Does killing coyotes make there be more coyotes

[Encinal]

Someone told me that reducing the population of coyotes with traps would actually make there be more coyotes long term because they have larger litters...

Sooo... whatcha think?

[sideways]

That makes no sense at all but I'm no expert. I can see more yotes surviving from a litter because there are less mouths to feed because of trapping. But not sure how litter size would increase from trapping. I will still shoot all yotes on sight cuz it's fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Honker]

This reminds me of Cliff Clavin's buffalo theory...

A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first.

This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.

In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

[Gclyde28]

I don't know that there will be more long term but I do remember reading or listening to a podcast that said as population decreases that the litter size naturally become larger. So it would also stand to reason that as coyote population reaches closer to the natural level that litter size would then decrease as well.

[Puncher51]

Depends. If you kill a bunch this year then don’t kill any for a few years, then their population will be at or more than when you started control. If you continue at your current pace then there is no way you can have more than you do now. Especially with being able to snare fencelines, trap roads and trails, as well as get some out of the air during surveys like I’m sure you do. Of course, if your neighbors are working on their coyote numbers as well that’ll only help long term.

I know this is just a test and that you already know the correct answer

[RR 314]

Someone told me that reducing the population of coyotes with traps would actually make there be more coyotes long term because they have larger litters...

Sooo... whatcha think?

Some will tell you cold water boils faster than hot water as well.

I don't think litter size changes just because another yote gets whacked.

[Puncher51]

Some will tell you cold water boils faster than hot water as well.

I don't think litter size changes just because another yote gets whacked.

I think it has more to do with predator/prey interaction. If predator numbers are reduced and prey numbers increase, then the remaining predators will have better nutrition and therefore better body condition. That means they are in good enough shape to be able to successfully raise a larger litter. That’s my take on it anyway.

[txwhitetail]

I think there are some studies out there on several species that have more offspring at lower population levels.

In our area with all the large predator contests it doesn't seem to matter how many fox are shot they are all back repopulated the next year.

[Mexico]

No

[RR 314]

I think it has more to do with predator/prey interaction. If predator numbers are reduced and prey numbers increase, then the remaining predators will have better nutrition and therefore better body condition. That means they are in good enough shape to be able to successfully raise a larger litter. That’s my take on it anyway.

Oh, I understand the reasoning behind the theory but am not sold. Seems like if this is the case then pandas in a thriving grove of bamboo would have litters of many cubs.

[AntlerCollector]

No

[canny]

There is some logic behind your OP. It all falls back to the Predator Prey relationship. Reduce the predators = more prey for the remaining predators = higher reproductive success. Its not so much as they will have more babies, its that there is more food available which often equals a higher % of the young surviving. Long term, assuming left unchecked there will always be the highs and lows of populations. Predators decrease = Prey increase...Prey increase = Predator increase. We trap and kill predators so that we don't have the natural cycling of prey (deer) populations due the impact of the predators.

[bullhead44]

I think someone is wrong.

[breederbuck33]

Seems like I read somewhere that it has something to do with when they call back and forth they notice fewer calls back and it causes them to have bigger litters... I probably read this on here from an "Expert" lol but I like the theory myself

[BigWes]

If the environment can only handle X number of yotes, and the particular environment is at full capacity, that just means more baby yotes will survive to adulthood until the environment is back at full capacity, not that more overall will survive.

Edit: I just saw some guys post about more prey. I guess that could increase the capacity of the environment, but it would seem like only for a certain period of time. It seems that the predators would eventually come back to a point where they would overkill the prey, causing some predator starvation or moving out of the environment to find more prey, and therefore bring the population ratio back into balance