How Predator Hunting Works | HowStuffWorks How Predator Hunting Works Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/ Getty Images Though­ he's always uns­uccessful, there's no denying the ingenuity of Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote. In his pursuit of the speedy Road Runner, the coyote has ordered what must be the very latest in roadrunner hunting technology from the Acme Corporation, including a Burmese tiger trap, a steel wall and muscle-building vitamins that may provide the needed speed. It's clear that even though slingshots, ladders, dynamite and rocks ultimately fail the coyote, this is one tricky animal to deal with. That sly cunning of predators such as coyotes, foxes, mountain lions and bobcats provides some of the appeal of predator hunting. In this sport, those natural predators have the tables turned on them -- they become the prey. But predator hunters say that the sport is more than just an exhilarating challenge that fills the time between big-game hunting seasons -- it's a bona fide public service. Up Next What's so bad about fox hunting?

If you've ever heard phrases such as "the fox in the henhouse" or "a wolf in sheep's clothing," then you might understand what the hunters mean. These expressions reflect the fundamental danger that some predators present to man's way of life; if the eggs and meat from your chicken are essential to your survival, then that fox in the henhouse has to go. ­To understand this public service in action, let's consider the wily coyote. In the United States, coyotes are now found in every state except Hawaii [source: McIntyre ]. Coyotes are responsible for damage to many livestock populations; 65 percent of all cattle and calf losses in 2000 were attributed to coyotes, and 61 percent of all sheep and lamb losses in 1999 were also blamed on coyotes [source: Kayser ]. Because so many of the coyotes' natural predators have been eliminated, there's no check on their dominance. In one study by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, it was estimated that coyote populations in the southeast United States alone might grow by 210 percent if man didn't hunt them [source: Spomer ].

So enough rooting for the coyote to get the roadrunner. Let's talk about how we can get the coyotes, as well as their fellow predators. 1 Yautja (Predator) | Xenopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia The unmasked faces of various Predators. Clockwise from top left: the Crucified Predator , the Ancient Predator , the City Hunter and the Berserker Super Predator . Predators are bipedal humanoids, physically distinguishable from humans by their greater height, the long, hair-like appendages on their heads (nicknamed dreadlocks ), their reptilian skin and their faces, which feature arthropod-like mandibles and no visible nose. The biological purpose of the distinctive mandibles is unclear — some have proposed they may be used in reproduction or mating rituals. [7] They also seem to be utilized by Yautja to convey emotions (for example, splayed mandibles apparently signify anger or surprise). As well as the fleshy dreadlocks around the side of the head, some Predators have also been seen to possess sparse, coarse facial hair on their cheeks and above the eyes.

[8] While generally uniform, each Yautja's physical appearance includes a number of subtle variations, akin to human genetic diversity. Similarly, while Predator heights vary, they are typically over 7 feet tall, although some have been known to grow to 8 feet or even taller. Despite this, shorter individuals have been recorded, such as Mahnde or the aptly-named Shorty , who stood the height of a typical human. These individuals are unusual and their smaller height the subject of ridicule in Yautja society. The species' reptile-like skin can range in color from light to dark, be mottled or clear, and can appear dry or moist and clammy. Physical abilities Yautja are highly resilient to physical damage, capable of recovering from multiple gunshot wounds with minimal or even no medical attention [9] [8] and surviving radiation doses which would be fatal to humans. [8] They are also highly resilient to most bacteria and viruses. [10] They are incredibly strong, easily capable of outmatching a conditioned adult human male in unarmed combat [9] and able to land blows that can shatter solid concrete.

They are capable of tearing a human's head and spine from the body with little effort, [11] while some larger specimens have even been seen to tear a human body in half using only their bare hands. [12] This strength evidently extends to their lower bodies as well, as Predators have been seen to jump up to three times their own height, and are capable of falling up to ten times their height and landing safely on their feet. They are skilled climbers, and in fact appear to prefer moving at height through trees [9] or across rooftops [8] in pursuit of prey, typically jumping from one vantage point to the next. Though capable of surviving exposure in Antarctic temperatures for an extended period of time, [5] it seems as though Predators have a preference for hot equatorial climates. [9] [8] According to Isabella Borgia , Yautja possess "superior genetic material" compared to humans that, if used correctly, could enhance humanity as a species. The augmentation of Hunter Borgia was one such project carried out in this regard, although the genetic experimentation was not completed before Hunter was slain by the Yautja known as Scarface .

Nevertheless, Yautja genes are evidently "potent" enough that, when one is impregnated with a Xenomorph Chestburster , the resulting creature adopts more pronounced physical characteristics from its host than might otherwise be expected — such as dreadlocks and mandibles — leading to the distinctive Predalien caste. Their blood is luminescent phosphor green in color, and has the capacity to partially neutralise the acidity of Xenomorph blood. [13] It has also been known to bestow significant life-giving properties on humans, capable of extending a person's lifespan well beyond what would normally be possible. [12] It is thought Yautja may be cold-blooded, hence their documented affinity for hot, humid conditions. [14] A Yautja's natural vision. Predators' vision operates mainly in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; they can easily detect heat differentials in their surroundings, but are unable to easily distinguish among objects of the same relative temperature.

[9] A Predator's helmet or Bio-Mask greatly increases its ability to see in a variety of spectrums, ranging from the low infrared to the high ultraviolet, and also filters ambient heat from the area, allowing them to distinguish prey with greater clarity and detail. [9] While they are seemingly capable of breathing Earth's atmosphere, they have been known to use some form of breathing apparatus in the event of losing their Bio-Mask. [8] Their dietary habits are not clearly established, although the City Hunter that stalked Los Angeles was known to visit a slaughterhouse in the city every two days to feed on the meat stored there, [8] suggesting a carnivorous or perhaps omnivorous diet. A Predator eating raw flesh. While the maximum or typical lifespan of a Predator is not known, it is accepted as being well in excess of human lifespans, and it has been implied that Predator Elders can live for hundreds to thousands of years. Speech, language and communication Main article: Yautja language Predators possess their own language, both in spoken and written form, the former of which resembles a series of clicks, roars, snarls and growls.

The written language is expressed in a pattern of dashes not dissimilar in form and function to many Earth-based languages. These written symbols appear on the creatures' gauntlet displays, helmets, architecture and many other surfaces. [9] [5] Predators regularly imitate human speech that they overhear. It is unclear to what degree the Yautja can comprehend this speech, although the creatures at least seem to hold some understanding of the language as they have been known to repeat phrases at vaguely appropriate times as a form of communication with prey. [9] Older Predators with more experience among humans have on occasion been known to actually learn to speak English, at least to a limited extent. [13] [8] It has been known for humans and Yautja to successfully communicate using sign language. [15] Amused Predators There is evidence that Yautja understand the concept of humor. For example, during events on Bouvet Island , the Predator Scar deliberately caused a deceased Xenomorph to shoot out its inner jaw and startle Lex , and her shock and fear apparently gave Scar some amusement.

[16] According to Machiko Noguchi , laughter is universal — even in their species — and the Predator equivalent of a belly laugh is the rapid clicking of tusks. Clothing, Technology and Armament Clothing and armor Yautja clothing and armor can be as varied as the physical appearance of Yautjta themselves and appears to be based largely on personal preference of the individual. [8] Design changes can include tribal ornamentation on the forehead, different arrangements of armor plates and different colors/metals used for the individual armor pieces. Perhaps the most recognisable aspect of a Predator's armor is its Bio-Mask, the outward design of which can range from simple and utilitarian [9] to elaborate and decorative. [17] Another common piece of Yautja clothing is a heated wire mesh undersuit with temperature control elements to help the Predator adapt to the harshest of cold environments. [14] Other items, such as the metallic armor plates and bandoleers for weapons, including grenades, are applied over the top of this mesh. Wrist gauntlets provide a number of weapons, including retractable Wristblades and self-destruct explosives , as well as computerized control for many of the Predator's systems.

Technology Main article: Yautja technology Yautja technology is distinctive in many respects, not least of which is its unusual combination of ornate, tribal appearance masking deadly, sophisticated weaponry. However, despite the species' obvious technological prowess, including access to adaptive camouflage and plasma weaponry , traditional, ancient weapons, such as blades, knives and spears , are still employed widely (and apparently considered by the Yautja as being more "honorable" than advanced technology [12] ). At least one Yautja weapon uses a metal that does not correspond to any known element on the periodic table, [8] and many devices have been shown to be completely resistant to the effects of the acidic blood of Xenomorphs, an otherwise incredibly corrosive and destructive substance. With this said however, the Wristblades and chest armour of immature Young Blood Yautja are still made of metal that is not resistant to Xenomorph blood; it seems such advanced armor must be "earned" through initiation rituals that first test the individual's prowess with more rudimentary and challenging equipment. Many of the Yatuja's tools make use of thermal imaging to track prey, while some aspects of their technology have been in use for millennia.

[11] Individuals of the species will often utilize their own bespoke variations of tried and tested Yautja weapons, constructed from different materials and with varying degrees of tribal or symbolic ornamentation. [12] Equipment Cloak : Light-bending adaptive camouflage allowing Predators a form of invisibility, or at least translucence, rendering them incredibly difficult to spot. The invisibility effect has been known to be shorted out through contact with water or if the arm gauntlet is damaged, and it is susceptible to the effects of an electro-magnetic pulse, at least temporarily. The effects of the device have also been known to fail as a result of direct assaults on the Predator's body, be it with ranged weaponry or physical attacks. This device is rendered useless during Xenomorph Hunts owing to the Xenomorph's ability to "see" through its cloaking effects. Bio-Mask : The Predator's mask contains systems to enhance its thermal vision and provide additional vision modes in other electromagnetic spectra, ranging from night vision to ultraviolet and even vibration scanning. It also allows for Vocal Mimicry and the Language Translator , and records anything the Predator sees and hears so that it may be reviewed at a later date.

[18] Wrist Gauntlet : Includes the Predator's Sat-Com and sometimes an Energy Flechette or Power Punch Glove . Also incorporates touch-pad technology to control a Predator's Cloak, Self-Destruct Device , and even remotely pilot Predator vessels. Medicomp : Predator hunters carry field medical equipment including solvents capable of cauterizing and healing wounds and various serums and other medical devices. Weapons Wristblades : Razor-sharp serrated blades worn on a wrist gauntlet, typically in pairs, used for close combat and the ritualistic mutilation of prey. Scimitar : Essentially an enlarged singular Wristblade worn on the forearm. Plasmacaster : A ranged weapon capable of directing bolts of high-energy plasma at distant targets that is worn on the shoulder. Generally aimed through the Predator's Bio-Mask, although there are exceptions. Plasma Pistol : A hand-held version of the Plasmacaster. Speargun : A projectile weapon that fires small metal spears, comparable to a traditional projectile firearm or crossbow. Combistick : A retractable spear that can be used either in hand-to-hand combat or as a thrown weapon.

Glaive : Similar to the Combistick, this combat staff is fitted with a sizeable blade at each end, designed to slice through prey. Maul : A heavy bladed weapon with a perpendicular handle, an arrangement similar to a police officer's nightstick. Netgun : A handheld device capable of firing a wire net with enough force to pin a target to a wall. The net also features an automatic tightening mechanism designed to cause grievous wounds to the enclosed target. Smart Disc : A thrown, self-guiding, discus-like cutting device. Shuriken : Similar to the Smart Disc, except considerably larger and fitted with several long, fan-like blades around its circumference. Whip : A segmented bull whip capable of slicing targets in half with enough force. Mines : Predators utilize a variety of mines with varying trigger mechanisms and detonation effects in their Hunts. Culture and History Main article: Hunt Yautja culture centers on the ritualistic hunting of other dangerous lifeforms, and this practice appears to be the foundation of their very society.

Predators will travel huge distances — even across entire galaxies — in order to face opponents they consider a worthy challenge, and may also kidnap and transport prey across similar distances to bring such victims to a hunting ground of their choice. [17] Defeat in a Hunt is apparently an cause of great shame to the Yautja, and often leads to the individual committing honorable suicide, typically through the detonation of their Wrist Gauntlet's Self-Destruct Device. Upon their death, a hunting Yautja's spacecraft will return to the species homeworld on automatic pilot so that a record of the individual's Hunt, recorded through their Bio-Mask, may be returned to its kin. [18] Society Yautja society operates a class or ranking system, nominally based on an individual's hunting experience and prowess. Their titles include: Young Blood/Unblooded : About 25% of male Yautja are Young Bloods. This means that the individual has made no distinguishable kills. Once a Yautja kills their first worthy target, usually a Xenomorph, and collects its head as trophy, they become blooded.

Young Bloods are typically adolescent or teenage Yautja sent on their right of passage in threes to kill a Xenomorph. Blooded : About 45% of male Yautja are Blooded. These are warriors who have successfully hunted suitable prey and thereby passed into adulthood. In some clans, it is traditional for the individual to mark themselves in some way following the first successful Hunt, such as burning a symbol onto the forehead with the blood of a slain Xenomorph. [5] Blooded Yautja are granted access to more advanced weaponry denied to Young Bloods, including the Plasmacaster . Retirees: About 10% of male Yautja are Retirees, Predators who have fought their time and now are too old and honoured to hunt. Females commonly come under this section due to their roles as mothers and the driving force behind the homeworld's natural wasteland systems. Elite : Elite Predators are often leaders in their clan, and are only elevated to the caste of Elite Predator once they have acquired the skull of a Xenomorph Queen . About 15% of Blooded Yautja are Elite Predators.

Elites specialize in a particular weapon, making that weapon their strongsuit; for example, a Brawler is an expert with Wristblades, while a Spear Master uses the Combistick. Elite Predators often become retirees after a few decades. Clan Leader : Clan Leaders are only made by the Adjudicator's decision. The only way to become a Clan Leader is to clean out an entire Xenomorph Hive larger than 300 members with a maximum of two other Predators. When this has been proven, the surviving Yautja all become Clan Leaders. They become the forefathers of that clan and will repopulate with females of their choosing. In order to be eligible for the trials of a Hive cleansing, each member of the trio must have at least 3 Queen skull trophies. After this point, any Hive cleansings that the forefathers complete will give the clan greater honor and standing in the caste system. Clan leaders comprise 5% of the Yautja society. Adjudicators: The adjudicators are the administrators and law enforcers of the Yautja. They are world leaders and the ruling class in Predator society.

Less than 1% of Yautja are adjudicators, due to their massive worldly role. At this point, they simply no longer have time to hunt off planet, but often foray into the underground hunting grounds, where younger hunters train in order to lend experience to the young ones. Adjudicators are always the leaders of a clan and no adjudicators have ever risen to that position without first having completed at least five Hive cleansings. Bad Bloods : These are criminal Yautja who have been sentenced to death and escaped. The Predator justice system shows that crime is very low. About 2% of Yautja are bad bloods. In Predator: Concrete Jungle , the term bad bloods was also applied to Predators captured by humans and brainwashed. They met honorable deaths at the hands of their clan brother Scarface . Apprentice: These are honorable humans taken by Predators to learn their ways. Ancient : Veterans of many Hunts, these Predators are nearly a 1000 years old and are are also leaders and retirees. Few Predators live long enough to become Ancients and those that do are highly respected.

Relationship with Xenomorphs Predators: Facts (Science Trek: Idaho Public Television) Predators: Facts What is a Predator? Predators are wild animals that hunt, or prey on, other animals. All animals need food to live. Predator animals need the flesh of the animals that they kill to survive. Weasels, hawks, wolves, mountain lions, and grizzly bears are all predators. Predators are carnivores , which means their diet consists of meat. Some predators, such as coyotes and bears, are also scavengers , meaning they will eat the carcasses of animals that they didn't hunt themselves. Opposite of predator, you have prey — the animals predators hunt and eat. Prey animals can be anything from the smallest insect to a 1400 pound bull moose. Some prey animals are herbivores , meaning they eat plants. Other prey species are omnivores , which means they will eat plants or animals. Most times, the word predator brings to mind an image of snarling teeth and slashing claws. While many predators fit this image, many others do not. Predators come in many sizes and shapes. They can be as tiny as a bug or as large as a polar bear.

What does a ladybug eat? You're right, other animals! What about that beautiful American robin that we welcome spring with? Yes, another predator! Are you getting the idea? Predators are animals that eat other animals. They're not bad guys. They're just creatures trying to feed themselves; they get hungry just like you and me. “Making a living” to them is finding enough food to eat. They don't have the option of going to the grocery store or the drive-in. The Role of Predators Predators are part of a food chain , the process of passing energy from one organism to the next. Plants are the first link in the food chain; they use the sun's energy to make food. Plants are called the producers . Plant eaters, also called herbivores, enter the picture next. Predators such as birds and foxes join the food chain by eating the plant eaters and are known as primary consumers . These predators may become food for the next animal up the chain. Predators that eat primary consumers are known as secondary consumers, which are also eaten by tertiary consumers or quaternary consumers . All of these are just layers of animals that eat from the lower layers. Finally you have your apex predator .

This is the predator at the top of the food chain. Most natural communities have several food chains that interconnect. This is called a food web . When a food web is drawn, it looks like a pyramid with the apex predator at the top and the plants eaters at the bottom. Plant eaters are the most abundant part of the web. A food chain or a food web allows a small amount of the sun's energy to be passed along through each animal. When an animal dies, it decomposes , or breaks down, and provides the soil with nutrients that help plants to transform the sun's energy into food once again. Balance of Nature The relationship between predators and prey is often described as the balance of nature. A natural ecosystem does have a degree of balance — the number of plants and animals in an ecosystem tends to remain within a certain limit, which is not too great or not too small. Predators, however, are not the only factor that affects a population. A variety of things cause the abundance of a species, including predators, food availability, the competition with other species, disease, and even the weather. It is said that the predators in a particular area control the populations of prey species.

In this way, the prey species won't overpopulate and destroy the habitat. This seems logical enough, but it is too simple to fully explain what goes on in nature. One thing to remember is that populations of predators and prey do not remain constant. There are many factors which cause their respective numbers to rise and fall. Where Do Predators Live? Predators can be found on any continent of the world. Hot desert climates, icy cold polar climates, rainforests, jungles, mountain tops, valleys, oceans, and lakes. Predators are found in nearly every habitat known to us. Vertebrate Predators Animals with an internal skeleton made of bone are called vertebrates . Vertebrates include mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish. Although vertebrates represent only a very small percentage of all animals, their size and mobility often allow them to dominate their environment. Invertebrate Predators Animals that do not have a back bone are called invertebrates . Invertebrates are cold-blooded — this means their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment.

Some major groups of invertebrates include amoebas, sponges, jellyfish, corals, tapeworms, flukes, insects, arachnids, crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms. There are more species of invertebrates than any other group on the earth. Learn more about invertebrates and find out about the kinds of animals that fall into this category by visiting The National Wildlife Federation . Carnivorous Plants Did you know there are even plants that are “meat-eaters”? The Venus fly trap is one you've probably heard of. They are small plants found in North and South Carolina. They grow in nutrient poor soil, so they need insects to provide what they need to survive. In Idaho, we have two carnivorous plants, sundews and bladderworts. They can be found in bogs near wetlands. Each plant has unique ways to catch and eat food. To learn more about carnivorous plants, visit botany.org . Hunting Strategies The way a predator hunts, catches and kills food is determined by many factors such as the adaptations of the predator and the prey, and the type of habitat they live in.

The strategies commonly used by predators are: The Chase Hawks are among the many predators that catch their prey by chasing it. Chasing takes both time and effort to make a successful capture. To be successful, predators that chase their prey must concentrate on species that will provide enough nutrition to offset the energy burned while chasing. This is one reason why the hawk tends to eat more rodents and birds than grasshoppers. Grasshoppers just don't provide enough food value to justify the effort it takes to catch them. The Stalk Herons use a different technique, the stalk . Standing motionless in shallow water or wading slowly along the shore, the heron patiently searches for prey. When a heron sees its prey it captures it with a quick lunge of its long, sharp beak. This method does not require much energy. The downfall is the amount of time it takes to search for food. A stalking predator can afford to choose smaller prey and still meet its energy requirements. The Ambush The alligator prefers to lie still and wait. This method of hunting requires little effort, but chances of getting food are low. The cold-blooded alligator has minimal energy requirements. It can get by with infrequent meals.

Most ambush hunters are fairly small because a successful ambush depends on the predator avoiding detection until it strikes. Teamwork Some animals hunt in teams. Wolves, lions, hyenas, coyotes and killer whales will usually live and hunt in family teams. Not only can they pursue larger and sometimes faster prey, but family groups can protect their little ones from other large predators. There's even a tropical insect that hunts as part of a team. South American army ants travel in the tens of thousands and devour every living thing in their path — insects, snakes, livestock, rats and mice. There aren't many creatures that can withstand marching army ants! Tools of the Predators and Prey Adaptations are physical characteristics or behaviors that help a plant or animal survive. Adaptations may help an animal move, reproduce, secure its food, or defend itself against its enemies. Brought together by a common need — to locate, subdue, and consume their prey — many predators display similar adaptations. Vision Vision is often the most important sense for a predator. A predator's eyes are usually located in front of its head. The forward location of the eyes gives an animal binocular-type vision.

The area that each eye sees overlaps, so the brain receives two slightly different messages about the same scene. This helps a predator determine how far away prey is. It also tells the predator how fast its prey is moving. Birds and insects must have the ability to catch prey in the air. A bird of prey's telescope-like vision can be eight times stronger than ours. Some predators rely on more sets of eyes than just one! Spiders and scorpions have clusters of six to eight eyes. Some of the eyes form the image. Others estimate distance, and still others detect motion. It's amazing though, even with eight eyes, a spider can only see about 1 foot in front of its face. Predators which hunt at night ( nocturnal predators) have special mirror-like structures in the back of their eyes. These structures help the animal to see in the dark. Deep sea animals have the same structures. Hearing Most predators have a very good sense of hearing. In mammals, external ear flaps can be swiveled forward or backward in order to pinpoint the direction of a sound. The ears of bats are often highly specialized, with strange shapes that help catch the echoes of the calls they make as they fly.

Birds can hear very well, too. Owls are thought to have the most outstanding hearing of any animal. Their ears are offset, which means one is higher than the other. Some animals don't need ears to hear. Instead, they rely on vibrations they feel in their bodies. This is another way of pinpointing the source of sounds. Ground vibrations from moving prey animals are transmitted through the bones of salamanders and snakes to the nerves near their ears. Sharks can monitor vibrations in the water with a lateral-line system. Fluid-filled canals lie just beneath the shark's skin along the sides of its head and body. The canals are filled with small pores open to the water. Underwater noises or motion cause a vibration that strikes these open pores. A shark tunes into the vibration and looks for its next meal. Smell Some predators can smell a meal from a mile away! Foxes are even able to smell food which is buried under two feet of soil. Some use their sense of smell to follow the footsteps or tracks of an animal. A shark has outstanding smelling ability, but it works a bit differently. Their nostrils are not for breathing, but are used for sensing odor. Water flows in and out of the nostrils.

A shark is able to identify the different smells found in the water from 2 miles away! Snakes use their tongues to smell. You might see a snake flicking its tongue around. The snake is not getting ready to bite, it is smelling the air by picking up dust particles. These particles are carried to taste detectors in the snake's mouth. The taste tells snakes what animals are near. How Predators Prey Predators have different weapons that are used to kill and eat prey. The specific “weapons” they have are also considered adaptations. Three of a predator's main weapons are sharp teeth, claws and jaws. The teeth are used to help kill the prey and are used as “knives and forks” while eating the prey. Most animals have three kinds of teeth. In the front, you'll find incisors . These are used to cut food. On the sides, you'll see longer teeth, called canines , which are used for tearing chunks of flesh off of the prey. Canine teeth can also be used to kill the prey by piercing the neck or throat. Molars are found towards the back of the mouth. They are flat and strong and used to chew or grind.

Some animals, such as crocodiles and sharks, have long, cone shaped teeth. These are used for grasping the prey and pulling it underwater. When underwater, the prey will drown enabling the predator to eat it. Jaws, as well as teeth are important adaptations to seize and subdue their prey. Powerful muscles provide leverage and gripping power at the front part of the jaws. Some snakes are able to unhinge their jaws. This allows them to swallow a meal which is much larger than the snake's own head! In some cases, beaks take the place of teeth. Each beak tells a story about its owner. Long beaks are used for probing, hooked beaks are for tearing, thick ones are for crunching seeds, thin ones are for picking insects. Beaks provide birds with a lightweight alternative to a mouthful of teeth. Like hollow bones, they are an adaptation for flying. Sharp claws are also powerful weapons. Birds of prey have powerful claws, called talons , which help the raptor to grab its prey. Most big cats have claws that they use to grip and tear. They are able to pull in these claws when walking or running. This keeps them sharp.

Moles and hedgehogs use their claws to dig up insects. In the same manner, grizzly bears dig up roots and burrowing rodents. Of course, on the grizzly, the claws are on the “tip of the weapon.” A grizzly's powerful paw can bring an animal down with one swipe. Some predators use their tongues as effective weapons. A chameleon has one of the fastest tongues. It shoots its sticky tongue, which is coated with a glue-like substance, out towards the prey to capture it for swallowing. Did you know anteaters have tongues as long as a person's arm? This adaptation helps an anteater to reach areas where he or she needs to reach. Another hunting weapon is poison. Snakes use their poison, which comes from their fangs, to paralyze or kill their prey. A spider releases strong digestive enzymes that turn their prey's insides to liquid. A straw-like mouth enables the spider to suck up the liquid. Wasps and scorpions paralyze their prey by using powerful stingers. A jellyfish uses its deadly tentacles to inject venom into its prey. Camouflage Camouflage is an adaptation that is used both by predators and by prey.

Nature provides many ways for animals to make themselves hard to see. Both predators and prey use camouflage. Prey use it to hide themselves from predators, and predators use it to keep their prey from knowing they're coming after them! See how camouflage works at The Exploratorium . One type of camouflage is when an animal's coloring is similar to its surroundings. Now you know why desert animals are often brown and jungle animals are often green. Another type is called counter-shading. A counter-shaded animal is darkest on the top of its body and lightest on the bottom. From a distance these animals seem to turn into one color and look flat. A third type of camouflage is called disruptive coloration — this is patterns of strongly contrasting, non-repeating markings such as spots or stripes. A zebra has this type. Its stripes help it to hide when it is grazing near trees and bushes. Does a tiger have disruptive coloration? Why? Here are some more camouflage stategies: Some animals change color with the season. This helps them to blend in with their surroundings when their surroundings change. Imitation, or mimicry, is another form of camouflage.

This is when an animal looks like a member of another species or like an object in its environment, such as when a grasshopper mimics a dry leaf. Bright coloration, which seems the opposite of camouflage, is another form of self-defense when used to warn animals to stay away. Brightly colored animals are often poisonous or have an unpleasant taste. Predators and their prey - why we need them both — Conservation Northwest — filed under: ecology , What's Hot , lynx , wolves , predator/prey How to allow top predators to assume their critical place on the landscape while trying to lessen yet another source of polarization in our communities. Joe Scott sheds light on the place of predators in our natural systems. For more information on predator populations in Washington, and their effect on game animals and ecosystems, please visit WDFW's website here .To date, WDFW wildlife managers have found no evidence that the state’s growing wolf population has had an effect on game herds. Studies in other western states with far more wolves than Washington have not found that wolves have caused declines in deer or elk populations or hunter harvest on a statewide level.

by Joe Scott, international conservation director Originally published in the spring/summer 2011 edition of Conservation Northwest Quarterly Hunters , livestock producers, politicians, and conservationists have some fairly strong opinions about how big of a role non-human predators should be allowed to play. It’s unclear how, if ever, such debates will be resolved. But one thing is clear. There’s a great deal of misunderstanding about carnivores, their impacts, and their ecological role. Conservation Northwest has been in the thick of ongoing debates as we and others search for solutions that allow top predators to assume their critical place on the landscape while trying to lessen yet another source of polarization in our communities. It is in this spirit that we explore this issue in a humble attempt to shed some light on the place of predators in our natural systems. We hope that you will join in the discussion. Like CSI detectives investigating a crime scene, lynx and hare researchers in north central Washington recently responded to a “mortality” signal from a snowshoe hare that they had fitted with a satellite tracking collar to monitor hare movements. When they arrived at the scene the biologists were able to reconstruct the events around the hare’s demise. Predators & prey: Why don't predators eat all their prey?

A great horned owl had killed the hare, but predator became prey as a lynx killed the owl and pirated the hare for itself. Everything eats snowshoe hares. In boreal forests, hares are the cheeseburgers for the fries, the fish for the chips, the meatballs for the spaghetti, and the corned beef for the cabbage. Lynx are the most famous hare junkies, but the fleet-footed rabbits are also favored by wolves , coyotes, foxes, martens, eagles, goshawks, owls, and other raptors. In the ultimate insult, even red and ground squirrels eat them. People eat them. Speed, stealth, aerial ambush and traps are all used on hares. Cute has no currency in the wilds, except as lunch. Scott Fisher, biologist with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, describes it this way: “When you’re a hare, everybody else on the block is a bully.” But despite being every animal’s comfort food, snowshoe hares not only persist but do so in often ridiculous numbers. How does an animal in such demand avoid being eaten out of existence?

It's tempting to think that hares' prodigious breeding ability is the evolutionary response to hyper predation. But we have to dig a little deeper. All animals will have as many babies as they can successfully rear, whether their eggs are small and many or large and few, because that’s the best way of ensuring your genes survive in competition with those of your neighbors. And whether a species has many, many small eggs like a salmon, or a couple large eggs like a grizzly bear, it's all about getting more of your genes out there, which is in turn rooted in the concept of ecological niches. Predators & prey: What is a niche? Jobs in the woods Paul Colinvaux describes a species’ niche as its place in the “grand scheme of things,” its “profession,” that is, “everything it does to get its food and raise its babies.” A plant or animal’s habitat is its address. Spaces in each ecological niche, like welding jobs in a shipyard, are limited. Consequently the number of species that can fill a particular niche is more or less set by limitations on habitat imposed by climate, food, den sites, cover, etc—all the things that a species needs to survive and reproduce.

The niches, or jobs, of each species are crafted over millennia by natural selection. In other words, as Colinvaux concludes, “the common stay common and the rare stay rare,” unless something drastic happens to change the environment, like, for instance, clear cutting an old-growth forest or deregulating the financial industry. In each case you have a proliferation of weedy species, a reduction in diversity, and fewer real jobs. Snowshoe hares have evolved to exploit a niche that has few competitors, since the boreal forests home to hares and lynx are very tough neighborhoods, especially in winter. In other words there are lots of hare “jobs” out there as long as the boreal remains the boreal and something doesn’t happen to radically alter it—like climate change. So hares have lots of babies, very often, to supply the demand for hare jobs, not because so many animals like to eat them. High hare predation rates are a consequence of hare fecundity not a cause. Hare deaths are the grim cost of a reproductive strategy that floods the market with baby rabbits. And, lots of hares provide hare eating niches, or jobs, for many different predators.

So ultimately the numbers of any wildlife species are not determined by breeding strategies. They are set by opportunities for a particular plant or animal to live according to its needs. The number of welding jobs in the shipyard, not graduates of welding schools, determines the jobs for welders. Predators & prey: Natural selection: Nature's golden rule Cooperation and conflict drive plant and animal adaptation. Species and their habitats thrive as interactive, dynamic systems that are constantly reshaping each other. Natural selection is the ultimate arbiter—the universal law by which Mother Nature governs the biosphere. Quite simply, organisms are driven to survive, so prey animals respond over time with physical and behavioral adaptations to all the natural forces and conditions that conspire to kill them. Predators respond in kind with adaptations that allow them to exploit particular prey species. Otherwise neither would survive. Predators have helped make snowshoe hares, well, snowshoe hares. Natural selection has equipped them with outsized hind legs and feet to run at lightening speed over snow. Their huge ears magnify the slightest sounds. Most ingeniously from a genetic standpoint, hares have developed a natural camouflage and change color with the seasons—white for winter, brown for summer.

With so many things trying to eat them, they need lots of defensive weapons. The hares that live longest and have the most babies pass more of those successful genes to the next generation, refining the traits over time, like camouflaged fur, that allow hares to escape lynx and owls long enough to reproduce, thus ensuring the survival of the species and its competitive “fitness” to adapt to dynamic landscapes and dozens of hungry predators. Lynx are the ultimate hare specialists and as such their fortunes rise and fall with those of their big-footed prey. And they’ve kept pace in the evolutionary race for survival: their huge furry feet and long hind legs allow them to run and cut on top of snow like an NFL running back on juice. Many animals hunt hares but none with the efficiency of lynx. Yet they still can’t kill all the hares. Predators & prey: Wild fluctuations In the north of their range, hare numbers have historically “crashed” spectacularly before rising again dramatically. In Alaska and western Canada, hare numbers rise and crash in roughly 10-year cycles, sometimes going from 10,000 to fewer than three animals per square mile in a single year.

Female hares can produce two to five litters per year with three to four young per litter. The phenomenon has been a source of scientific scrutiny for decades and was first described by fur trappers in the mid-nineteenth century. On large scales, scientists think that cyclical sun spot activity affects weather patterns and fire frequency in boreal forests, which in turn affect hare survival and food availability. On smaller scales, over-browsing by the hyper-reproductive hares at their population zenith leads to food shortages that cause starvation and reduced reproduction, which in turn start the population declines. Just as the health of individual hares diminishes and they become more vulnerable to disease, predation from a larger number of hungry hare eaters kicks in and bingo, hares are scarcer than hens’ teeth—for a little while. In essence, such wild fluctuations “reset” complex multiple predator prey systems until the next crash, rather like the way our economic and regulatory systems work—or not. Since they’re so tightly linked to snowshoe hares for food, lynx populations in the north rise and fall with them. Northern lemmings undergo similar population booms and busts.

Snowy owls are so tuned in to lemmings that they actually lay fewer eggs when lemming populations are down. But such boom and bust predator prey economies are the exceptions, not the norms. Predators & prey: From Arctic to Africa Bees swarm, birds flock, fish school, and ungulates such as elk form herds because they’re less likely to become a predator’s next lunch special if they do so. Why some predators form groups, on the other hand, like lions in prides or wolves in packs, could have less to do with food sharing and more with defense of territories and rearing of young. Research on the most well-known predator/prey dance partners on earth has shown that Africa’s Serengeti lions and wildebeest coexist in relative stability without the dramatic fluctuations in numbers that typify some arctic predators and prey like lynx and hares and lemmings and snowy owls. A research team lead by John Fryxell of University of Guelph in Canada and Craig Packer from the University of Minnesota wanted to know why. Their modeling of four decades of data showed that wildebeest drastically reduced lion predation when they kept to groups and large herds.

Interestingly, the greater the tendency to form groups, the higher the stability of numbers of both species over time. According to Fryxell and colleagues: “When both the lions and wildebeest formed groups, predation was reduced even more. Compared with no-group ecosystems (all animals strewn across the Serengeti), grouping caused a 90-percent reduction in kill rates for lions.” The complex social “cliques” seemed to work as ecosystem stabilizers, not dissimilar to human communities, with “both lion and wildebeest populations remaining relatively level over time.” Social cliques among wild animals in the Serengeti are actually the glue that holds the ecosystem together and keeps population numbers stable. Wildebeest thrive in great numbers alongside zebra, Thompson’s gazelles, and several other ungulate species, all prey for lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, hunting dogs, and cheetahs. Predators & prey: Wolves and white-tails There are 3,000 wolves in Minnesota. They eat on average about 50,000 of the estimated 450,000 white-tailed deer a year.

This represents about 11.5 % of the deer population, with minimal supplements of snowshoe hares, beavers, and moose. In a recent comprehensive 15-year study of white-tailed deer and wolves, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) monitored the movements, survival, and mortality causes of 450 radio-collared does in four study areas. Simultaneously, department biologists monitored 55 radio-collared wolves from eight packs whose territories overlapped the deer study areas. The research showed that doe mortality from wolves ranged from 4% to 22% per year but most typically was between 5% to 10% per year with the highest rate observed in the very severe winter of 1995-96. Despite the fact that deer outnumber wolves in Minnesota by 150 to 1, wolves are not particularly effective hunters of white-tails. According to the MDNR, “Wolves end up surviving primarily on the most vulnerable individuals in the deer population, such as very young, old, sick, injured, or nutritionally compromised deer, because those are the ones they can catch.

The result being, that under certain conditions…many of the deer that wolves kill likely would have died from other causes, such as starvation or disease.” Biologists refer to such predation impacts as “compensatory” as opposed to the “additive” effects of human hunters, who kill most prey in the prime of their reproductive lives. Predators & prey: Where have all the mule deer gone? Researchers from Washington State University wanted to understand the reasons for long-term mule deer declines in the intermountain West. Hunters had long been blaming cougars. They were right...sort of. Cougars do kill mule deer. So do wolves, coyotes, bobcats, black bear, and grizzly bears . But as with all natural systems, nothing’s that simple. It turns out that the open, mixed forest habitat preferred by mule deer has been so dramatically altered in the West through irrigated agriculture that it’s provided wonderful white-tailed deer habitat. White-tails, historically rare in Washington, now outnumber mule deer in eastern Washington. And as white-tailed deer numbers grow, mule deer decline. It appears as though landscape level habitat changes have created the white-tailed equivalent of tenements for cockroaches.

It also appears that cougars have responded in kind. But while there may be a slight uptick in cougar numbers as a result of increased ungulate numbers, cougar numbers have not exploded as some people seem to think. "It's particularly striking how little difference there is in resident cougar densities across cougar range in western North America," says Gary Koehler, carnivore biologist, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. According to Dr. Koehler and his colleagues, "North American cougars exist in densities of about 1 to 2 adult animals per 100 sq. km everywhere they live—almost without fail. Female cougars are limited by prey availability, but males are limited by the availability of females in their territories, which they defend vigorously." However, the WSU researchers have found that cougar predation is having a greater impact on mule deer than on white-tails and occurs in the summer when white-tails move into higher elevation mule deer habitat. Mule deer are the "secondary" prey, but as they're already in decline, predation is having a greater effect on them. A similar dynamic has happened with mountain caribou in British Columbia’s inland rainforest.

As the caribou's historically extensive old-growth forest habitat has been increasingly fragmented, it’s opened more niches for deer, elk, and moose. Cougars and wolves follow and opportunistically prey on caribou which cannot withstand the “new normal.” For centuries the mountain caribou old forest and high elevation niche was at the heart of their predator avoidance strategy. Predators simply weren’t able to get to them enough to make a difference in caribou numbers. Like steelworker jobs in Pittsburgh, jobs for mountain caribou have diminished. Now the wolves are literally at the door and it’s forced some tough choices for managers and conservationists alike until the habitat and historic prey species numbers are restored. The Mule Deer Working Group of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has been studying mule deer dynamics, particularly mortalities and predation. According to their findings, many factors confound the question about mule deer declines. Most deer mortality occurs in young animals soon after birth or in winter of their first year.

Some biologists believe that the question of whether mortality is compensatory or additive is density dependent—it has to do with how many of the mule deer jobs are filled—also referred to as “carrying capacity” or the ability of the habitat to support the herd. Carrying capacity can be measured by the overall condition of the animals and their range. When the herd numbers are consistent with what the habitat can support—at carrying capacity—deaths that happen are compensatory. They will occur one way or another naturally keeping animals at levels where the land to support them. As numbers of deer fall below range capacity, additional deer deaths become additive—and unsustainable, contributing to herd declines. Climatic conditions such as long-term drought or severe winters can reduce the quality of the range and thus the overall physical condition of mule deer making them more vulnerable to predation. Significant habitat changes that result in different movement patterns could make deer even more susceptible to predation. According to the Working Group, "...most of the environments where mule deer exist today have been altered by fire suppression, development, habitat fragmentation" etc. In these habitats (most of the West), biologists believe predation does not cause declines in deer populations.

The effect predators have on prey populations in these environments is more complex and related to how humans affect predators, prey and habitat, and the types and densities of predators that exist. "In years when mule deer populations are lean, some predators such as mountain lions and wolves may consume several wildlife species including elk and small mammals, causing the predators to maintain artificially high numbers. While this has the potential to slow the growth of mule deer populations, scientific studies show that reducing predators does not increase the number of fawns that survive to adulthood. And it's the number of fawns that survive to adulthood that determines the growth rate of a mule deer population.” Predators & prey: Why big fierce animals are rare Everybody knows that, in nature, small things are common and large things are rare. To understand why, we need to dust off our high school physics textbooks and reacquaint ourselves with the second Law of Thermodynamics, which dictates that the harvesting of solar energy cannot be 100% efficient. This is the real reason that big fierce animals are rare. And rarity is one reason that predators can’t eat all their prey or compromise their numbers to the point that those prey animals are themselves threatened as species.

Ecosystems have structure, like the rows of stone in a pyramid. This structure is organized into what ecologists call “trophic levels,” which are quite simply the different plant and animal communities that inhabit a given area. In a typical simple system there are three trophic levels: plant communities, herbivores, and carnivores. Plants form the large pyramid base, herbivores in the middle level, carnivores at the small, pointy top. Plants are less than 10% efficient converting light energy to produce plant tissue. Ninety percent is lost as heat to the atmosphere. In the transfer of energy to the second trophic level, the herbivores follows suit, so essentially energy is degraded by 90% at each level from plants through herbivores to carnivores. Of the 1000 calories of solar energy captured by a plant, 100 calories are available to a deer, and 1 calorie is available to a wolf, to grow, reproduce, and have enough strength and energy to hunt again. For this simple reason alone, predators generally can never number more than 10% of their prey.

The upshot is that predators have to work really hard to make a living. It’s definitely blue collar: complete with long hours, physical exertion, shorter life span, high risk of injury or death, and being frequently ostracized by neighbors. For example, wolves are considered efficient hunters for only about two years of their lives and rarely live beyond seven years in the wild. Predators are limited by available calories, particularly in winter, territorial behavior, the rigors and risks of hunting, rapid decline in their athletic abilities. It's no life of Reilly. The Second Law of Thermodynamics and natural selection have seen to it. Predators & prey: Balance in all things The bottom line is that ecosystems are complex. And, like it or not, predators are a necessary and beneficial part of natural systems. If we remove them from the picture, there are consequences. Predators provide ecological stability by regulating the impacts of grazing and browsing animals, thus ensuring the overall productivity of the habitat. They cull weak, sick, and old prey, thus ensuring the maximum fitness of elk, deer, antelope, and hares.

They foster biological diversity by “enforcing” ecological boundaries or preventing what ecologists refer to as “competitive exclusion,” the tendency of one prey animal to outcompete another. So-called “apex predators,” the wolves, lions, and tigers are the Godfathers, as they also control the numbers of “meso predators,” the coyotes, raccoons, possums, foxes—even domestic cats—which when left unchecked can do enormous damage to birds and native rodents. Document Actions When Is the Best Time to Hunt Predators? When Is the Best Time to Hunt Predators? featuring Al Morris Editor’s Note: By harvesting coyotes, foxes, bobcats, raccoons and possums, you can have more deer, turkeys, quail, pheasants, squirrels and rabbits. We all know the advantage of planting supplemental food plots, fruit trees, nut trees and shrubs for wildlife. We also selectively harvest our deer herds and provide minerals for deer and turkey. But one important component of managing your lands for more wildlife is reducing the number of predators on the properties.

Al Morris, a Mossy Oak pro and the host of “ FOXPRO Furtakers ” on the Outdoor Channel, will tell us how and why harvesting predators will increase the number of game animals and songbirds on the lands you hunt. Morris, who lives in Springville, Utah, has been a predator hunter for 30 years. Morris and his partner, Garvin Young, are the only hunters who have won the World Predator Calling Championship three times. Morris says, “I like all the Mossy Oak patterns, since they suit all types of terrain, and I hunt all over the United States. When I’m hunting west of the Mississippi River, Mossy Oak Brush is my favorite. In the Midwest and most of the East, I prefer Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity .” I believe the best time to hunt predators is immediately after the first really-cold snap in the late fall and early winter, or right after the first snow, depending on where you live. Right after the first snow, 75-percent of a coyote’s food gets covered by snow or killed. In the Deep South, where there’s hardly ever snow, a hard frost will be the weather condition triggering the best predator-hunting time.

Since a good portion of the predator’s diet is gone after the first snow or hard frost, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, coons and possums will have to become far more active during daylight hours to find and take food. So, this is when predator hunting usually is the best. When a predator hears a deer-in-distress call, a bird-in-distress call or a rabbit-in-distress call, and he’s hungry, he almost always has to come to the call. If a coyote hears another coyote calling in his area, the coyote knows if he doesn’t run that other coyote off and out of his home range, the intruder coyote will gobble-up food there. So, the first week of really-cold weather is the most-productive time to hunt predators. Here is what makes predator hunting so important to land managers: every coyote you take probably saves the life of two fawns, four or five turkeys, a covey of quail and many-other game animals you want to raise. When your considering hunting predators, don’t overlook the bobcats, coons and possums that destroy the nests of turkeys, quail and other ground-nesting birds.

I read a study that said when does drop their fawns, if there is a buck fawn and a doe fawn, coyotes and other predators are most likely to kill the buck fawn. A doe fawn moves-out of her bedding site to urinate, but a buck fawn urinates in his bed. This means he has a much-stronger odor than a doe fawn and is easier for a predator to find and kill. I’ve seen other studies where predators were removed from an area, and the turkey population soared, because the foxes, coons, possums, bobcats and coyotes weren’t there to eat the turkey eggs or to catch and kill the young poults. What we almost have overlooked in managing wildlife is the need to remove a certain number of predators every year. In some parts of the country, coyotes make a full-time living killing and eating deer. I’m often asked if calling and shooting predators during deer season has a detrimental effect on deer hunting. My answer is always the same, “Not at all.” Predators kill prey every day, all day and all night. Deer hear prey-in-distress sounds all day and all night, so those are natural sounds.

If you want more deer and turkeys on your property, intensively hunt and harvest the predators there. The more predators you harvest, the more deer, turkeys and other game species your land will support. I believe every conservation-minded hunter who wants to have more game to hunt should be a predator hunter. Predator Hunting: SUPPRESSED™ "BADLANDS" - YouTube Predator Hunting: SUPPRESSED™ "BADLANDS" Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 30, 2013 The satisfaction of bringing you into our world is a large part of why we do what we do...

along with intense HD footage, hi-end equipment, and a unique aspect of Predator Hunting: SUPPRESSED™, we are very blessed to be able to bring a wide array of different scenarios and landscapes to the screen, from the wide open prairie to farm ground, sandhills, hardwood creek and river bottoms, Ponderosa pine filled canyons, and of course, BADLANDS. O'Neill Ops Facebook Page - O'Neill Ops Gear - Copyright 2013 O'Neill Ops, All Rights Reserved. Category Welcome to Predator Masters -- Hunting the Hunters Welcome to Predator Masters! Teaching you about the habits, biology, and how to hunt coyotes, bobcats, fox, mountain lion, and a few varmints thrown in for good measure is what Predator Masters is all about. We welcome you to the largest Predator Education website on the Internet, Predator Masters, where the hunters become the hunted. We have the largest predator hunting educational forum on the World Wide Web. We've exceeded 47,000 registered members at a lightning quick pace. Within these pages, you'll find information pertaining to coyotes, bobcats, foxes and even the largest meat eating predators, mountain lion and bears.

Our moderators on the forum are some of the leading predator hunters found in the country, offering advice on every aspect of predators and predator hunting. Thanks for visiting us, Bobcat Hunts | Coyote Hunts | Texas Predator Hunts 325-853-1555 Texas Predator Hunting Texas is home to many different predators such as mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, grey fox, red fox, badgers, raccoons, and ringtail cats. In addition, there are many species of varmints such as; skunks, prairie dogs, porcupines, feral cats and jackrabbits. The State of Texas allows "Predator and Varmint Hunters" the ability to hunt from a vehicle or ATV. They may also hunt either day & night. They may even use night vision & silencers on their firearms! There is no closed season for predator hunting. Hunting licenses are inexpensive and available "over the counter" at the "Magnum Guide Service Lodge" since we are a licensed vendor for the State of Texas. Since the collapse of the fur market in the early 80's, predator numbers are now at record populations.

Under Texas law, hunters may shoot as many predators and varmints as they choose per day, but they may only reduce one of each species of "fur-bearer" (racoon, fox, ringtail cat, badger) into possession per day, unless they have a Furbearer's License. However, there is no bag limit or possession limit for "non-furbearing animals" (mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes). Bobcats must be "sealed" with a locking "Cites Tag" before crossing State lines. Magnum Guide Service is a registered "Sealing Station Agent" for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Cites tags are available for our hunter's bobcats! You shoot em, we will tag them! Come Hunt With Us At the ripe young age of 14, Jim began fur trapping, predator calling, and hunting raccoons with hounds for "Christmas Money." Jim has spent 37 years sport hunting predators and 27 years guiding Predator Hunters "fulltime" from around the world. The hunters he has personally guided now numbers in the thousands.

His "calling" and "hunting skills" have enabled him and his hunting partners to place in the very top of several predator calling contests. His hunter's consistent high level of success is a direct result of a lifetime of experience spent hunting predators in Africa, Canada, Mexico, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Wyoming. His secret and time proven calling techniques, combined with his uncanny ability to outwit these wily predators, has launched "Magnum Guide Service" to be one of "the" premier destinations for serious predator hunters. Our ranches total over 400,000 acres and continue to produce high quality "action" for our "Magnum Hunters". Additionally, our hunters may often times combine their predator hunt with; javelina, feral hogs, free range aoudad sheep, free range elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, exotic big game and turkeys. Let us customize a trip for you! Hunting Methods While we can hunt either day and/or night, the majority of our predator hunting is at night. This is because most predators are nocturnal and prefer hunting themselves at night.

This helps to improve our hunter's overall predator hunting success, especially on bobcats since they respond better to calls at night. Our primary method of hunting is via 4WD trucks. We have (2) customized 4 door, 4WD trucks that are each equipped with 11 foot high custom shooting platforms. Each are equipped with two swivel seats and are completely padded for a comfortable 360 degree shooting rest. We also have (2) Jeeps and a 6x6 Polaris Ranger for hunting more remote areas. We utilize both computer, cassette tape, and mouth blown calls. Our guides work the "calls" while shining a dim red light searching for the reflective glow of incoming eyes. Once a predator is located, our guides will tap the hunter on the shoulder to let them know that a predator is on the way. When the predator stalks within gun range, our guides will "light em up" with a powerful spotlight providing the hunter a "visible" shot. Most shots are under 40 yards so shotguns are best while longer shots may require a small center fire caliber rifle such as a .222, .223 or .22-250.

Daytime hunts are much like any other hunt whereby you hunt both early morning and late afternoons in full camouflage. What Is Furnished Food, lodging, guide and in most instances transfers from the nearest airport depending on which ranch or state we are hunting. What Is Not Furnished Personal hunting equipment, gratuities for the staff, adult "spirit" and wine beverages, personal hunting license, expediting of trophies, and transportation before and after the scheduled hunt. Questions about Utah's Predator Control Program Updated: February 8, 2016, 12:13 pm Questions about Utah's Predator Control Program Learn more about the program How does the Predator Control Program work? The DWR has a predator-control program that provides incentives for members of the public to remove coyotes. Participants in this program will receive $50 for each properly documented coyote that they kill in Utah. For details, see the rest of this page and the map (382 KB PDF ). How do I register for the program? To register and receive compensation for coyote removal, you must follow the program rules and guidelines. Specifically, you must: Complete the online training and registration course .

Submit the coyote’s lower jaw and either the full pelt or the scalp (with both ears attached). Also submit the properly filled out compensation form , which must include the GPS location where the coyote was taken, the identity of the person who took it and the date of removal. Request compensation only at designated sites and on designated days and times . Coyote ears will be marked by the DWR to prevent double payments. Disposal of carcasses is the responsibility of the program participant. Follow all rules and regulations related to trapping and firearm use, as detailed in the Utah Furbearer Guidebook and the Predator Control Incentives Rule R657-64, Utah Code and local law. When and where do I check in coyotes? The DWR regularly updates the list of coyote check-in locations and times . When you visit a check-in site, you must bring proof that you completed the registration and training course and a filled out compensation form , including the GPS location where the coyote was taken. How can I become eligible to receive a contract for the Targeted Predator Control Program?

In 2015, the Division will form contracts up to $10,000 for the Targeted Predator Control Program for work between Feb. 1 and Aug. 31, 2015. The application period ended December 10, 2014. How do I store coyotes before I bring them in for reimbursement? The DWR requires all hunters to use one of the following storage methods: Place the scalp or pelt (with both ears attached) and the lower jaw (at least the front two-thirds of the jaw) into a paper bag so they can dry out. On the outside of the bag, please make a note of the coyote's gender and the coordinates and date of removal. Storage in a freezer is also acceptable, but the jaw and scalp must be sufficiently thawed so the ears can be notched and a tooth removed at the reimbursement location. Before freezing an entire head, place something in the mouth to prop the jaws completely open. IMPORTANT: Frozen samples cannot be processed and may be rejected for payment. Proper disposal of carcasses is the hunter's responsibility. Can I use spotlights to hunt coyotes at night?

Individual counties regulate spotlighting for coyotes and other nonprotected species in Utah. Contact the sheriff's department in the counties where you wish to hunt to find out if spotlighting is allowed. Why is location important in removal efforts? The recommended coyote removal zone is based on the boundaries of areas that are important to deer. Coyotes primarily kill fawns and can produce more than six pups per year. They have high reproductive potential and can be difficult to hunt. It will be impossible to remove all coyotes from Utah, even with a large effort by the public. Although any coyote taken in Utah can be submitted for compensation, the DWR is recommending specific areas and dates when coyote removal has the greatest potential for benefiting mule deer. A statewide map (382 KB PDF)

Question: What does a predator hunt?
Answer: Prey