Buck down

[so haaad]

I got out bowhunting on Friday after work, and made a 31-yard shot on a 9-pointer. The buck buckled a little, then took off with its tail down on a dead sprint. The shot looked good but maybe a little back.

I got down and found my arrow, a complete pass through shot. The yardage was almost dead-on, just as I had guessed. I had a hard time tracking because the area where he ran has some pretty thick stuff and it was really tough going in the dark. I searched hard for a couple hours, and finally decided that my best plan of attack would be to back out and get tracking again at first light the next morning.

Saturday morning I was out there at first light, and quickly found a dark, dark blood trail that looked like a liver shot. As I tracked him into an old forest cut/grassy area, I soon found a spot with downed grass that was covered in blood. Ten feet ahead was another spot with good blood where you could tell he went down again. Four spots within twenty feet where he had stumbled or gone down. As I looked up ahead, there on the ground lay my 9-point buck. Not a huge buck, but still a decent buck.

Instead of a feeling of satisfaction, my heart immediately sunk. My buck had been completely cleaned down to the carcass with just the head, hide and entrails remaining. Between about 11:00 pm and 6:30 am that morning, a pack of coyotes had found my 9-pointer and did a job on him that even a butcher would envy. I went back to my Jeep and came back with a camera, only to find a blood-faced coyote standing over the scene of the crime once again.

That first glance of what remained of my 9-pointer was definitely tough to swallow. But it was still quite a unique experience, and one that I’ll never forget. Wiley Coyote, you better watch your back. Your face is now on the wanted poster.

Hey HarveyLee, Deitz-

Can I post a picture of a deer carcass if it's a coyote kill? Or do the guidelines prohibit it?

Here's the scene that I found. The red item on the left is a large part of the hide.

[Stratosman]

Talk about going from a high to a low. Congratulations and that sucks all at the same time.

Good job on the recovery too.

[bottomdweller]

Way to stay on the track and sorry for the loss of meat.

Nice looking buck.

[fishermatt]

Good job on a killing shot and good tracking job. Them frickin' 'yotes are a menace to society. At least they don't eat the horns. Nice Buck!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Go ahead and post the pict if you havnt already.. I cant see picts on my work puter...

[uplander]

Maybe a dumb question, but does this mean your buck tag is gone?

[frogtosser]

thats what I was wondering, do you have to tag a deer that was scavenged to nothing?

[harvey lee]

If you are going to keep part of the animal I would say yes. Otherwise someone might think you took this animal without a tag.

[Studer]

Sorry to hear about that. Probably didn't have your bow when you went back with the camera did you?? Dang coyotes....

[so haaad]

I thought about the tag issue also, but both of the hind legs are gone! Actually the DNR said it was a "natural" process and that I didn't need to tag it.

[uplander]

Does that mean you can't take any part of the animal, like the antlers? I would assume it does... I might talk to the DNR just to be on the safe side.....or not...your call

[uplander]

Sorry I guess you already talked to them...what did they say about the antlers

[so haaad]

They gave me the green light to take the antlers.

[Shack]

To bad! Alot of good meat gone!

They sure did a fine job of skinning! Could not have done better my self!

At least you are not loosing your tag over this! As I read your post, I could see first pic and it looks like you were capping deer for a mount. By the end of your story, I found out who did the capping!

Good luck on your next one!

[harvey lee]

We lost a deer to the coyotes once as few years back and they didnt even leave the hide as they took it all. It doesnt take a pack of coyotes long to clean it up.

[uplander]

So haaad... sounds like someone needs to get out yote hunting this winter in that area...I'ld love to help out in that department..Started hunting yotes last winter, with no success, but i intend to keep at it...Nothing easy is worth doing anyway! Good luck the rest of the season! May the hunting Gods smile upon your misfortune and bring you that 160 class 10 pointer you deserve!! Uplander

[tunrevir]

Yep, we could use a bit of Coyote control out there. Got alot of those critters running around this neck of the woods. SoHaad nice deer, tough ending. There will be more and bigger ones to come by yet this year! Good luck out there! Gonna start hitting it hard after this weekend.

Tunrevir~