Would placing a bounty on coyotes help reduce their numbers?

Bounties were placed on coyotes in western states for decades and they didn’t lead to any significant population reduction.

The main reason was that about 70 percent of a coyote population has to be removed annually in order to cause a population decline. Even then, coyotes - like many other species - have demonstrated an ability to offset population declines by increasing their litter size. It’s spurred by a built-in biological mechanism that responds to population deficits.

A bounty system has never successfully eliminated or significantly reduced coyote populations anywhere in North America. Coyotes have a superior ability to adapt to a changing environment. Attempts to reduce coyote populations in western states using year-round poisoning, hunting and trapping resulted in millions of dollars being spent over many decades with little reduction in coyote numbers.

The result of any predator control method is temporary and often very localized. No measurable good ever resulted from the Game Commission’s predator bounties in the 1900s. They truly were a waste of money.

Show All Answers

1. How can I identify an eastern coyote?
2. Are eastern coyotes a threat to people?
3. Will coyotes prey upon domesticated animals?
4. Do coyotes howl and run in packs?
5. Do coyotes kill deer regularly?
6. How can I tell if a coyote killed a deer?
7. Did the Game Commission release coyotes in Pennsylvania?
8. Where's the proof of coyote stalkings?
9. Would placing a bounty on coyotes help reduce their numbers?
10. Is it easy to hunt or trap coyotes?