New Science: What Kills Most Deer Fawns?
Most every scientific study conducted over the past 30 years has documented predation, largely by coyotes, as the leading cause of whitetail fawn mortality. This time of year, on websites and social media, you see unsettling images of coyotes prancing by trail cameras with spotted fawns dangling out their jaws. Outdoor television has aired countless shows focused on killing coyotes to save deer. I once filmed an episode of Big Deer TV on predators, the theme of which was to thin coyotes on your land to save a few fawns and help your deer herd. We’ve been conditioned to hate on the coyote. But wait a sec… “Predation may have less of an impact than we think,” writes Justin Dion in [...]
