem in deer management, it will be concerned primarily with coyotes.

There are three possible scenarios on how coyotes can effect deer populations. The first scenario is we could say they have no effect at all. Now, I think we can probably dispense with this one right away. You don't have to dig through the literature to know coyotes kill and eat deer. Predation, by definition, is individuals of one species killing and eating individuals of another species. Therefore, any removal of animals is going to affect the prey population in some way — good, bad or otherwise.

The other scenarios are that coyotes can either regulate or limit deer populations. It may seem a game of semantics, but there are real differences in the two terms. It also makes a big difference whether predator control will actually benefit your deer management program.

If the role of the predator is regulation, it means they are helping to stabilize the prey population over time. In this case, coyotes and other predators are unwittingly giving us a helping hand. As hard as that may be to accept, it's true. Their role is helping to keep deer from overpopulating the range and exceeding the food supply. Coyotes normally can't control deer numbers on their own. At best, they provide a dampening or suppressing effect on the population. In areas where the deer herd is near or exceeding carrying capacity, where deer are depredating crops or where you have to plead with hunters to harvest more does to control the population, it would be foolhardy to attempt to reduce predator numbers. To do so only heighten the effects the deer are already having. As much as you may hate to admit it, this is the case over most whitetail ranges.

This is not to say you can't affect the deer population if you remove enough predators. However, you better be ready to step in and make up the difference in production with hunter harvest. Otherwise, you may see some consequences you weren't expecting.

Take for example, a classic study conducted on the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Refuge in southern Texas. In this study, a 966-acre pasture was surrounded with a predator-proof fence and all predators inside the fence removed. The deer herd inside the fence was monitored and compared to the deer outside the fence that were still exposed to predation. Initially, the deer numbers inside the fence greatly expanded, primarily from increased fawn survival. However, after a couple of years of this elevated population, forage availability and health of the deer began to decline. Parasite loads increased, does began conceiving later and overall reproductive performance decreased. Eventually, the population declined to levels comparable to outside the exclosure, but in a less healthy condition. Not at all a situation we would like to see in our hunting grounds.

In this example, coyote predation was not limiting, but regulating the deer population. In essence, it was serving to help maintain a healthy deer population within bounds of the habitat. In the long run, mortality remained about the same. Only the specific cause of the mortalities changed.

That's what biologists mean when they talk about compensatory mortality. If a coyote kills a deer that was doomed to die by other means anyway, is that a bad thing? Or if by killing one individual, the survival or productivity of another individual is enhanced, there are no long-term harmful effects to the population.

Also, most managers seldom look past the initial impacts of predator control. In deer management, predator control normally is initiated in an attempt to increase fawn survival, and to a lesser extent, lessen predation on adult animals. However, there may be other detrimental effects that cascade through the web of creatures further down the food chain. Coyotes not only prey on deer, but a host of other species as well. As such, they can influence the abundance and distribution of other animals in the ecosystem. For example, experimental removal of coyotes in a west Texas study resulted in drastic changes in small mammal diversity. Where once 12 species of rodents could be found, after coyote removal only 1 species remained. Jackrabbits increased 3-fold. In addition, midlevel predators like skunks, fox, badgers, bobcats and raccoons became more numerous. Whether these changes in return for higher fawn survival is considered a good thing is a value judgement. However, there is little doubt the dynamics of the ecosystem were changed.

The last scenario is where a predator population actually limits deer numbers by being the primary reason the deer cannot increase or may even cause a decline in the population. This situation has led to the term “predator pit” where the prey population simply cannot increase because of predation no matter the amount of food available in the habitat. It's like the deer are in a predator-lined hole and cannot get out and expand. This is a possibility where deer are at very low densities relative to the carrying capacity of their range. This can occur when otherwise normal deer populations suffer a debilitating setback of some sort or in populations that are colonizing new habitat. In these situations, a predator removal program can greatly enhance deer production in the short term. However, keep in mind, while predator removal provides a quick fix to get the deer on the road to recovery, eventually the population will saturate their range and become limited more by nutrition as in the predator-regulated example described earlier.

Nevertheless, there are a couple of other situations where predator control programs may prove to be warranted. The first is where predators are new to the prey population. Historically, coyotes were denizens of the western and southern United States. Deer and coyotes evolved together in these regions and normal predator-prey relationships were developed years ago. However, within the past 50 years, coyotes have greatly expanded their range to include the southeast and east coast regions. They have been found as far as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick within the past 30 years. At least theoretically, it seems likely that predators could have a far greater influence on a population where predator avoidance strategies have not had much time to develop. In this case, the rules of the game and the playing field have been changed. Still, coyotes may not be the demon many think. In light of the burgeoning deer populations throughout much of this range, coyotes seemingly are not a limiting factor overall. However, predator control in localized areas where deer populations remain low may prove to be fruitful. It still remains to be seen if the deer in this area can sustain the current rate of hunter harvest in addition to predation by an unchecked and apparently growing predator population.

Also, with continued human manipulation of the landscape, we may be developing another circumstance where predator control might play a significant role. Highly fragmented habitats essentially create islands of deer habitat surrounded by country that provides little for deer. Even when these islands are connected by fence rows or brush strips, the narrow, linear shape of the connecting strips make hunting by predators in those areas much more efficient. The same goes for some areas that have been high-fenced for deer management. As with island habitats, small areas surrounded by high fences essentially present coyotes with a captive audience and lessen the search time necessary to find prey.

Predator control will continue to be a divisive issue and not all of the answers can be provided by anyone. However, in the instance you decide you need to reduce predator numbers in your deer management program, how much is enough? There are many situations where someone has tried predator control and found no difference. The implication then is predators were not a problem. The other side of the coin is they simply may not have removed enough predators to have an affect. It's not the number of coyotes you take out, it's the number you leave that is important.

To really be effective, predator control needs to be intensive. Unfortunately, too many people approach predator control with a somewhat lackadaisical manner. For instance, many deer hunters seemingly have a “shoot on sight philosophy” about coyotes as long as they feel the disturbance would not have a negative effect on the outcome of their deer hunt. While this practice may give the hunter a temporary feeling of accomplishment, in reality opportunistic shooting usually falls well short of removing the number of animals necessary to effectively curtail coyote populations. Even recreational calling and shooting coyotes after deer season will have little lasting effect.

It takes more than a superficial effort that simply skims off the easy ones. Computer simulations conducted by experts on coyote population dynamics suggest you could remove up to seventy percent of the coyote population each year and have no effect on the long-term number. You would have to remove more than three-quarters of the coyote population annually to begin to see any substantial reduction in their number. The key word is annually. This is not a one-time deal. Short-term predator control efforts usually do little more than aggravate the situation.

Timing of control is equally important. The best time to control coyotes is when their population is at its lowest point for the year. This equates to a couple of months between late winter and early spring before they give birth to their young. This time period also has direct ties to the deer. Late winter, after the rut, is when most predation on adult bucks takes place. During this time, bucks are recovering from rutting activities and commonly are in their poorest shape of the year. Predator control during late spring also allows fawns to be born with less danger of becoming a victim of predation.

Which brings up a final item of consideration. How many of the deer that you save from coyotes actually make it into harvestable age classes? Do you as a hunter really get to take advantage of a surplus? Unfortunately, most studies indicate in deer herds that are already near carrying capacity, any surplus animals saved from predation have a much higher chance of succumbing to other factors long before they reach the hunter's bag. Deer can become more vulnerable because of their own success. Too many animals in a finite habitat can lead to disease, increased parasite loads or other stress related conditions that ultimately diminish their health and reproductive success.

Predator control certainly has a place in deer management, but it's not a cure for poor management. In deciding if predator control can be effective in your program you need to consider several questions. First, what are your deer numbers relative to the carrying capacity of the habitat? Essentially, is there room for more deer if you produce them? Second, if there is more room, what are the reasons the deer numbers are so low? All possibilities need to be explored before simply placing blame on predators. Yes, coyotes kill deer and therefore seem to be the obvious answer. However, coyotes have been killing deer for thousands of years and we still have plenty of both. The easy answer is not always the right one. Third, is effective predator control feasible? With your skills and resources, can you remove enough predators to actually help the deer herd? This is where record keeping that we have written about so many times comes into play again. If you have been monitoring deer numbers and reproductive success, you can use your numbers before and after predator control to determine how effective you may have been. Lastly, are the extra animals that you produce worth more than the cost of producing them and will they be used?

Predator control likely will remain one of the more controversial issues in deer management. There remains a wide range of views regarding the efficacy and necessity of controlling predators. Predator control may be justified if your deer numbers can be increased at a reasonable cost and the extra animals will be used. However, predator control likely will have little lasting effect on deer populations that are well established, have adequate nutrition, are actively reproducing and have ample cover so that fawns and adults are not exposed to excessive mortality through predation. You, as the deer manager, will have to make that decision.

by Ben Koerth, Wildlife Biologist
Institute for White-tailed Deer Management
Stephen F. Austin State University
April 21, 2010

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IN NO EVENT WILL WHITETAIL DOMAINS' AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE SITE OR ANY SERVICES EXCEED THE AMOUNTS YOU HAVE PAID TO WHITETAIL DOMAINS. You acknowledge that Whitetail Domains has set its prices and entered into this Agreement in reliance upon the limitations of liability specified herein, which allocate the risk between the parties and form a basis of the bargain between the parties. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Whitetail Domains and its officers, directors, employees, and agents, from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of the Site or Services, or your violation of this Agreement. Whitetail Domains reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any such claim otherwise subject to defense by you, in which event you will cooperate with Whitetail Domains and its counsel, as necessary, in the conduct of such defense.

Links To 3rd Party Sites

The Site may contain links to third-party websites or resources. You acknowledge and agree that Whitetail Domains is not responsible or liable for: (i) the availability or accuracy of such websites or resources; or (ii) the content, products or services on or available from such websites or resources. Links to such websites or resources do not imply any endorsement by Whitetail Domains of such websites or resources or the content, products, or services available from such websites or resources. You acknowledge sole responsibility for and assume all risk arising from your use of any such websites or resources. For the terms and conditions governing your use of Partner Sites, refer to the terms of service governing those websites.

Forum And Choice Of Law

This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflicts of law rules. You expressly agree that the exclusive jurisdiction for any claim or action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or your use of the Services will be filed only in the federal courts located in the State of Texas, or state courts located in Fort Bend County, Texas. You further agree and submit to the exercise of personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating any such claim or action. You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of, or related to, use of the Services or this Agreement must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose, or be forever barred. Disputes must be settled by arbitration utilizing the dispute resolution procedures of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in Houston, Texas.

Refund Policy

Whitetail Domains will not honor any refunds for any paid Whitetail Domains services, including without limitation Member account payments, more than thirty (30) days after you last submitted such payment to Whitetail Domains. Should you find the need to request a refund, please email Customer Service or call us at 1-281-633-2334.

General

You may not assign any rights granted to you or delegate any of your duties hereunder; any attempt to do so is void and of no effect. Whitetail Domains may assign its rights and delegate its duties under this Agreement in their entirety in connection with a merger, reorganization or sale of all, or substantially all, of its assets relating to this Agreement. The failure of Whitetail Domains at any time to require performance of any provision hereof shall in no manner affect its right at a later time to enforce the same unless the same is waived in writing. If a court should find that one or more rights or provisions contained in this Agreement are invalid, you agree that the remainder of the Agreement will be enforceable. The headings and captions are for convenience only and are not to be used in the interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the complete and exclusive understanding and agreement between you and Whitetail Domains regarding its subject matter, and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements or understandings relating to such subject matter.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Agreement or any issues raised in this Agreement or on the Site, please contact Whitetail Domains at the Contact Us page.

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