My first doe of the season...I hate coyotes

[Tbar]

Last Friday was out bright and early and within about 20 minutes got a shot off on a doe just before she left the cutline for the woods. I radioed my partner and was giving it a few minutes before I went to look for her (I found the trail where she went in)...my experience has always been to not chase a wounded deer. I assumed she was wounded as I never heard her hit the ground and I didn't see her near the edge of the cut line. After a few minutes I could hear her grunting pretty regular...and she wasn't moving. Given that she was downwind of me and how close she sounded I got a sinking feeling that she was crippled up in the trees and couldn't run and I would need to finish her off. I waited for my partner and then we waited a few more minutes...maybe 15 or 20 minutes total. I was shocked when I came up on her laying on the ground. She was looking right at me while a coyote was literally eating her alive from the backend. This doe was in such a state of shock that it took a few more shots to put her out of her misery. I sure don't feel good about how that one went and I don't really want to start another thread about a hunt gone bad. Guess I just wanted to share this with others who can appreciate the experience.

[hal53]

Did you shoot the coyote???......

[Tbar]

No...first priority was to put that deer out of its misery...coyote ran off after the first shot.

[dieselboy20]

As hunters we still have a soft spot for these animals and don't like to see something like that happen on our account. Just human nature to feel some remorse, it doesn't always go down how we plan and its part of hunting. Most of us are all out there for the right reasons to have food on the table. Also going to say that our predator population at least in my area is out of control, and I know of about 20 guys in my hometown that hunt coyotes regularly. Scary to think a trophy animal could get away for a short amount of time like that and have some mangy coyotes ruin it all. I have no problems pulling the triggers on coyotes, have to keep the population at bay.

[hal53]

X2...that Deer wasn't going anywhere, my first shot would have been at the coyoye, then finish off the job you started on the Deer....but that's me....just sayin'

[a little redneck]

I let one coyote go while gopher hunting this summer... not anymore! I saw tons of coyote tracks while out hunting last week-end.

[elkhunter11]

X2...that Deer wasn't going anywhere, my first shot would have been at the coyoye, then finish off the job you started on the Deer....but that's me....just sayin'

+1. I would have taken a few seconds to eliminate the coyote, then finish the deer.

[ward]

Coyotes eat whatever they can to survive. I suspect he thought he was quite lucky to come across a wounded deer. What exactly was he doing wrong. Hunters are always giving Disney and the Anti's a hard time when they apply human thought and emotion to Bambi, but the fawn killing coyotes are evil.
I would think he likes eating venison just like you, only he can't go to the store for dinner like you can.

[FishHunterPro]

I had coyotes put a death run on a buck that I shoulder shot, I was giving him tIme to bleed and 5mins later I could here a pack of coyotes going crazy 100yrds away. That was the end of that seasOn. Gun shots are like dinner bells going off to them

[catnthehat]

Of course you could always look at it this way - if you had not wounded the deer, the coyote wold not be eating it alive!:sign0161:
One must realize that nature is rarely pretty when it comes to dying or death, be it o stronger eaglet killing a weaker one so it can live, or a coyote eating the back end out of a deer so it can live.

We can decide in the end what animal we ae going to kill, but in the end we must live wit that fact as well.
at times we do not make an instant kill.
Cat

[dieselboy20]

Coyotes eat whatever they can to survive. I suspect he thought he was quite lucky to come across a wounded deer. What exactly was he doing wrong. Hunters are always giving Disney and the Anti's a hard time when they apply human thought and emotion to Bambi, but the fawn killing coyotes are evil.
I would think he likes eating venison just like you, only he can't go to the store for dinner like you can.

Thats understandable, but don't you think theres a few too many yotes and wolves around if they can get on someones wounded game that quickly? Seems like this scenario has been happening a lot lately.

[Moosetalker]

X2...that Deer wasn't going anywhere, my first shot would have been at the coyoye, then finish off the job you started on the Deer....but that's me....just sayin'

I agree the deer was so far gone in shock that she prob never felt a thing.
I have seen a few few shows by Natl Geo etc that state this as normal and happens as the norm with wild canine feeding activity, seems cruel but thats nature.

I miss the late 70s and $100.00 for a frozen Yote :mad3: Stupid Anti fur wearing Fools.

[tegcont]

As hunters we still have a soft spot for these animals and don't like to see something like that happen on our account. Just human nature to feel some remorse, it doesn't always go down how we plan and its part of hunting. Most of us are all out there for the right reasons to have food on the table. Also going to say that our predator population at least in my area is out of control, and I know of about 20 guys in my hometown that hunt coyotes regularly. Scary to think a trophy animal could get away for a short amount of time like that and have some mangy coyotes ruin it all. I have no problems pulling the triggers on coyotes, have to keep the population at bay.

Well said.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

One must realize that nature is rarely pretty when it comes to dying or death, be it o stronger eaglet killing a weaker one so it can live, or a coyote eating the back end out of a deer so it can live.

+1

If you really need that explained to you I would suggest you read There's A Hair In My Dirt! (http://www.amazon.ca/Theres-Hair-Dirt-Worms-Story/dp/0060932740)

ARG

[Dunezilla]

Who was to say the deer was in shock? Might of went into shock after the yote had romp roast.

A bullet to the head would have put her out of her misery. I too would of put the deer down 1st, but that is me. Funny how for 1000's of years deer & such animals lived when there was still wolves & yotes around & we still have deer & what not today.

The main reason the Wt Deer populations were around 250,000 was do to the warm weather since around 1997 & the same goes for the 175,000 Mule deer.

Yet I will take down a yote or wolf too but I do not go out of my way to do so.

Just my opinion

[hal53]

Who was to say the deer was in shock? Might of went into shock after the yote had romp roast.

A bullet to the head would have put her out of her misery. I too would of put the deer down 1st, but that is me. Funny how for 1000's of years deer & such animals lived when there was still wolves & yotes around & we still have deer & what not today.

The main reason the Wt Deer populations were around 250,000 was do to the warm weather since around 1997 & the same goes for the 175,000 Mule deer.

Yet I will take down a yote or wolf too but I do not go out of my way to do so.

Just my opinion
what's a romp roast???...and where do you get your population numbers from???...and warm winters since 1997....????....PULEEZ! do not turn this thread into one of those.......

[dieselboy20]

Who was to say the deer was in shock? Might of went into shock after the yote had romp roast.

A bullet to the head would have put her out of her misery. I too would of put the deer down 1st, but that is me. Funny how for 1000's of years deer & such animals lived when there was still wolves & yotes around & we still have deer & what not today.

The main reason the Wt Deer populations were around 250,000 was do to the warm weather since around 1997 & the same goes for the 175,000 Mule deer.

Yet I will take down a yote or wolf too but I do not go out of my way to do so.

Just my opinion

You don't think fur traders kept the varmint populations in check for the last "X" amount of years like we still do now?

[LB 270]

It never occurred to me that he wouldn't shoot the yote first. I took that as a given. Huh.......my bad. Heh heh. Glad you got your deer!!

LB

[Nikanit]

Coyotes eat whatever they can to survive. I suspect he thought he was quite lucky to come across a wounded deer. What exactly was he doing wrong. Hunters are always giving Disney and the Anti's a hard time when they apply human thought and emotion to Bambi, but the fawn killing coyotes are evil.
I would think he likes eating venison just like you, only he can't go to the store for dinner like you can.

I completely agree. That's nature and how she works.

[FriendlyGiant]

Yep. Without getting into a huge debate over whether yotes are a nuisance or not, everything has its place and its purpose. They still clean up tons of varmint and other disease carrying rodents. I understand the threat they pose to livestock. If I'm a farmer and they're killing my sheep, no question, put em down. But If I'm just tracking through the woods and come across one, I'm not going to take one out just because the crown says I can.



...now if I ever came across a hog on the other hand :)

[gregc]

:
I would think he likes eating venison just like you, only he can't go to the store for dinner like you can.



and even if he could go to the store for dinner, the coyote doesn't have any pockets to keep his money in.... :sign0161:

[elkhunter11]

and even if he could go to the store for dinner, the coyote doesn't have any pockets to keep his money in..

If he gives me the opportunity, I will make him some pockets.:sHa_shakeshout:

Coyote populations are very high in many areas, and I do my best to help to control them.

[top predator]

I hate coyotes, I however love to shoot them. It's actually a fetish.

[ganderblaster]

Have I mentioned I like XP3 ammo?

[Jadham]

I completely agree. That's nature and how she works.

I am surprised how often hunters get so upset seeing nature at work. I also agree with the other poster..those that vilify predators hunting their natural prey are "humanizing" animals.

I do, however, understand how a rancher feels upset with livestock loss.

[Jadham]

You don't think fur traders kept the varmint populations in check for the last "X" amount of years like we still do now?

Exactly. When you look at areas where there's been no predator control for the last 100 years +, they are overrun with dangerous predators and the ungulates are wiped out.

Just look at Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay... I never see any deer, moose, elk, or sheep there... just hungry wolves and coyotes.

[elkhunter11]

I am surprised how often hunters get so upset seeing nature at work. I also agree with the other poster..those that vilify predators hunting their natural prey are "humanizing" animals.

I do, however, understand how a rancher feels upset with livestock loss.

You might want to do some research on coyote predation on pronghorns. Our pronghorns are already at lower than desired population levels, and they need all the help that they can get to recover. Some interesting reading below.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=coyotesw

Pronghorn fawns in the Trans-Pecos, as in other
areas, are highly susceptible to predation In a study
conducted In Hudspeth County of the western Trans-
Pecos, 81% of 101 radio-equipped fawns were
killed by predators over 3 fawning seasons Sixty
six fawns were killed by coyotes, 6 by mountain
lions, 5 by bobcats, and 4 by golden eagles (Canon
1993). Eighty per-cent of depredated fawns were
killed within the first 30 days of life and 95% within
the first 60 days of life, supporting the notion that the
most critical period for pronghorn is the first 30 to
60 days of life.

[medicmoose]

I flipping hate posts like this. You are the reason the coyote was eating the deer alive it was your sloppy shooting your sloppy recover that lead to this story. Give your head a shake sorry for the rude post but yeash man you could hear the flipping thing suffering in the bush and You wait for your hunting partner. Hope you learned a lesson here. The coyote only capitalized on your incompetence

[hal53]

I flipping hate posts like this. You are the reason the coyote was eating the deer alive it was your sloppy shooting your sloppy recover that lead to this story. Give your head a shake sorry for the rude post but yeash man you could hear the flipping thing suffering in the bush and You wait for your hunting partner. Hope you learned a lesson here. The coyote only capitalized on your incompetence
x lots!!!!.......too many threads this year of lost animals, long tracking jobs etc., poor shooting or inexperience?, dunno...but not good......

[Jadham]

You might want to do some research on coyote predation on pronghorns. Our pronghorns are already at lower than desired population levels, and they need all the help that they can get to recover. Some interesting reading below.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=coyotesw

Predator and prey populations have existed in dynamic equilibrium for millions of years.

Pronghorns populations are affected by many factors - loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation, fencing, cold winters, predation, etc.

No doubt some predator populations are abundant (coyote, wolf), but so are some prey like waterfowl, whitetail, prairie elk to name a few (compared to historical norms). When left alone these populations cycle naturally.

I don't understand why so many hunters have a hard time seeing predators and prey "interacting". Nor do I understand vilifying one type of animal for what it does in nature. What about those mangy vermin deer that sh*t all over the place and tear up people's gardens on the B.C. Gulf islands, or those stinking bellowing mangy elk that destroy a farmer's crop? What about that fricken tick ridden stag that keeps tromping through my garden? :confused:

[elkhunter11]

When left alone these populations cycle naturally.


That is exactly the point, man has not left these populations to cycle naturally. We have upset the balance of nature, which has greatly benefited species like the coyote. Now we can either let the overabundance of coyotes and in some places wolf further upset the balance, or we can intervene, and attempt to restore the balance.

[Jadham]

That is exactly the point, man has not left these populations to cycle naturally. We have upset the balance of nature, which has greatly benefited species like the coyote. Now we can either let the overabundance of coyotes and in some places wolf further upset the balance, or we can intervene, and attempt to restore the balance.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that any population, prey or predator, in surplus should be huntable... the coyote could certainly be considered in surplus. In fact, as long as the population is stable and not endangered, it should be able to support a limited hunt. Furthermore, animals causing property damage, be it predator (livestock) or prey (crops) should be dealt with... how it is dealt with is obviously variable.

What I don't understand is the attitude and adjectives some hunters use, or assigning morality and human values to some animals and not others. Calling coyotes vermin on one hand (because of their natural behavior) and not the surplus deer/geese/rabbits (which cause damage to crops/gardens as part of their behavior) vermin, is hypocritical IMHO.

[Tbar]

My level of remorse for how this one developed was clearly expressed in the original post. I gave and have been giving my head a shake since it happened. Having said that...I didn't shoot the coyote and I don't blame the coyote for doing what it does...it just added to my sense of guilt I suppose. My priority was and would be again to put the deer out of its misery asap and not to punish the coyote.

I was with a hunting party years ago that chased after a wounded deer too soon and never did find it. In this case I fought my instincts to try to ensure I didnt' drive a wounded deer out of reach (off the quarter I was on). I don't know that there was a right way to do this or not, but I appreciate any constructive thoughts on the situation....I'd like to learn to be a better hunter and hopefully not have this happen again if its within my control.

Thanks

[Jadham]

Things don't always go perfectly. Not every animal is a "bang-flop" and it is not pleasant seeing a wounded animal in distress.

If things don't go as well as I hope, I find it useful examining the controllable or modifiable factors. Only you can think of the factors that you could change for next time, whether that be load, shooting position, shooting angle, length of time waiting after the shot, etc. Sometimes is may be impossible to think of anything to change.

[iamcanjim]

I think there are two types of hunters here in Alberta. There are the "naturalist" hunters which truly care about the environment, and its health, including both predators and prey. They understand that wolves, coyotes and other predators are not inherently evil even though they use methods that arent' the most pleasant to catch their food.

Then there are the other hunters, who only care about ungulate levels, and ascribe human characteristics to animals. They want all predators wiped out, so that the ungulate populations are artificially high. They see a coyote feeding on a live animal as proof of a coyote's evil nature.

Luckily, the first sort of hunters are increasing and the 2nd sort are dying out, although they are still alive and well on this forum. I would say that the numbers of the 2nd kind of hunters is higher than appears here, as most of that sort don't use the internet.