No luck in the hunt for predators

I attempted to help the turkey and deer populations this weekend but I did not have any luck.

I walked in the woods most of the day with the intentions of thinning up the horrible coyote numbers but I was not successful.

I took my turkey call and also made a sound like a distressed fawn using my mouth.

I was glad my fawn sounds were on point.

I had two different does run to me thinking a young deer was in danger.

I also made some distressed rodent sounds with squeaks and squeals.

I drew the interest of two hawks and three buzzards so I know my sounds were heard and sounded real enough to attract some predators and scavengers.

I tried all morning and had nothing come to me in the form of coyote, fox or bobcat.

I went back later that evening about 5:30 p.m. and attempted to call again.

It became dusky dark and I had to start walking out.

As I got up to leave, a coyote let out a howl just 100 yards away.

I sat down and howled back and started squealing like a rabbit.

Four more coyotes let out howls and I heard them in every direction.

They suddenly all went silent.

I squealed again and could hear them walking all around me.

By the time the coyotes came in closer, the daylight was almost gone and I knew I wouldn’t get a shot.

I walked out of the woods and made it back.

Once I got back, I heard them start howling again.

This time around, there were 10-15 coyotes howling.

They were trying the find what had made the squealing noise. They were coming so close to my parents’ house and I can remember many times before hearing the howl of coyotes over the years.

Every year, it seems that there are more and more.

I know many hunters have complained of a drastic drop in deer numbers.

I have seen the deer numbers drop in my time in the woods as well.

With the increase in deer tags combined with the rise in coyote population, no one should be surprised in the deer number drop.

I encourage everyone to do their part in predator control.

Not as many people run traps compared to 15-20 years ago and the results are more pictures of coyotes, foxes and bobcats on game cameras.

Hogs and raccoons will wreak havoc on turkeys before the bobcats and coyotes get to them.

Hogs will destroy a turkey nest and eat everything in it. Raccoons will raid a nest as well.

With a clutch of 10 eggs, usually only one or two eggs will hatch a gobbler.

The odds of them surviving to adulthood are low because of the number of predators that they dodge in their life cycle.

Raccoons and hogs will get them before they hatch.

Coyotes, bobcats, foxes, hawks and housecats can get them as young hatchlings.

They have to stay on the ground until they can fly so they are at the mercy of camouflage until they can roost in trees.

Most broods’ survival rate is just two or three turkeys out of 10-12 eggs.

I hope to thin the coyotes eventually because I know if I heard 10-15 howling then that means a lot of litters of puppies in the next year.

If just 10 were howling Saturday at dusk, then how many were not howling?

How many more were running around a small area?

How many are carrying mange and other diseases that can be transmitted to your pets?

The numbers are alarming and we need more dates to thin them out.

I know the turkey numbers are not high enough to support a 2-turkey tag limit.

That is why the season is only two weeks long this year. Give everyone just one tag and give us two weeks to hunt.

Give us more time to thin predators and the turkey numbers will rise.

Pictures? Questions? Comments? Send them to katiem@eldoradonews.com.