Does Predator Management Actually Work? | The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 877

Steven Rinella talks with Mike Bodenchuk.

Topics discussed: Predator-prey dynamics; predator impact and wildlife management from a strategic removal perspective; predator snails; predation rates impacted by nearly a dozen factors; how coyote management is ineffective if not time-targeted after breeding pairs mate; controlling wolves by controlling pack size; how recreational hunting is absolutely insufficient at managing the wild hog population, but hunters shooting young sows can still be helpful; linear habitats; and more.

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Chapters:
00:43 - Mike Bowden: 45 Years in Predator Management
08:35 - Why Shooting Coyotes in November Doesn't Matter
13:22 - Mountain Lions, Bucks, and How Predators Shape a Herd 18:45 - Who's Actually Killing Your Deer
23:42 - Why South Texas Coyotes Are Different
28:25 - Wolf Size, Prey Species, and the Hudson Bay Predator Pit 37:18 - Pronghorn Fawn Ratios and Getting Predator Removal Right 44:25 - Duck Recovery, Sea Turtles, and the Long Game of Predator Management
48:55 - Raccoons, Turkeys, Quail, and Nest Predation at Scale 01:03:19 - Feral Hogs: Are They Already Everywhere They're Going to Get?
01:12:12 - Why Some States Ban Hog Hunting
01:17:50 - Cattle Mutilations, Legendary Predators, and Individual Animal Behavior
01:26:18 - Public Acceptance, Private Work, and Where Predator Science Is Headed