Predator vs. Prey
Wisconsin
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dc-archer's Link
Interesting study results from MI. I didn't go through all the reports, but from 2014 it looks like 26 out of 46 dead collared deer were a result of predation. Without predators some of those deer would have probably died from other things, but still that is a big impact from predators. Not sure how they well coyote from wolf kills, maybe they do DNA or hair testing.
http://fwrc.msstate.edu/carnivore/predatorprey/reports.asp
"Without predators some of those deer would have probably died from other things"
Just curious what you mean by "other things" and why someone thinks they could not have just survived?
Obviously some would have been killed by hunters or maybe vehicles, but many would have survived longer...
Coyote eat the flesh. Wolves eat bone and all. That's the easiest way to tell.
The biggest problem I have with fawn/predator studies is that IMO the fawns that were handled (even with "minimal" handling) could be compromised, either with scent or possibly even abandoned in some cases. Abandonment happens quickly with moose, as shown in some past studies. Whitetails maybe not so much. Maybe ...
Not saying predation isn't a problem, it certainly is. But coyotes have always been No. 1 on fawns due to their sheer numbers statewide, and if those numbers in the north have at all been downward-impacted by wolves, it's possible the coyote/wolf combo on fawn predation could be a wash. In other words, if wolves weren't there, there might be even more coyote predation. Of course wolves take down more older deer than coyotes. Bottom line is kill more predators and shoot fewer antlerless in negatively-impacted regions.
From the 2014 study (I think some of the math needs work):
"We attributed 26 mortalities to predation; 11 wolf, 7 to coyote, 1 bobcat, 6 unidentified."
I didn't look at the latest study ('14), but in previous years coyotes were far and away top "dog" in fawn mortalities in both U.P. and WI.
Of course some will die of other things. In a cattle herd, cows occasionally die on the pasture too. The solution is not to slaughter the majority of the herd because two were struck by lightning.
I really think the study numbers for predation is low. I think it's well over 50% in areas with high wolf, coyote and bear populations. Add to that the pi$$ poor management of forests in the north by the "experts." It paints a very bleak picture for the northern deer herd.
Are they managing the forests poorly, or just not optimal for deer and grouse? Sometimes they manage forests for the trees, big seed trees.