Predation of Big Game and Livestock in the Texas Trans-pecos

Predation of livestock and big game remains a matter of concern for ranch managers and operators in the Trans-Pecos. Current evidence indicates that mountain lions (Felis concolor), bobcats {Lynx rufus), and coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary predators involved, although little information is available on bobcats. A gradual shift from sheep to cattle management has resulted in a corresponding decrease in the intensity of predator control efforts for livestock protection. However, potential lease hunting income has renewed predator control efforts for protection of the 3 primary big game species, pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and desert bighorn sheep {Ovis canadensis mexicana). Available information suggests that predator management efforts can be beneficial to big game populations, especially if conducted in a timely and specific manner. Predator populations do not appear to have been negatively affected overall by recent predator management efforts in the Trans-Pecos. Pages 80-82 in R.E. Masters and J.G. Huggins, eds. Twelfth Great Plains Wildl. Damage Control Workshop Proc, Published by Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Okla.