Effects of Predator Control on Angora Goat Survival in South Texas

Abstract

Predator control was conducted in South Texas during January-July 1975 and 1976 to determine its effects on productivity and survival of Angora goats. The control effort, when compared to an area receiving no treatment, reduced activity of coyotes and bobcats by 80%. Predators, mainly coyotes, killed 33 and 16% of the known kid crop on untreated and treated pastures, respectively. Because predators apparently were responsible for most unknown losses, the true predation loss was as high as 95 and 59%, respectively, of the known kid crop. The net kid crop under intense predator control was 27 times greater than that under no control, but the crop under treatment was only 13.5% because predation losses were still high. Coyotes killed 49 of 204 nannies (91% of losses) in an untreated pasture. They killed none in a treated pasture, but 10% of 205 nannies succumbed to nonpredator mortality. The data indicate that, in regions of high coyote density, intense localized predator control with traps, snares, and M-44's could curtail predation on adult goats, but would be insufficient to prevent heavy losses of kids.