Habitat Selection Analysis of Mule Deer to Determine Efficacy of the Coyote Bounty Program in Utah

Mule deer populations have been declining over the past couple of decades in many parts of the western United States. Often times, predators are blamed for the decreases in deer populations. Because of this, wildlife managers implement programs focused on reducing the number of predators on the landscape in an attempt to increase deer populations. However, predator removal programs have had mixed results, thus further investigation is needed to determine if coyote removals by the public through a bounty program have a positive effect on mule deer populations. My study investigated whether coyote removals through the bounty program in Utah were occurring in areas that are important for mule deer fawns. My results show a spatial mismatch between areas where coyotes were removed by the bounty, and areas where mule deer are raising vulnerable fawns. This suggests that the bounty program may be ineffective at my study site. Further assessment is warranted to determine if the Utah Bounty program is ineffective statewide.