I think a Dingo ate my Baby!

[Stephen Graf]

#4279

Well, not quite. But I was heart broken anyway…

Had a tasty six pointer come in last night about 6:15pm. Came broadside at 14 yards and just slightly quartering away.

Took the shot with my trusty woodies and turkey feathers. Deer mule kicked like heart shot, moved 20 yards and stopped. He stood there for 15 seconds then stumbled, I figured that was it. But no, he got his second wind and moved 1 step to the left and out of sight.

I waited 15 minutes, recovered arrow which was covered in blood and commenced to look for blood trail. Went 20 yds and found nothing, so I backed out.

Came back in the morning to find deer had only taken 2 more steps. Shot perfect through the lungs.

Coyote’s had him for supper. Can’t leave a deer out over night anymore. Used to be if you left a deer over night around here no problem. Just maybe a little possum damage. Now it seems likely you will recover nothing.

I left the woods about 7pm last night, got back and found him about 6:30 this am. Less than 12 hours to eat the whole deer clean. Nothing left but skin and bone.

At least nothing was wasted 😳 🙄 😕

[Ralph]

#28961

That’s a shame Steve that you’re animal was lost that way.

I know where you’re coming from on the coyote deal. When I go out on my lease early in the morning there’s coyotes howling and yapping all over the place.

When I use my wounded rabbit call to imitate a fawn bleat I never know if it’ll be mule deer does or coyotes come to check it out (you ever seen how quick a coyote can go from going this away to going that away when it figures out you ain’t no rabbit?).

Once again, sorry about your loss but like you said, nothing wasted to momma nature.

Hope you don’t dream too much about not taking two more steps:roll:

[Stephen Graf]

#28988

This happened to me last year when I left a deer over night. Seems the ‘yotes are too plentiful to ignore anymore. I think I’ll have to plan on spending the night looking for the deer, if that that be the case.

This deer was shot in a suburb environment. Houses with a few acres of land backing up to a green area. I was afraid I’d have the cops called on me if I started poking around after midnight with a flashlight. Or somebody would shoot at me.

So this place is going to be a strictly morning place from now on. That way, I’ve got all day to look for any wayward critters.

[Ralph]

#29014

10-4 on that. I still have problems with my left hand that got tore up 3 yrs. by a broken deer antler on the deer I worked so feverishly and so late to get out because of the very reason, coyotes.

I was far from my truck, I knew where he was but I also new if I waited til daylight to fetch him the coyotes would eat him.

It wasn’t quite the same deal as yours, I had him but I was 1 1/2 miles from my truck and that’s far for a 200#? dead haul (104# of butchered meat so big enough deer. Too big for ‘yote midnight snack).:roll:

Decided though the next time if it happens I’ll get help. Or I’ll hunt that part of the world in the morning. That was a long trip with a gaping wound.

[paleoman]

#29139

I’m sorry for the loss Steve. It seems everywhere I go too, those “brush wolves” are yapping after dark. They are a success story all their own that’s for sure.

[grumpy]

#29151

Coyote??

I saw 2 deer gut piles that the bear got last fall within 24 hours. I have had visions of fighting a bear off any kill I get. Not likely, but it makes a good story. Honestly, there are bears in all of the places I hunt, and I know they have seen me, more than I have seen them. They have no fear of raiding bird feeders, so I doubt they would hesitate even if the saw me shoot it. Keep in mind that they will know as soon s it is down (that also includes the skunks, ‘possums, coons, coyotes, buzzards, etc.) , long before I will know, and be heading there as soon as they know. So I will probably have an audience as I gut the animal, which will include everyone mentioned above and there will be a long parade following as I drag it out of the woods.

[Charles Ek]

#30398

This is the reason I’m burdened with a block-and-tackle rig (lightweight climbing pulleys and static line) every time I go deer hunting.

I like to hunt well away from the mad(den)ing crowd. If I’m fortunate to take a deer and my plastic toboggan and/or deer cart are not within a scant few minutes’ walk, the deer will be hung high enough for me to go fetch one or the other. There are coyotes everywhere in the Northeast these days, and the bears are holding their own as well.

[Stephen Graf]

#30419

I’ve learned a lesson this year. Seems every year brings more lessons 😳

Now that ‘yotes are a permanent fixture of our local ecology, I’ll have to take that into account.

Maybe I’ll experiment with fishing arrows 😯 I figure if I use my safety harness to keep me attached to the tree, and the line from the arrow is attached to that, what can go wrong? 🙄

Going hunting tomorrow AM in the same area I shot that deer. Hoping things have calmed down and I’ll get another opportunity to make meat.

[David Coulter]

#30426

Steve, good story for us. Sorry you lost that deer. We have coyotes here now more than ever. This is a good tale to keep in mind. Thank you, dwc

Ps. I like that fishing arrow idea. Wear your rollerblades and you’re off!

[Ralph]

#30901

Steve Graf wrote: I’ve learned a lesson this year. Seems every year brings more lessons 😳

Maybe I’ll experiment with fishing arrows 😯 I figure if I use my safety harness to keep me attached to the tree, and the line from the arrow is attached to that, what can go wrong? 🙄

.

Jaws…………….”I think I need a bigger tree”……..:roll:

[Patrick]

#30934

Wow! We have a few coyotes around here, but not enough to worry about leaving a deer overnight.

[Stephen Graf]

#31118

A fellow around here said that just a couple coyote’s could clean a deer out in a night. He said they will eat as much as they can and return to their den to regurgitate the meat to eat later. Then return to the deer and repeat process till nothing is left.

What a nasty habit!

[David Coulter]

#31158

It’s a livin’.

[skinner biscuit]

#35006

Steve,after cutting up a deer last year I took all the bones and scraps ,put them in a bucket,walked them up to the top of my property and threw them in a hole.Put up a trail camera and got 680 pics of coyotes having a scavenger fest.Looked like someone did a burn out with a quad, they tore up the ground so much!This all happened the first night!

[Stephen Graf]

#36203

dog-fu-young, ‘yote pie, puppy fritters, yapper on toast…

I guess we’re a going to have to adapt 😀

What was the largest number of coyote’s in a single picture? Could you tell how many there were?

[Ptaylor]

#37155

Steve Graf wrote: A fellow around here said that just a couple coyote’s could clean a deer out in a night. He said they will eat as much as they can and return to their den to regurgitate the meat to eat later. Then return to the deer and repeat process till nothing is left.

What a nasty habit!

That’s a tough hunt Steve. Was it dark when you retrieved your arrow? I’m just wondering why you didn’t walk over to the last place you saw him for a look, before heading home…? Did you think it was not a good hit and were worried about spooking him? I guess maybe it was just that you thought he got a second wind?

The coyotes do do what your friend said in the above quote, but they don’t have dens this time of year. Dens are just for raising pups in the spring. However, they will carry off pieces of meat and cache them in holes in the ground. I wonder how many coyotes were feeding on the deer?

[Stephen Graf]

#37202

I got close enough to where I last saw him to see he wasn’t there. I didn’t want to push him. The arrow was covered with blood and smelled ok, I just wasn’t sure of the hit…

[Ralph]

#37303

I was hunkered up in a big pile of rocks early yesterday, about half asleep, waiting for daylight so I could do some glassing, when a mess of coyotes starting raising a ruckus within a hundred yards of me. Downwind too.:roll:

I thought about Steve’s deal and I was hoping if I smelled at all, which was a good possibility, it wasn’t smelling dead. :D:D

Never saw the buggers so guess I smelled like people which at times can be OK..:wink:

[skinner biscuit]

#37495

Steve as I can best recall,I had three our four at the most on one pic.They were darting in and out.And to think I used to dig a hole and bury the bones, cause that’s what dad did when he butchered a cow!

[Ptaylor]

#39622

My friend captured video (on a remote game camera, total luck) of 2 coyotes killing a mature buck (right on the edge of the line for black-tailed and desert mule deer), down near the SF bay area. I was able to watch the videos. It took the 2 coyotes at least 45 minutes (because they came onto the camera chasing the deer already) to kill it. The last 15 minutes, the buck is in this sort of “dream” state, not totally conscious, head on the ground for long periods, then popping up and looking around; all the while the coyotes are feeding on the deer’s ham. Right before the buck dies, you can see his femur bone the coyotes ate that much meat off him while he was alive! It was pretty rough to watch, even on video.

[Stephen Graf]

#40576

A few years ago I was hunting in CO with a friend. He shot a nice buck with his bow and it lay down close to his tree stand. The shot was a little back so it was going to take some time for the buck to expire.

Then a pack of ‘yotes came and attacked the buck. It got up to fight them off. So having only two arrows left, he is presented with the conundrum of what to shoot, buck or ‘yote.

In the end, the buck actually fends off the ‘yotes and they run off. He then shot the buck again, which also ran off.

It ran under my stand a few hundred yards away and expired.

First I saw the other bucks in the bachelor group run by me.

Then I saw a pack of coyote’s run by me.

Then a nice buck runs up and tips over in front of me.

Hmmm… I think there must be a story here somewhere…

Since I am in possession of said buck, I end up dragging it back to the truck (gutted of course). On the way back, a doe crosses my path. I drop my drag line, raise my bow, and shoot the doe.

When I get back to the truck dragging a big buck and now a doe, I see my friend Andy leaning against the truck scratching his head.

He see’s me coming and does a double take. I say: “I had a good morning, how ’bout you?” He tells me his story which ends with: “And he ran off down that-a-way, and that deer looks like it could be his twin”

I insist I don’t know what he means. For a little while anyway. For my taunting and teasing, I got not a laugh. And not a thank-you for dragging his deer back to the truck either. Not till later anyway.

[William Warren]

#26545

The yotes must have gone up your way since I have not been leaving them any deer to eat lately and I now only let my house dog out on the leash since he bowed up and chased one off from the recycling bin I had just set out by the road. Have not heard or seen any here since last year. Sorry the yotes got your deer.

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