you all may have missed this new science paper that looked at deer harvest trends and coyote colonization times across 6 Eastern states (including NC), and found no evidence that coyotes were controlling deer populations:
ABSTRACT The expansion or recovery of predators can affect local prey populations. Since the 1940s,
coyotes (Canis latrans) have expanded into eastern North America where they are now the largest predator
and prey on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). However, their effect on deer populations remains
controversial. We tested the hypothesis that coyotes, as a novel predator, would affect deer population
dynamics across large spatial scales, and the strongest effects would occur after a time lag following initial
coyote colonization that allows for the predator populations to grow. We evaluated deer population trends
from 1981 to 2014 in 384 counties of 6 eastern states in the United States with linear mixed models. We
included deer harvest data as a proxy for deer relative abundance, years since coyote arrival in a county as a
proxy of coyote abundance, and landscape and climate covariates to account for environmental effects.
Overall, deer populations in all states experienced positive population growth following coyote arrival. Time
since coyote arrival was not a signi®cant predictor in any deer population models and our results indicate that
coyotes are not controlling deer populations at a large spatial scale in eastern North America. Ó 2019 The
Wildlife Society.
From the discussion:
We did not detect any negative association between
colonizing eastern coyotes and white-tailed deer population
growth rate across 6 eastern states over nearly a century.
Instead, we documented a consistent rise in deer abundance
simultaneous to coyote colonization across the region.
Despite the relatively small-scale declines in some local
deer populations attributed to coyote predation (Howze et al.
2009, VanGilder et al. 2009, Kilgo et al. 2014, Chitwood
et al. 2015a, b), our study did not detect this relationship at a
larger spatial and temporal scale.
PDF attached
Again, come on, Ron. Can't you do better than a 5 year old study? Any idea as to how many coyotes are born/year vs deer/year? What about survival rates for each of those species in the "study areas"? FWIW, the coyote is most definitely not a novel predator. This info is kinda like the latest papers on the "contemporary" animal that y'all like to call a wolf. Just choose a number. If it works to keep the money coming in, print it.