Note: There is a photo included in this article that might be considered graphic to some. Take care when viewing.
Visitors have recently reported seeing deer parts, mostly legs, on the trails, and, just this past weekend, a six-point buck was taken down on the Gray Craig Trail. The answer to “What is doing this?” is simple – coyotes. The answer to the question of “Why?” is a bit more complex.
Contrary to popular belief, coyotes are omnivorous, meaning they consume both plant and animal matter. Their diet in the spring and early summer consists of small mammals, birds, amphibians, and even grasses. Berries and other fruits become a greater portion of their diet as the summer goes on. That all changes in the late fall and winter. White-tailed deer become the main item on the menu. The fact that we are seeing evidence of deer kills now comes as no surprise. The coyotes are switching over to their winter diet.
Deer leg found within the trail system.
The number of deer kills should also not come as a surprise. We have too many deer roaming the Sanctuary. Historically, the best time for a visitor to NBS to observe deer was to take a hike in the rain. The deer, knowing that there would be less human traffic on the trails, would feel more comfortable foraging out in the open. That is not the case now. Anyone can see any number of deer at any time, in any weather, anywhere in the Sanctuary. Too many deer foraging devours the understory of the forest. This would not be a problem if they were indiscriminate eaters, but they are not. Understandably, they eat native plants and leave the invasives, like privet, alone. This allows the invasives room to expand thereby reducing the habitat quality of the forest and fields.
Nature sometimes isn’t pretty. It is, however, interesting and its interconnectedness is always amazing. Our coyotes are doing their job, trying to keep the deer population in check.
To learn more about local coyote populations and their relationships with food systems, read all about the Narragansett Bay Coyote Study.
