The
Status of the Virginia Cooperative Coyote Damage Control
Program
- Fiscal Year 2000
Chad
J. Fox, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, 105 B Ponderosa Drive, Christiansburg,
Virginia 24073. 540-381-7387
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
USDA-APHIS-Wildlife
Services (WS) provided direct control services to 122 livestock farms in
twenty-four western counties in federal fiscal year (FY) 2000. During FY 2000, 337 sheep, 33 calves, and 178 goats were
reported and verified killed by coyotes in Virginia. This represents a 25%
decrease in reported sheep predation, a 51% decrease in reported calf predation,
and a 29% decrease in reported goat predation from FY 1999. Increased state funding in 1999 resulted in more staff to
serve livestock producers with predation problems.
The increased level of service resulted in a $64,953 savings to livestock
producers in Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley regions.
WS has kept the average number of sheep killed by coyotes per farm to
less than 6 per year for four consecutive years.
Preventative control was conducted on 50 livestock farms with historic
coyote predation and WS removed coyotes before livestock depredation occurred,
thus these farms had no losses in FY2000. In
FY2000, WS removed 204 coyotes on farms to stop coyote predation on livestock.
Funding
for FY2001 has increased to $228,000, which includes $85,000 from the Virginia
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, $121,000 from USDA-Wildlife
Services, and $22,000 from the Virginia Sheep Industry Board.
Current funds provide for 3.8 staff years in FY2001. The USDA-Wildlife
Services appropriation was increased for FY2001 due to a Congressional Directive
from efforts by sheep producers in Virginia=s
6th Congressional District. This
$86,000 directive will be used to place a second coyote specialist position in
the 6th District.
Coyote specialist positions are located
in Southwest Virginia, Highland County, the Alleghany Highlands and Shenandoah
Valley, and part-time in the New River Valley.
Increasing requests for service
and an expanding coyote population are placing increased demands for more
service to assist livestock producers and accomplish program goals to reduce
coyote, dog, and fox predation on livestock.
To meet the current demand for services the Virginia Cooperative Coyote
Damage Control Program requires an additional 2.2 staff years.
INTRODUCTION
The
United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - Wildlife Services (WS) serves Virginia livestock producers suffering
coyote predation on livestock by providing technical assistance, direct control,
education, and research. This
status report summarizes WS=s accomplishments, funding, and goals during FY2000
in each of these areas.
Coyote
depredations were recognized as a potentially serious threat to Virginia's
livestock industries in the early 1980's. As
a result, the Virginia Cooperative Coyote Damage Control Program(VCCDCP) was
created in 1990 by a Cooperative Service Agreement between the Virginia
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and WS.
The VCCDCP is funded by sheep producers and state and federal funding
(Table 1). The program provides necessary technical and operational assistance
in identifying, controlling, and abating coyote predation to livestock.
The
VCCDCP uses and recommends an Integrated Predator Management (IPM) approach to
solving livestock predation problems. This
approach to predator management uses improved husbandry practices, predator
resistant fencing, predator frightening devices, livestock guardian animals, and
predator removal. The
implementation of IPM on Virginia farms was accomplished through technical
assistance, educational programs, and operational programs.
Table
1. Sources of funding for the
Virginia Cooperative Coyote Damage Control Program in Federal Fiscal Year (FY)
2000 (October 1, 1999 - September 30, 2000) and FY 2001 (October 1, 2000 -
September 30, 2001).
______________________________________________________________________________
Source
FY2000
FY2001
Virginia
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
$85,000
$85,000
VA
Sheep Industry Board
$22,000
$22,000
United
States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant
Health
Inspection Service, Wildlife Services
$35,000
$121,000
________
_______
Total
$142,000
$228,000
______________________________________________________________________________
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Technical
Assistance
Technical
assistance was provided to producers through personal consultations on the farm
and written/telephone consultations. Coyote
predation management information was disseminated to 85 producers.
WS provided 286 leaflets on using guard animals, non-lethal and lethal
methods producers can implement, and information to evaluate predator killed
livestock.
Direct
Control Services
During
Federal Fiscal Year 2000 the VCCDCP provided
direct control services to 122 livestock producers reporting livestock losses to
predation or livestock producers with historic losses (Table 2).
This represents the second highest number of farms receiving direct
control services in a single year. WS
provided direct control services to 67 sheep farms, 33 cattle farms, and 22 goat
farms in FY2000. The VCCDCP
uses preventative control, which removes coyotes before losses occur because it
minimizes overall livestock losses to predators.
Preventative control is implemented primarily from January through April.
Of the 122 livestock producers assisted, fifty farms with historic coyote
predation losses had coyotes removed to prevent livestock predation.
These 27 sheep farms, 20 cattle farms, and 3 goat farms with historic
losses had no livestock killed by predators in FY2000 because of preventative
control. Corrective control is the
implementation of coyote removal methods after the livestock producer reports
losses. Corrective control was
implemented at 72 farms to stop chronic coyote predation on livestock in FY2000.
Table
2. Livestock depredations reported
to or verified by WS on farms receiving assistance from the Virginia Cooperative
Coyote Damage Control Program in FY2000.
______________________________________________________________________________
# of farms
% change
Resource
Damage Type
Total FY2000
reporting lossesA
from FY99
Sheep
Predation
337
40
-25%
Cattle
"
33
13
-51%
Goats
"
174
19
-29%
______________________________________________________________________________
A. Seven farms had a
combination of sheep, goats, or cattle killed by coyotes.
Methods
used by WS
Integrated
Predator Management is the use of any or all practical and legal methods
simultaneously or sequentially. Livestock
producers are better able to implement nonlethal methods such as fencing, shed
lambing, and husbandry. Livestock
producers can implement some lethal methods, however, they request assistance
from WS when the predation can not be stopped.
Sometimes livestock producers request WS to implement lethal methods as
preventative control. WS primarily implements a mix of lethal methods to alleviate
predation on livestock (Table 3). Coyotes
may be removed by WS using snares, leghold traps, modified padded-jaw leghold
traps, shooting, calling and shooting, decoying with dogs and shooting, M-44
sodium cyanide ejectors, or Livestock Protection Collars.
M-44's
are the method of choice for preventative control. M-44's are better able to continuously work during bad
weather and freezing and thawing soil conditions common during January through
April than traps or snares.
Where
appropriate, WS uses non-lethal methods to resolve livestock predation.
Infrequently, strobe-sirens, a non-lethal method, are used until lambs
are moved to market or lethal methods can be implemented.
Sometimes WS places guard dogs to protect livestock.
WS placed one guard dog in FY2000.
Table
3. Lethal methods used by WS and
coyotes removed to protect livestock from predation in Virginia during FY2000.
______________________________________________________________________________
Number of farms
Number of coyotes
Method
used
method was used
captured per method
M-44
87
106 (52%)
snares
51
62 (30%)
leghold
traps
42
36 (18%)
Livestock
Protection Collar
5
0
calling
and shooting
2
0
______________________________________________________________________________
Sheep
WS
has been able to consistently keep sheep losses to an average of approximately 5
sheep per farm for four consecutive years (Table 4).
These lower sheep losses are primarily due to the implementation of
preventative control, use of M-44's, and prompt reporting by sheep producers.
The average number of sheep killed by coyotes per sheep producer
receiving WS assistance during
FY2000 was 5 sheep/farm.
Table
4. Average number of sheep killed
by coyotes per sheep producer on farms receiving assistance from Virginia
Cooperative Coyote Damage Control Program.
______________________________________________________________________________
|
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
sheep killed |
404 |
363 |
191 |
402 |
250 |
229 |
448 |
337 |
sheep producers assisted |
24 |
41 |
28 |
56 |
49 |
72 |
84 |
67 |
sheep killed/farm |
16.8 |
8.8 |
6.8 |
7.2 |
5.1 |
3.2 |
5.3 |
5.0 |
number of coyotes removed to protect
all livestock |
19 |
56 |
37 |
75 |
115 |
129 |
284 |
204 |
______________________________________________________________________________
Goats
Goat
losses on farms which reported goat predation by coyotes in FY2000 decreased 29%
from FY1999. These lower goat
losses are primarily due to the implementation of preventative control and
prompt reporting by goat producers. The
number of goats killed by coyotes was reduced from an average of 19 goats per
farm in FY1999 to 9 goats per farm in FY2000.
Cattle
Cattle
losses on farms which reported calf predation by coyotes in FY1999 decreased 51%
from FY1999. These lower calf
losses are primarily due to the implementation of preventative control and
M-44's. Twenty of the 33 cattle
farms (61%) received preventative control because cattle producers felt coyotes
were a threat due to historic coyote predation, coyotes were seen chasing
cattle, or coyotes killed cattle, sheep, or goats on adjacent property.
Calf predation by coyotes are a growing concern among producers,
particularly in southwest Virginia. Sixty-nine
percent of all cattle losses reported to WS where from southwest Virginia.
The National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) of cattle predator
loss indicated an increasing number of coyote/calf predation in Virginia from
700 calves in 1991 to 900 calves in 1995 (Table 5). A
recent NASS survey of only WS clients reported 95 cattle killed by
coyotes on 174 cattle farms in 1998. Current
funding levels limit the ability of the program to respond to this increasing
demand for service from cattle producers.
Table
5. National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) estimates of cattle losses from coyotes and dogs in Virginiaa.
______________________________________________________________________________
Year
Coyotes
Dogs
1991
700
1000
1995
900
800
aSource:
National Agricultural Statistics Service (1992, 1996)
Impacts
on coyote populations
Direct
Control services resulted in the removal of 204 coyotes by WS personnel during
FY2000 compared to the previous high recorded in FY1999 when 284 coyotes were
removed (Table 4). While this was a
28% decrease in the number of coyotes removed by WS, the number of farms
requesting direct control decreased from 153 in FY1999 to 122 in FY2000 while
the overall livestock loss rate decreased 25% for sheep, 29% for goats, and 51%
for cattle also.
Coyote
populations in Virginia have not stabilized and continue to grow each year. WS
assisted 372 different livestock producers with coyote predation from 1990 -
2000. In FY2000, an additional 51
new farms were assisted with livestock predation.
As coyote populations continue to grow in Virginia more farms will ask
for assistance with predation problems. Similar
increases in coyote harvest have been documented by hunter harvest surveys made
by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (Table 6).
The coyote harvest has increased from 1,295 in the 1993-94 hunting season
to over 6,000 in the 1998-1999 hunting season.
Table
6. Number of Coyotes harvested by
hunters in Virginia during recent hunting seasons.
______________________________________________________________________________
Hunting
Season |
Coyotes |
1993-94 |
1,295 |
1994-95 |
2,096 |
1995-96 |
3,493 |
1996-97 |
2,717 |
1997-98 |
3,739 |
1998-99 |
6,277 |
______________________________________________________________________________
Education
The
VCCDCP has used the media as a means of educating livestock producers and the
public. Eleven newspaper articles
were published, two radio interviews and two TV interviews were given.
WS also conducted 13 educational programs to educate livestock producers
and the public about coyote damage management activities.
Thirteen educational programs were presented and attended by 559 people
(Table 7).
Research
Five
Livestock Protection Collar (LPC) projects were conducted by Virginia WS
personnel during FY2000 to reduce coyote predation losses on sheep.
LPC=s are only used in specific situations
under near ideal conditions. During
FY2000 those ideal conditions did not occur for efficient use of the LPC.
The LPCs were placed on 34 sheep for an average of 7 head of sheep per
project (range: 3-12). Of the 34
collared animals none were attacked by coyotes.
The farms where LPC=s
were used, predation on sheep by coyotes was stopped by a combination of other
control methods before any LPC=s
were punctured.
Even
though LPCs accounted for 0% of all coyotes removed by Virginia WS personnel
during FY2000 they are a valuable tool and provide a selective and effective
addition to the integrated coyote management program conducted by Virginia WS.
In the past, some coyote predation problems would have been difficult and
time consuming to solve without LPCs. LPC=s can be invaluable due to livestock
interference with other methods, concerns adjacent landowners have about some
methods, and concerns for pet dogs or guard dogs.
Table
7. Educational programs presented
by WS personnel under the Virginia Cooperative Coyote Damage Control Program in
FY2000.
Requests
Cooperator/Organizations/Governments
#
of Participants
Highland
County Sheep and Wool Producers
55
Highland
County Public Meeting
80
Highland
County Board of Supervisors
12
Rockingham
County Extension
50
Carroll/Grayson
County Sheep and Goat Producers
28
Tazewell
County Board of Supervisors
49
Russell
County Board of Supervisors
38
Bland
County Board of Supervisors
28
Virginia
Trappers Convention
40
Old
Dominion Sportsmens Club (Wise County)
24
Tri-County
Forestry and Wildlife Assc. (Roanoke area)
85
Warren
County Extension
10
Virginia
Tech Sheep Production Class
60
Total for FY2000
559
FUNDING
Historically
and presently, Highland County has some of the highest predation rates and
highest sheep populations in Virginia. Reducing
livestock predation in Highland County will take a new turn because additional
federal funding was secured by lobbying efforts from Highland County Sheep
producers and Highland County Board of Supervisors.
Lobbying efforts by Highland County secured an additional $86,000 funding
for the VCCDCP. The coyote
specialist will work almost exclusively in Highland County because of the
political efforts of the Highland County Sheep producers.
The
new federal funding for Highland County will allow for an additional wildlife
specialist position located in
Rockingham County to cover the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding counties west
of the Blue Ridge and south to Lexington. There are now 3 full-time coyote
specialist and one part-time coyote specialists. The full-time specialist located in Russell County serves 12
southwestern Virginia Counties, the full-time specialist located in Highland
County serves primarily Highland County, and the full-time specialist located in
Rockingham County serves 10 Shenandoah Valley region counties.
The part-time coyote specialist located
in Montgomery County serves 8 counties in the New River Valley.
The
Virginia legislature appropriated an additional $50,000 to the Virginia
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in July 1999 for the VCCDCP.
This increased funding resulted in an increase of staff years from 1.5 to
2.3. The increased staff years
directly resulted in a reduction in livestock losses in Southwest Virginia and
the New River Valley regions where the funding was used.
In Southwest Virginia, monetary damages from reported livestock predation
were reduced from $90,583 in FY1999 to $29,705 in FY2000.
In the New River Valley monetary damages from reported livestock
predation were reduced from $7,000 in FY1999 to $2,930 in FY2000.
Table
8. Value of livestock lost to
predation by county in Virginia during Federal Fiscal Year 2000 compared to
Federal Fiscal Year 1999.
______________________________________________________________________________
County
FY2000 ($) FY1999
($)
Benefit
Southwest
Region
Bland
450
3,225
2,775
Buchanan
2,910
2,085
-825
Dickenson
3,185
8,670
5,485
Grayson
1,650
1,088
-562
Lee
455
3,520
3,065
Russell
8,025
7,755
-270
Scott
3,400
15,920
12,520
Smyth
900
4,370
3,470
Tazewell
1,000
11,425
10,425
Washington
4,965
11,945
6,980
Wise
2,375
18,520
16,145
Wythe
390
2,060
1,670
sub-total
29,705
90,583
60,878
New
River Valley
Botetourt
0
470
470
Carroll
690
360
-330
Floyd
0
1,050
1,050
Giles
450
540
90
Montgomery
430
3,080
2,650
Nelson
1,360
0
-1,360
Pulaski
0
1,500
1,500
sub-total
2,930
7,000
4,070
TOTAL
32,635
97,583
64,953
______________________________________________________________________________
GOALS
FOR FY 2001
Three
educational programs will be offered to sheep and goat producers interested in
learning about guard animals. Jeff
Green, the USDA-Wildlife Services guarding dog specialist, will share his
expertise on management and use of guard dogs.
Laurie Guthrie, a guard llama expert from Texas will share her research
and expertise on the use of llamas to protect livestock from coyote and dog
predation. These guard animal
programs will be offered in February 2001 in Wytheville, Monterey, and Weyer=s
Cave.
All
farms requesting WS assistance will be responded to within 3 business days.
Any farm in Highland County with a predation problem will be responded to
within 2 days when the coyote specialist is on duty.
The goal is to have a wildlife specialist return the phone call
requesting assistance and if necessary arrange a site visit to evaluate the
predation problem.
Sheep
losses will be held at an annual average of 5 or fewer animals lost per farm.
WS has met this goal two of the last four FY years (1998 and 2000) and
kept losses below 6 sheep per farm two other FY years (1997, 1999) (Table 4).
The predation rate in Highland County will be held at an average loss of three
sheep killed per farm.
Literature
Cited
National
Agricultural Statistics Service. 1999. Livestock wildlife damage survey results.
Washington, DC.
National
Agricultural Statistics Service. 1996. Cattle predator loss. Washington, DC.
National
Agricultural Statistics Service. 1992. Cattle and calves death loss.
Washington, DC.