Coyotes and Deer Calls

[Ski]

I've hunted my entire life and see a coyote sometimes but usually in passing and off in the distance. This deer season is different. I lost an 8pt bow kill to coyotes in a matter of hours. I mean I went home to get my boy for help dragging, had dinner, and went back in the woods for retrieval. The animal was stripped clean to its neck, nothing but hide and hooves. It's never happened to me before so I brushed it off as bad luck.

Fast forward to rut when I began rattling and grunting. I had a big male come straight to my tree. He ate a broadhead instead of a deer, but there was no doubt he was looking for the fighting bucks. Again a few days ago the same thing happened again, only that time the dog ate a 30/06 slug. As with the first, he was in hunting posture and came straight to rattling. I actually saw it 10min before chasing does across a field. And now again tonight I shot a giant alpha male that came straight to me after bleat calling. Once is coincidence. Three is a pattern.

All incidences were on 3 different properties, one which is public. Have any of you been experiencing anything like this? If a coyote is brazen enough to hunt adult bucks, then what are they doing to the fawn population? I'm not a coyote hunter. I'm neither here nor there with them, normally. But this is getting annoying. They're ruining my deer hunts.

 

[Ski]

Here's the deer they ate in a few hours.

 

[megalomaniac]

Depending on density of coyotes, yes, they will absolutely hunt adult deer. I've watched them do so dozens of times.

Weve been hammering them 365 past few years. We finally are making a difference. 40% fawn recruitment when we have been 10-15% past 5 years. Last year, I shot 8 from the stand while hunting. I've only seen 1 the entire season. Maybe I scared them off temporarily, but I love seeing so many fawns this year!

An interesting aside, they are starting to learn how to predate piglets in areas with sig hog densities. They may eventually be the one predator that keeps hog populations in check after they continue to adapt their hunting strategies.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Ski]

Depending on density of coyotes, yes, they will absolutely hunt adult deer. I've watched them do so dozens of times.

Weve been hammering them 365 past few years. We finally are making a difference. 40% fawn recruitment when we have been 10-15% past 5 years. Last year, I shot 8 from the stand while hunting. I've only seen 1 the entire season. Maybe I scared them off temporarily, but I love seeing so many fawns this year!

Oh wow :shock: I knew they had to be doing some damage, but had no idea it could be that severe. Congrats on getting them under control. I have never paid much attention to them before because I've never really been directly confronted with it until now. I don't particularly enjoy killing them because I'm certainly not going to eat them, but on the other hand they are directly competing with me for the same food. The farmers allowing me to hunt also ask that I shoot any that I can.

An interesting aside, they are starting to learn how to predate piglets in areas with sig hog densities. They may eventually be the one predator that keeps hog populations in check after they continue to adapt their hunting strategies.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Interesting. I guess there are always two sides to every coin.

 

[DaveB]

Kill every one you see. Go in the spring time and call them in, they got pups and are frantic for food.

They are also death on turkey poults.

 

[GRIT]

This has nothing to do with calls.But if i shoot a deer i will go look for it and when i find it if i have to go get help or the 4 wheeler.And i know i'm gonna be gone for hours i will lay my coat on the deer's back end.i have had to leave them in the woods all night before it was cold but the coat seems to keep the coyotes off it.

 

[MUP]

This has nothing to do with calls.But if i shoot a deer i will go look for it and when i find it if i have to go get help or the 4 wheeler.And i know i'm gonna be gone for hours i will lay my coat on the deer's back end.i have had to leave them in the woods all night before it was cold but the coat seems to keep the coyotes off it.

Never thought of that, excellent idea and thanks for sharing that!

 

[Ski]

This has nothing to do with calls.But if i shoot a deer i will go look for it and when i find it if i have to go get help or the 4 wheeler.And i know i'm gonna be gone for hours i will lay my coat on the deer's back end.i have had to leave them in the woods all night before it was cold but the coat seems to keep the coyotes off it.

That is a great idea. Could have made all the difference. Thank you

 

[gunrunner]

I have killed 3 so far this season.Last year they took down a full grown doe not 50 yards from my stand.I had hunted in the afternoon and left at dark.I came back the next morning and saw a coyote going into some thick brush in front of the stand.He came out with a deer leg in his mouth.I shot him and 2 others that came to the kill that morning.Shoot every one you see.The neighbors where I hunt told me they have lost 2 dogs and several chickens to them.I plan to get out this spring and call some up before they can get to the fawns.

 

[rmmonty32]

A couple of weeks ago i had been doing some bleat calls leading up to sundown and had a small yote come in on me...it saw me and took off like a rocket.

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

 

[DaveB]

When I first moved into my home in Diamond Bar California there were stray cats and dogs and nearly everyone had pet cats and dogs.

Three years later coyotes had killed every stray and half the pets, including one of my cats.

Kill every coyote you see. No mercy.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

This has nothing to do with calls.But if i shoot a deer i will go look for it and when i find it if i have to go get help or the 4 wheeler.And i know i'm gonna be gone for hours i will lay my coat on the deer's back end.i have had to leave them in the woods all night before it was cold but the coat seems to keep the coyotes off it.

We have used similar tactics out in CO with downed elk. Works fairly well....at least for bears and mountain lions. Coyotes seem to be even more "skiddish" too

 

[Mike Belt]

I've never had one come to a deer call but I can see how they might, particularly with a fawn bleat. I have had them eat a couple of my shot deer I didn't find immediately.

 

[Grnwing]

Last weekend heard chasing and saw a doe bouncing through cover coming right towards me. Got excited thinking there would be a buck behind her, nope. Dang coyote chasing her! Shot him at 30 yds. Had several bucks follow the trail of the doe and got to see 2 bucks sparing at 20 yds. I thought when the bucks would be able to scent the dead coyote they would run off, but quite the opposite. They just milled around and kept on looking for that doe.

 

[Mike Belt]

A few years back I watched as a 6 pointer chased a coyote directly across the ridge from me.