Coyote Eats Deer Before Hunter Gets To It

[PorterHouse]

I've had similar experiences @Indianajoe. And I do in fact think that the coyotes, at least in our area, equate a gun shot to a potential meal.
My Dad shot a nice whitetail buck during the rut in 2019. Deer went maybe 25 yards and piled up. As we were packing our stuff up and getting ready to head over to where the buck was, 2 coyotes came trotting through and as soon as they hit the blood trail of that deer, they made a beeline straight for him. He died in some thick brush so we didn't have a shot at the coyotes from where we were set up unfortunately.

From the time he pulled the trigger to the time we walked up on his deer was no more than 15 minutes and they had already gotten started on one of his hind quarters.

 

[Korniel]

That sucks for sure. Hopefully it was still a good hunt regardless.

 

[Rob96]

This past season after tracking down my buck, we were standing talking a bit before the task of field dressing we had coyotes closing in on us. Kind of eerie in the dark on the side of a mountain in the dark and all you hear is howling pretty close in.

 

[F250]

I shot a deer during the late NY muzzle loader season a couple years ago. The deer fell about 75 yards from me in some open hardwoods. I stayed where I was, sitting in an old log pile, as I still had another tag. About 30 minutes later a coyote hit the blood trail and ran to the fallen deer. That's where he stayed.

 

[pj2578]

The biggest buck I ever killed I had this happen too. It was a muzzleloader kill and a long blood trail. We ran out of good blood and had to resume the search early the next morning. All the coyotes left me was the antlers and just enough cape for a shoulder mount.

The picture attached is just how we found him the next morning.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I have no love for coyotes. I kill them whenever I see them.

Ever since they tried to kill my dog but he turned out to be tougher than they planned on. (100lb Pitbull)

 

[Steiny]

If you leave them lay overnight where i hunt in IN, IL or KS, there is about an 70% chance the coyotes will have it ruined by morning.

 

[Nick87]

Shot him right at last light. First light the next morning.

 

[buckhorn10]

I shot a good buck in eastern Sask. Canada a few years ago , didint have but some patchy snow to track and it was at last light when I took the shot so I left him to morning . When I found him in the bush the next morning wolves had completely cleaned him up , nothing but hair ,blood and the backbone left .

 

[gouch]

A friend of mine had it happen to him. He shot a huge buck with his bow and when he got to it there were five coyotes already there. They had only taken a couple of bites so not too much damage. My very first deer we had some coyotes come into camp trying to get a meal from the hanging deer. My cousin had a buck hanging in camp one year and got up in the morning to find a bobcat enjoying some venison breakfast. Critters gotta eat I guess.

 

[Panda Bear]

The thing about hunting is it happens out in nature and nature does what nature does. Whether it's bacteria or a grizzly bear SOMETHING is going to start eating a pile of protein left in the woods. IMO if you have a problem with that, take up golf.

to expand on this a bit

I know our situation is a bit different, but, since we eat everything we hunt, we are pretty cautious about shooting to late in the day, as wolfs, wolverines, bears tend to devour downed animals fairly quickly. When you fellows are dressing out an animal in the field do you have the right to protect your kill from Bears and Wolves ? If you attach a tag to a downed animal it is at that moment your property --?. If so, dont you have an, in defense of life and property law ?

Again I realize our situation is different but was curious

 

[Muley_Stalker]

to expand on this a bit

I know our situation is a bit different, but, since we eat everything we hunt, we are pretty cautious about shooting to late in the day, as wolfs, wolverines, bears tend to devour downed animals fairly quickly. When you fellows are dressing out an animal in the field do you have the right to protect your kill from Bears and Wolves ? If you attach a tag to a downed animal it is at that moment your property --?. If so, dont you have an, in defense of life and property law ?

Again I realize our situation is different but was curious

I never hunt late in the day. I don't want to deal with hauling out meat in the dark and no way will I just leave it sit all night. I hunt from first light to about 1 pm. That gives me time to get the meat out or at least some of it and hang the rest.

 

[MTLabrador]

If you attach a tag to a downed animal it is at that moment your property --?. If so, dont you have an, in defense of life and property law ?

Again I realize our situation is different but was curious

You can’t shoot a grizzly for taking your meat in any state that I know of. You can obviously defend yourself if a bear comes after you while you are still there. I’ll still shoot an elk at last light. I worry more about bumping into a grizzly when I’m walking around at night than I do a bear trying to take my elk.

 

[Panda Bear]

You can’t shoot a grizzly for taking your meat in any state that I know of. You can obviously defend yourself if a bear comes after you while you are still there. I’ll still shoot an elk at last light. I worry more about bumping into a grizzly when I’m walking around at night than I do a bear trying to take my elk.

thank you

The thing about hunting is it happens out in nature and nature does what nature does. Whether it's bacteria or a grizzly bear SOMETHING is going to start eating a pile of protein left in the woods. IMO if you have a problem with that, take up golf.

we occasionally will see a pack of wolves hunt Caribou or Muskox. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they dont

 

[HSi-ESi]

This last season was a first for me. My BIL shot a deer late in the day and I knew the hit was a bit low. We couldn't track it down as it crossed to some neighbor's - and needed to get permission. By the time all the phone calls were done it was dark and I figured the deer wasn't dead yet.

Went in at first light and found the deer, 1 hind leg eaten. Neck wounds indicating that the coyote finished it off for us. We cleaned it up real quick and butchered the rest right away. It's been eating just fine.

 

[Gary]

Dang. Yea, that’d rub me the wrong way too. I’ve seen yotes get animals if left overnight, but not within an hour or two.

Once again proving the old adage, "Timing is everything"....even for coyotes.

 

[Indianajoe]

My post wasn't saying coyotes were wrong; they are wild animals after all. I was surprised how fast they got on it. I don't like wasting meat and I feel like I did that. As ben said something will eat protein. I prefer it to be me.