Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
1973
Citation
Published in Proceedings of Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop, December 10, 11, and 12, 1973, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. Edited by F. Robert Henderson.
Abstract
It has now been 21 months since President Nixon's Executive Order #11643 was issued and there has been a complete annual reproductive cycle in the coyote population of the western states without any major influence by chemical controls. The use of mechanical controls, including non-lethal methods, and greater emphasis on removing only specific offending animals has been advocated during this time as a solution where coyotes prey on domestic animals. With this brief look back, what have been the results?
We do not have absolute data on coyote numbers and livestock depredations resulting from this change in coyote management programs. We can, however, consider reports from state agencies in wildlife management and agriculture. In states that employed chemical controls prior to the Executive Order, these agencies report substantial increases in coyote numbers. Similar reports were given by ten Western Region Predator Research Committee members at their annual meeting in Hopland, California, in September of this year. These committee members also reported apparent increases in livestock losses to coyotes and observations by hunters, ranchers and county Extension agents substantiate those reports.
The presence of the group here today gives additional evidence that the coyote problem is real. Moreover, it has not been solved by current mechanical and non-lethal controls in those states where chemical controls were removed by the Executive Order and federal policy.