Savannah River Preserve landowner meeting….

A gathering of SRP landowners/managers was held at OakGrove Plantation in Hampton County on October 14th. We had a great turnout with approximately 50 participants welcoming John Kilgo (USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station) to present his research on the “effects of coyotes on whitetail deer populations in the Southeast.”John’s research at SRS has produced some alarming findings on the number of fawns that a predated upon each summer and consequently the lack of recruitment that follows. Intensive trapping of coyotes does appear to produce some relief but quality herd and habitat management are the long term answer.Landowners should keep good visual sighting data, harvest data, and consider spotlight or camera surveys to determine the health of their deer herd. Also, consult with a wildlife biologist about what you can do to improve the habitat on your property, most importantly fawning cover. Attached are two downloadable files that John sent me to share with interested landowners. One is an article that he wrote and was published in Forest Landowner Magazine and the other is a research abstract co authored by John Kilgo, Dr. Karl Miller, Scott Ray, and Charles Ruth that was published in the Journal of Wildlife Management.
Please contact FMS to see how we can assist you in offsetting the effects of coyotes in your area.
Thank you to all who attended this fine gathering of friends!