Study

White‐tailed deer fawn recruitment before and after experimental coyote removals in central Georgia

  • Published source details Gulsby W.D., Killmaster C.H., Bowers J.W., Kelly J.D., Sacks B.N., Statham M.J. & Miller K.V. (2015) White‐tailed deer fawn recruitment before and after experimental coyote removals in central Georgia. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 39, 248-255.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Remove or control predators

Action Link
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
  1. Remove or control predators

    A replicated, before-and-after study in 2010–2013 in two forest sites in Georgia, USA (Gulsby et al. 2015) found that controlling coyotes Canis latrans increased the number of young white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus relative to adult females in one of two sites. In one of two sites the number of young white-tailed deer was higher after coyote control (1.01 fawns/adult female) compared to before control (0.63 fawns/adult female). However, in one site there was no significant difference (after control: 0.85 fawns/adult female; before control: 0.84 fawns/adult female). Coyote abundance was lower after control (4–16 animals/site) than before control (16–21 animals/site). In March–June 2011, professional trappers controlled coyotes in both sites. In January and February of 2010–2013, infrared cameras were arranged in a grid pattern, over a 2,000-ha area, at a density of 1 camera/65 ha at each site. Cameras were baited with corn and took a photograph every 15 minutes for 10 days. The number of pictures of young deer relative to pictures of adult females was calculated.

    (Summarised by: Phil Martin)

Output references
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