Fawn Predation

[txbowman12]

To be effective you have to trap right up to fawning time. Transients filter in really slow. I had traps in the dirt for 90 days prior to fawning and after catching the resident yotes the first month I worked on the transients. I went from catching 4 and 5 coyotes a week down to 1 every two weeks. I keep a really close watch on our lease roads checking tracks as it’s only 20 min from my house. After driving 15 miles of lease roads every week checking tracks we are good. I did not find a single coyote track in the last month. Those same roads had tracks every 20 ft it seemed last summer. Per the biologist I talked to I need to try and buy the fawns 3 weeks. After that the survival rate is really good. Funny thing is a lot of studies contradict each other with some stating heavy rains of 1 inch or more during fawning season as the biggest killer by far. Fawns can’t regulate body temps in the first month of life and up to 50% die of hypothermia. Sucks to be a fawn :-/

I'd agree with that. We had a ton of rain and flooding last year during fawning season and had zero fawns survive. Seen a couple outside feeder pens already so I know we are doing better this year despite it being dry.

How is the learning curve on trapping coyotes? Calling doesn't do much on our property, and I'd like to do more predator control, but not sure if it's worth taking the plunge on equipment. How long do you leave traps between setting and checking them?

[Brute Killer]

Oh I’ll put a hurting on them lol ! I probably killed 30 as bycatch last winter. I think I’m going to add them to my hit list this coming fall.

I've decided I need to trap the coons heavy for a couple weeks before I ever set one coyote trap. I've bought more dog proofs. They are just so easy that it doesn't make sense to not use them.

[Brute Killer]

I think fawns like Quail are the potato chip of all predators. Easy to catch and kill. I wouldn't be surprised if black headed buzzards and Mexican Eagles don't kill as many as any varmint.

Good analogy. Potato chips.

[bulltx50]

Mother nature plays a big role in predation opportunities for your main case of characters. Coyotes and bobcats find it much easier when drought has burned up cover and vegetation.

[sharkhunter]

I've decided I need to trap the coons heavy for a couple weeks before I ever set one coyote trap. I've bought more dog proofs. They are just so easy that it doesn't make sense to not use them.

That’s a good plan. Dang coons can flat mess up a set. After I caught some of the same coons 3 and 4 times they all went over rainbow 🌈 bridge. A friend of mine has about 200 dog proofs. I need to talk him out of 50 or so I think.

[sharkhunter]

I'd agree with that. We had a ton of rain and flooding last year during fawning season and had zero fawns survive. Seen a couple outside feeder pens already so I know we are doing better this year despite it being dry.

How is the learning curve on trapping coyotes? Calling doesn't do much on our property, and I'd like to do more predator control, but not sure if it's worth taking the plunge on equipment. How long do you leave traps between setting and checking them?

I’ll be honest even with all my experience as a kid trapping, calling and hunting. Coyote’s truly humbled me. I made some really big mistakes starting off and educated about 7 or 8 coyotes. I then not only had to learn the right way to trap them but also the “art” of catching educated coyotes. I spent 100 days straight in the woods every morning till noon. I’m lucky I work for myself and my schedule allowed that. I probably got the equivalent of 3 or 4 years of trapping experience in just one year. After i realize what a coyote truly was it opened up a whole new world for me. A coyote is a thief that is extremely territorial but at the same time paranoid and smarter than any animal in the woods. Once you grasp that and let that guide you in how you approach how you go after them it’s a blast. Basically you have to think like a coyote.

I’ll be honest the best way for a new person to score on coyotes is snaring. It’s cheap, relatively easy and inexpensive. Also it’s extremely effective !!

I checked my traps every 24hrs. I’m going to a full 36hrs next year. By law that as long as you can go. Coyotes are like any other game animal. If they feel pressure they get hard to hunt quick!

[Dusty Britches]

When we took out 168 hogs in 3 months on 80 acres, our fawn crop exploded. Nearly every doe had a surviving fawn.

[Leon County Slayer]

What is an “open wolf environment” ?

Looks like when I try talk to text

BT nailed it....I am soooo bad at talking to text or I slur my words - my wife tried to convince me years ago to stop using that feature because she knows I don't proof read my texts......oh the texts that have been sent on accident!! haaaaa

[IvoryRoot]

How are the wasps?

[Brute Killer]

How are the wasps?

Lol.
Lots of wasps = lots of fawns!

[sharkhunter]

When we took out 168 hogs in 3 months on 80 acres, our fawn crop exploded. Nearly every doe had a surviving fawn.

We try and shoot as many as we can. I think I shot 30 and the wife shot about 50. It’s a never ending problem that going to require a radical approach that’s not going to sit well with some.