??Coyote Question??

[Solaris79]

Hello All,

I'm new to the forum and pretty much all online social networking sites as well, so please forgive my possible ignorance/inability to figure out how to work everything ! I've been a casual observer over the last couple months after being informed about the site/forum and I like what I see. HSO seems like a great site/forum concerning its policies, topics, members, and all the added content related to outdoor activities. Anyway, I look forward to becoming involved with a forum based on sound principles and ethics thats made up of like minded sportsman/women.

Anyway, here's my situation leading up to a question about coyotes:

I recently moved to the Cities from western MN because of employment/school and didn't have any luck finding private land to hunt on, so I've been hunting Carlos Avery (tons of future topics involved with that, but I'll save it for later!). Anyway, I haven't had any good opportunities at a mature buck as of yet, so a couple days ago I decided I would attempt to take a doe for the freezer and call it quits for the year (not liking the 1 deer area, with the amount of deer I've seen it should be managed!). On Friday morning right about 7am I took a 22yd shot at a nice mature doe and I wasn't able to see my shot placement, so I waited till about 930 to start looking for her. I couldn't find my arrow and found a very sparse blood trail, which I followed for about 50yds to a large swamp infested with dogwoods. I decided to give it a few more hours just in case. I went back on the trail at noon and found her within 150yds of my stand-site; however, she was already 90% eaten by coyotes. No yippin or anything but the oaks were rustling in the wind pretty good. I've lived and hunted in coyote country all my life, so I realize a person takes a chance backing out overnight. I have hunted coyotes hard as well and thought I knew quit a bit about them, yet I've never experienced or heard of anyone who has had a deer eaten by yote's in broad-daylight. I'm at a loss for words, completely torn up inside, and am beginning to question my decision as well, which I thought was the responsible one.

Has anyone ever heard of or experienced a coyote/pack eating a deer in broad-daylight like this? Are yote's that different in the metro area? Would any of you alter your practice of backing out when in doubt because of it?

Thanks for any responses as I'm currently in a moral dilemma regarding how I will respond to future situations such as this.

[Archerysniper]

Welcome Solaris79 to the site and look forward to your future posts. I don't change my tracking practices when coyotes are a round it's a chance you have to take but if you jump the deer your probably not going to find it. Yes I have had yotes get deer during the day sometimes I have found the deer within 2 hours and they had already started eating it. This year I have had more problems with yotes they are everywhere and need some thinning out we got the snow to do it know and if it's not windy I might head out in a hour and do some calling for them buggers.

[Solaris79]

Thanks for welcome and response ArcherSniper. I don't get feedback from many people about bowhunting because I don't know many people who participate, and its the only way I choose to deer hunt. Seems all the people I know that gun hunt who I asked about this just seem to say go after it right away; except they have the option of shooting at running deer and from a distance (if they believe its an ethical shot opportunity), so they don't worry about it. I'm still blown away by my deer getting eaten hours after its shot during broad-daylight though because the yotes out west were an uncommon site beyond the first and last 1/2 hour or light (unless it was a bitter cold winter night or they were mangy/sick). Live and learn I guess!

Good to hear I'm not alone dealing with daytime coyotes though and I most likely won't change my trailing practices because the few times I've had to back out its proven to be the right thing to do. I'll take a positive away from this situation at least, which is that I now know of a good spot I can chase yotes! Wish I could go out tonight, but I'll be out to raise a little trouble with the local yote population in the weeks and months to come!

Good luck if you get out tonight!

[Scoot]

Welcome Solaris. I agree with Sniper, you made a good decision and it just didn't work out this time. Honestly, I don't think you screwed up in any way. Dang yotes- they're thick almost everywhere right now it seems.

[harvey lee]

Welcome to the site, good to have you here with us.

I hunt in ND and the yote problems by us can be diffucult.

When archery hunting, I do hate to leave a deer alone to long after the shot and espically overnight. Sometimes it is the best thing to do even knowing one could lose the deer to the yotes.

One year, my son shot a deer, went back to the house to get the truck to haul the deer and when he got back 30 minutes later before dark, the yotes were already having lunch. If there is a lunch to be had, daylight will not scare them off.

We have a real issue with coyotes where we hunt. This fall, my son shot a deer and when he went over to get it, it got up and ran away. We decided to leave it until morning as we would have pushed it and more than likely lost the deer. Lucky for us, the yotes didn't get this one.

Just the chance a person takes in coyote country.

[Grayfox]

Welcome Solaris,

You did exactly what you should have. It's hard to leave the trail because the natural thing to do is want to go get it but if you don't see it go down you need to give it time. All you'll likely do is just push it and likely lose it. I applaud you on doing what you knew was the right thing to do and hopefully next time the end result will turn out better for you. The only thing I'd add is to tag the deer and move on. Coyotes have to eat too. At least until you get them in your sights. Good luck in the future and get after them coyotes.

Rob

[Mercman1]

Ok... If deer was eaten 90% what do you mean put tag on and move on? What are you putting tag on !

[Grayfox]

As it says on your license. I'd notch out my tag for the date and time that I killed it and then call it in and register it.

Because I didn't make a good shot and couldn't recover the animal as fast as I should have doesn't change the fact that I killed it.

Rob

[Solaris79]

Thanks for the warm welcomes to all those who responded as well as the advice and reaffirming of my actions! In 10 yrs of bow hunting I've lost 1 deer after many hours/days of searching and have now had 1 get eaten yote's. Both cases have left me with a sour taste in the back of my mouth and a twisted gut, which were followed by sleepless nights that discouraged me to the point I questioned whether or not I wanted to continue. The last time I lost a deer, it took me the rest of the season to get over it, but I finally got back in the field the next season. All of your words have reenforced my resolve as to why I choose to archery hunt in the first place, and most of all reminded me that these are situations that are bound to happen sometime over an archery (or any method of hunting) hunters time-span of pursueing game.

On a side-note, I did contact a DNR enforcement officer the day it occurred (I should have mentioned that in my first post) about what I should do concerning tagging it or not, and the officer I spoke with told me to not worry about tagging it. He said he was pleased that I called in to ask about it, and actually said thanks for asking because most people don't when it comes to hunter influenced predation. Not sure if the person was just being nice and gave me a break or if its common practice.

Anyhow, thanks again everyone. I still have high hopes of getting some venison in the freezer this year, and hopefully get a few pelts in the coming weeks and months now that I know of a place I can coyote hunt around the Twin Cities with enough acreage for tons of sets every time out!

[HunterLee]

I had my biggest buck of my life eaten last year. Hit a tad back and not much blood, Came back at first light and found it about 200yds away with nothing left. Thankfully they left enough for the cape, but that was it. I did however return the favor and we shot 148 last year. Not that it makes up for the deer, but was fun.

[Solaris79]

HunterLee: Dang! You guys put a good dent in the yote population! I've never came close to those kind of numbers and feel pretty good when I get into the double digits. Hopefully I can coax a few more this year. I just got myself an electric yote call (previously been using the mouth blown rabbit and yote calls) over the summer that has a bunch of different yote vocalizations along with the rabbit sounds, and I hope that will increase the numbers of yotes that show themselves and give me good shot opportunities.

I know it won't make up for the deer as well, however, like you said it's fun, and it'll give me a chance for a little payback (and a small paycheck too once the furs get sold!).