Forming a theory

[Coyotes-R-Us]

You all know me and my passion for calling/killing coyotes.
Next to my family It is my obsession. I try to keep track of any trends in there actions and populations.

I thought I was seeing a downward trend last year, but still was able to get an average amount of responders. The snow was outrages so I talked my self in thinking we just were not able to GET to the coyotes.

This year we have had HUGE amounts of snow and months at a time temps well below normal.

What I have been seeing this year:

Miles and miles of fresh unbroken snow and NO tracks of any kind, rabbit, deer, bird or coyote.

We have been using the snowmobile this year so we ARE able to get to the coyotes. We are not seeing rabbit tracks, no bird tracks to speak of, and few signs of mouse/vole action.

Also it looks like an up tick in eagle/hawk activity.

We hunt every week no mater the weather , we're out a lot.

The few coyotes we are seeing seam un willing to cross the miles of 3 foot deep snow. A definite down turn in populations in my mind.

My Theory

The perfect storm .

More callers.

More predator competition.

Less food.

More snow.

COLD!

I think there is a huge winter die off going on in all areas.

Caused from so little food and extreme weather.

The surviving dogs are moving in to closer contact with area civilization. The ranchers are caving now a great food source and out pens make for much better shelter, Not to miss the fact barn cats and domestic foul, are every where for the picking.

The fact that we hunt 99.9% public lands make for a double whammy affect on my coyote count.

AND this year is bringing out standing prices for Montana Pale fur.

I just talked with a guy that go over $200 for a FINE heavy fur MP finished... DANG.

[Okanagan]

Interesting info.

I know from years of observation in south central BC Canada that deep powder snow is hard on coyotes, and that crusted snow is hard on deer, especially if it is over knee deep.    I have tracked coyotes that migrated for miles to get from soft powder snow to an area with heavy crust, and for the life of me I don't know how they knew that the snow would be better for their hunting in the area they moved to.

With crust, the coyotes run on top of the snow at neck level with deer that struggle as their hooves plunge through the crust.  OTOH I watched a coyote escape a train by lunging off of the plowed track line into powder over 5 feet deep.  He would leap up above the level of the snow and plunge out of sight each jump.

Sometimes our predators stay under heavy forest where the snow is not as deep.   

[nastygunz]

 Up here if there is heavy snow they tend to stay in the really thick softwoods and swamps which coincidentally is the same place the deer and rabbits etc. stay.