matdad wrote:
Coyote problems. Actually, a seemingly overabundance of coyotes is not the problem but rather a symptom of the problem. The real problem is an overabundance of game animals.
God or nature, whichever you believe in, designed it so that the number of animals, in this case deer, in each habitat do not exceed the carrying capacity of that habitat. In other words, each habitat, woods, fields, etc. can only hold a certain number of species within the balance of it. When the number of deer exceeds the carrying capacity of the habitat, which is happening in most urban areas across our state, the competition for food and shelter levies great stress on the herd. God or nature, has set things in place to naturally get the number of animals back into the balance of the carrying capacity.
Predation is the first tactic that is used. Since many of the deers natural predators, wolf and mountain lion, have been killed off in Ohio, the only remaining predators left are man and coyote. With so much hunting being banned in urban areas, that pretty much leaves the coyote as the only natural predator left to do God's or natures word of decreasing the number of animals so as to balance the carrying capacity again.
Why were coyotes not a problem in Ohio until the early 1990's? Because our deer herd was in check up until then. Gradually, we now have "coyote problems" because the deer herd is exceeding the carrying capacity of many habitats, especially urban ones.
When you see coyotes eating deer carcasses we mistakenly think that the coyotes have dragged down and killed a perfectly healthy deer and will therefore, wipe out the deer herd. Actually, coyotes usually only kill sick or wounded deer. I have witnessed even a young doe chase off an adult coyote. The truth is that coyotes are only killing the excess deer from the habitat. A mature whitetail deer that is healthy is not at risk from coyote attack. Yes, the coyotes will attack and eat young deer but that is how God or nature intended it to be. We see this same thing in Africa and everywhere else.
The second "technique" that God or nature uses to reduce the numbers of animals who are out of balance with the carrying capacity of a habitat is disease. Unfortunately, we have seen an increased number of diseases that are killing hundreds of deer in our state, the deer that the predators are not killing. Chronic Wasting Disease is just one of these.
If urban areas would allow more hunting of deer (archery) they could reduce the number of overpopulated deer while probably turning a profit at the same time.
Coyotes, while admittedly fun to shoot, are really helping the deer herd to stay in acceptable numbers and ultimately, to stay strong. You may even say that coyotes are a deer's best friend. After all, I have watched a doe run off even her own offspring from a food plot in the winter when food is more scarce.
If what you said were the case, you wouldn't have coyotes eating as many pets as they do. They are a nuisance animal and are treated as such by the ODNR with no closed season and no bag limit.
