Old- Livini; Resoiircrs — The Great Plains 



.W7 



1968). Similar patterns in consumption of rab- 

 bits, rodents, and domestic animals were evi- 

 dent in Nebraska, with livestock and poultry 

 occurring in a third of all samples (Fichter et al. 

 1955). 



Recent studies of coyote diets on the Great 

 Plains also have shown the importance of 

 rodents and rabbits as coyote prey (Brillhart 

 1993). In contrast to earlier studies, however, 

 domestic livestock and chickens are eaten infre- 

 quently (Fig. 2); other common coyote foods 

 today include certain in.sects, fruits, and wild 

 birds. 



Conclusions 



CircuiTistantial evidence and prevailing pro- 

 fessional opinion support our hypothesis that 

 populations and diets of canids have changed in 

 response to changing agricultural practices and 

 shifts in human populations on the Great Plains. 

 Because direct evidence is lacking to confirm 

 these associations, research with specific 

 testable hypotheses is needed. 



Widespread changes in agricultural practices 

 are inevitable and corresponding changes in 

 wildlife populations should be expected. Recent 

 changes in agricultural practices that are likely 

 to result in changes in wildlife populations 

 include a shift to dryland farming in formerly 

 irrigated areas because of groundwater deple- 

 tion, government regulations, and increasing 

 energy prices. Agricultural set-aside programs 

 authorized by the 1985 Food Security Act are 

 positively influencing many wildlife popula- 

 tions, and future programs of a similar nature 

 may benefit wildlife populations further. 



References 



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 mammals of middle and western Kansas. Bull, of the 

 Essex Instimte 6:43-66. 



Bee. .I.W.. G.E. Glass, R.S. Hoffmann, and K.R. Patterson. 

 1981. Mammals in Kansas. University of Kansas. Publ. 

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Brillhart. D.E. 1993. Seasonal, temporal, and spatial varia- 

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 Kansas State University. Manhattan. 66 pp. 



Cockrum. E.L. 1952. Mammals of Kansas. University of 

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Choate. J.R.. and E.D. Fleharty. 1975. Synopsis of native, 

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 it the state. Bull, of Washburn College, Laboratory of 

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Fichter. E.. G. Schildman. and J.H. Sather. 1955. Some 

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Gier. H.T 1968. Coyotes in Kansas. Kansas State College, 

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Johnson. D.H.. and A.B. Sargeant. 1977. Impact of red fox 

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Mead. J.R. 1899. Some natural-history notes of 1859. 

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Mech, L.D. 1970. The wolf: the ecology and behavior of an 

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Mech, L.D. 1994. Buffer zones of territories of gray wolves 

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 75:199-202. 



Robel. R.J., A.D. Dayton, ER. Henderson. R.L. Meduna. 

 and C.W. Spaeth. 1981. Relationships between hus- 

 bandry methods and sheep losses to canine predators. 

 Journal of Wildlife Management 45:894-91 1. 



Socolofsky. H.E.. and H. Self. 1988. Historical atlas of 

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Sperry. C.C. 1941. Food habits of the coyote. U.S. Fish and 

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Ll.S. Department of Commerce. 1993. 1990 census of pop- 

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Young, S.P.. and E.A. Goldman. 1944. The wolves of North 

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Young, S.P.. and H.H.T Jackson. 1951. The clever coyote. 

 The Stackpole Company. Harrisburg. PA. 411 pp. 



100% - 



60 



g 40°. 



20% 



u 



1946-59 1986-91 

 Year 



Insects 



Fruits 



I Wild birds 



Domestic 

 animals 



Rodents 



Rabbits 



Fig. 2. Comparison of coyote 

 diets in Kansas during the late 

 1940's and 1950's with diets from 

 the late 1980"sto 1991 (Gier 1968; 

 Brillhart 1993). 



For further information: 



Philip S. Gipson 



National Biological Service 



Kansas Cooperative Fish and 



Wildlife Research Unit 



205 Leasure Hall 



Kansas State University 



Manhattan, KS 66506-3501 



