Locally, in my relatively urban neighborhood that as recently as last year was plagued with an abundance of deer. Some of the does are likely second generation in the neighborhood. Early this year there were 4 fawns most mornings. Our neighborhood is their home.
They are now all gone. Not a single deer. Also, three cats and one small dog ar missing
Coyotes have come. Unbelievable but that seems to be what eliminated the deer and the cats and the dog
Must not have many deer.
We have plenty in our suburban sprawl despite having coyotes increase over the last 3 decades.
I live in a rural area-nearest “town” is 18 miles away-there is no hunting on less than 10 acres, and there used to be very few mountain lions-so the deer were overpopulating until more mountain lions from further west established territory here-now the deer population is at healthy levels and there are still enough small game animals for the coyotes.
We are more watchful when hiking in the woods, and there are sturdy shelters for kids to wait on the school bus-but people who move here from the city still let their pet cats and dogs run loose, providing nice take-out for the mountain lions and the coyotes-they don’t bother livestock-the pets are easier to catch...