OHA grants $12,000 for coyote control in eastern Oregon
The federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Wildlife Services has been awarded a $12,000 grant from the Oregon Hunters Association to fund additional flight hours for its aerial coyote control program in eastern Oregon from October 2010 to July 2011.
The coyote control program will be conducted on private and public lands to protect livestock from predation, including lands where coyote predation has been identified as a limiting factor for big game species, especially mule deer, whose numbers have been declining throughout the West in recent years.
"This federally approved program is not aimed specifically at reducing predation on big game, but OHA contributes funds for additional flight time because we recognize the benefit it provides for wildlife," said Oregon Hunters Association State Coordinator Duane Dungannon.
Flight time funded by OHA will primarily occur during the spring calving season when incidental benefits to wildlife from coyote control efforts to protect livestock are the greatest.
Predation by coyotes can be a particularly important factor for mule deer mortality, especially in the spring before fawns grow large and strong enough to outrun them.
For example, predation on unprotected mule deer fawns can approach 90 percent. Mule deer fawn survival rates can be increased when coyote populations are reduced in fawning habitat. Pronghorn can benefit as well.
Research has shown that coyote predation management programs can increase pronghorn survival by as much as 100 percent.
The Oregon Hunters Association state and local chapters have contributed about $100,000 to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Wildlife Services for additional flight time over the past several years.
Jim Yuskavitch
