Page 15 - CFAN_Apr2014

R

cattle
FEATURE |

CFAN: SO FAR, WHAT DOES THE RANCHER-SUPPLIED DATA
ANCHERS WILL TELL YOU they’re seeing more coyotes than ever before. It’s
believed the adaptive canine’s population is increasing in Florida, much to the chagrin CONCERNING SIGHTINGS INDICATE?

of ranchers. Dr. Raoul Boughton, a UF / IFAS Rangeland Scientist at the Range Cattle Dr. Boughton: In general, ranchers all suggest that populations have increased. here
Research and Education Center, is conducting studies into the coyote population in is still the unanswered question of how oten coyotes directly kill calves. here is no

Florida with a focus on the impact on the state’s cattle.
doubt that some have actually seen coyotes kill, but others’ observations suggest that
coyotes will spend hours with calves nearby and ignore them. his may be related

to the age of calf, with a small time window of opportunity for coyotes to be able to
successfully attack and kill.

CENTRAL FLORIDA AG NEWS (CFAN): WHAT DOES THE EXISTING CFAN: WHAT THREATS COULD COYOTES
RESEARCH DATA SHOW ABOUT COYOTE INTERACTIONS
CAUSE TO LIVESTOCK AND LIFE ON THE

WITH CALVES?
RANCH?

Dr. Raoul Boughton: here has been little research conducted in Dr. Boughton: here is no doubt that coyotes do attack and kill
Floridaoncoyoteinteractionswithlivestock.Becausecoyotes livestock;itisaquestionofhowoten. heyarelikelyblamed

are relatively small—24 to 40lbs—attacks upon calves are
COYOTE-CALF unfairly for carcasses they have scavenged upon rather than
most likely to occur when calves are newly born. We
directly killed. How oten coyotes are truly to blame is

receive reports of calves presumed to have been killed an important question to answer if we are to provide
by coyotes by the sign seen on or around carcasses. accurate recommendations to ranchers. Is the coyote
INTERACTIONS IN THE PASTURE
Coyote calf kills seemingly occur sporadically, in the back pasture a real problem, or should they be
although, we have had a few reports of coyotes
viewed as part of Florida’s amazing wildlife? When Q&A
during the breeding season having killed multiple coyotes learn that livestock are prey, they should be

calves. he diiculty lies in determining whether
controlled. here is also evidence that apex predators with
a calf was actually killed by a coyote or scavenged like coyotes suppress raccoon, skunk, possum and

ater dying from other causes.
rodent numbers, which in turn relieves predation
pressure upon nests of important game species like Dr. Raoul Boughton

CFAN: WHAT ARE THE MAIN GOALS quail and turkey. It just depends on how you look at
on New Research
OF THE COYOTE-CALF INTERACTION Wile E. Coyote!

RESEARCH?
Dr. Boughton: here is a proportion of calf loss where the
CFAN: HOW WILL YOUR RESEARCH POSSIBLY

cause of death is unknown. We want to try and ascertain
HELP FARMERS AND RANCHERS?

the proportion that may be due to coyotes, but this can be very
Dr. Boughton: It will show if coyotes change their behaviors
diicult. Furthermore, we want to know what the home range
during calving season, with the direct intention of disturbing cattle

of the Florida coyote is, how oten they are around cattle, and if they
and targeting calves. It will record the time coyotes interact with cattle
change their behavior when calving season occurs. We are planning to track coyote during calving and non-calving season, and allow a fair assessment of their normal

movements using GPS collars, combined with local ranch information of herd locations. behaviors. It will also answer the question of what the increase in coyote numbers may
he population of coyotes is suspected to have increased; we would like to quantify be and if there have been increased cattle-coyote interactions.

actual increases.
continued on PAGE 16

Dinner Auction
&

Friday, May 16, 2014

Reception - 6:00 p.m.
Orlando World Center Marriott

For 70 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida has provided at-risk youth in our community
with a safe place to learn and to grow, by providing after-school and summer programming in
Osceola County. 100% of all funds donated will go to supporting our Osceola children and Clubs.
Thanks to our supporters, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida celebrated the following
milestones in 2013:

• 97% of all Club members who were high school seniors graduated.
• Only ONE of our 13,000 Club members was arrested.
• There were NO pregnancies among the 5,106 female Club members ages 10-18.
For more information about tickets or auction items for this

signiicant fundraising event, please call Kathleen Sipio at
(267) 760-7140, or email ksipio@bgccf.org.

FloridaAgNews.com CFAN | 15