Coyotes in Newfoundland ... a government report

CV32

CV32

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As some of you may know, the coyote is a relatively new species here in Newfoundland & Labrador, the most easterly Canadian Province, having supposedly crossed the ice to our island in the Spring of 1985. Today, the Environment and Conservation department of our Provincial government released a report on what they know about our coyote. It can be found here (in PDF format):

Coyotes in Insular Newfoundland

I'm curious as to what you think.
 
Good info CV32.
Thats alot of water to cross on an ice flow.
I didn't know black bears and bald eagles preyed on caribou.
Coyotes accounted for 10% of caribou predation but were not the cause of death for the moose they ate. Wonder why?
Interesting info but leaves a lot of questions, too.
Is the stuff in the report consistent with what you see?
Coyotes are incredible!
Thanks.
PC
 
My uncle was riding a bus on the Confederation Bridge (which at 8 miles long is the longest bridge over ice covered water in the world). It was after dark and a coyote was running across the bridge ahead of the bus. When the bus got close the coyote went over the rail. The water must be 200 feet down! I doubt that one survived.

We have had coyotes here for quite a few years and I do not think they prey on moose. Even to get a moose calf would be a rare event I would think.

I think they will do well in NFLD with caribou and rabbits. If you get much snow there they will be taking a lot of young caribou in winter. I don't know if they could handle an adult caribou though. I think your caribou population will go down and stabilize at significantly lower levels than it would without the coyotes. Trapping and hunting them will not make a big difference in their numbers.

I doubt if the coyote population has stabilized there yet. Depends on the food source really. Not much agriculture there and that makes a big difference in winter months. Farmers lose a lot of livestock which the yotes will clean up when the snow is deep.

I think things were a lot better here without them. They knock down the deer, fox, and bobcat populations. No way to get rid of them though.
 
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If you get much snow there they will be taking a lot of young caribou in winter. I don't know if they could handle an adult caribou though.



Unfortunately, they have been doing just that. I got a sneak peek at this report before it was released, and a chance to discuss the matter with a government biologist. They have observed adult caribou being taken, and seen the kill sites. Seems the pups are hanging around into the Autumn and Winter, and helping with the hunt, though only coyote is actually making the kill. They run down the caribou in the winter on the ice or in open areas.

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I think your caribou population will go down and stabilize at significantly lower levels than it would without the coyotes. Trapping and hunting them will not make a big difference in their numbers.



Agreed. Our caribou population is already taking a hit, though this seems partly due to an increased black bear population. They appear to be the primary predator of the caribou calves.

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I doubt if the coyote population has stabilized there yet. Depends on the food source really.



Agreed. This seems to partly explain the very large territorial range we are seeing here, about 170 sq.km compared to about 40 sq.km in other places.
 
joetrapper, Why do you think coyotes prey on caribou calves but not moose calves? Are caribou less protective of their young? I don't know much about either animals behavior. Thanks.PC
 
It seems the coyotes here have not had an effect on the moose population. We don't see many dry cows that have lost their calves. I think the cow moose is quite effective at protecting her calf with those long legs and big hooves. Maybe the coyotes figure it's just not worth the risk. A moose can kill a coyote with one blow. I've heard that bears take moose calves right at birth. I suspect that happens more often in wooded regions where food for bears is more scarce than in agricultural areas. The bear might have to follow the cow for days to be there when she calves.

I used to live next to a small lake and one morning I heard a strange sloshing sound coming from the water edge. A cow moose was there in water about 2 feet deep. Her calf was trying to follow her, but the water was just deep enough that it could not walk in the water. The sloshing was the calf jumping in the water to keep up with the cow. Very funny. Wish I had taken a picture of it.
 
I have a video of a black bear taking a moose calf. Not very pretty to watch, but brings home the harsh reality of nature. Bears are ambush predators; they could wait for days to get close enough. In any event, the coyotes around here appear to be maximizing their wolf genetics and going after larger prey.
 
i agree with the statement of them killing caribou in the winter. two winters ago, various times while ski-dooing we spotted the remains of full grown caribou that had been killed and eaten by coyotes. Several times the coyotes were still there when we came upon them. I'd say we saw a total of about a dozen or so carcuses(sp?) that winter. Also, we saw two caribou that winter that were bleeding from their hind quarters. Never got ski-dooing this winter so cant comment on the coyote situation.

Also, two weeks ago i came upon some fresh coyote scat that was full of caribou fur. Incidently, a week before i spotted a doe caribou that was apparantly about to calf. Guess the coyote got wind of her. There has been no sign of the doe since.

As recently as 3-4 years ago, while hunting partridge, it was common for me to come across 20-30 caribou every day i would hunt, sometimes i would see more but 20-30 caribou seemed to be the average to see during any one day. Last fall i didn't get a chance to hunt this area but a good buddy of mine did. He did not see one caribou. Not one. This was over a four day period. That is quit a dramatic decrease for just a few years.

The provincial government says the coyote population has stabalized, but i disagree. Sightings in my area are up significantly this year, i'd say triple from last year. Not that that means the population is triple, since there weren't many sightings last year, but i sure think it has increased. I guess it could be the same several coyotes being spotted over and over, but i don't know.

i hate to say it, but i figure in another 2-3 years there won't be a caribou hunt in my area. Yes, there numbers have decreased that much. I think the only way to save the caribou herd is to slash licenses across the island. Will it be enough, i hope so, but somehow i doubt it.

travis
 
Right. Now I remember. Any success with the song dogs down that way ? We're actually planning a trip to the west coast this fall to do some coyote hunting (instead of moose hunting). Heading for the Northern Peninsula but got enough time to swing south too. Do you have a particular area to suggest ?
 
not to much around my area. sightings getting more frequent, but not really enough coyotes to ensure success. i've tried a couple times but thus far been unsuccessful.

i've heard reports of alot coyotes being in the south branch/codroy valley area thou. good hunting.


travis
 
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i've heard reports of alot coyotes being in the south branch/codroy valley area thou. good hunting.
travis



I heard that too. We will probably try that area. Thanks.
 
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