Coyotes and Deer Hunting

[Archery_Research]

So I have a question for everyone which I'm sure has been debated in the past. As we all know, deer are wise enough to be wary of coyotes for good reason ... This morning I was sitting on a food plot that averages around 60 pics of deer per week, occurring daily - morning and evening. After about 45 mins of daylight there were no deer to be seen but this guy popped out on the edge of the field as if he was just observing. He looked around and then tried to trot back close to where he came from ...

I immediately dropped him in the corner of the field and without wanting to walk across the field and end my chances at any deer, I let him lie until around 10:30. I hunted the evening with absolutely no luck from noon til dark after taking the coyote to camp. My questions for the experts are as follows:

Was his presence while checking out this field in the early a.m. keeping deer away? Did the sight and smell of a dead coyote keep deer away the rest of the day? If so, how long do you believe it will be until the alert of a possible coyote presence is gone? Facing a solid rain most of tonight and heading to the same stand tomorrow regardless. Thanks guys.

 

[Remington700]

I would say it is keeping them away. They stink and deer do not like them.

 

[cbhunter]

Personally I lean more towards the deer just weren't using the area today while you were there. Keep at it, you will see them

 

[Archery_Research]

Thanks, CB. Yeah, I think that was my initial thought as I am a firm believer in "it just not happening some days" no matter how good a certain stand may seem.

 

[rooketnhunter]

I'm with rem deer know they are there

 

[Archery_Research]

So ... Can that stand/field recover by tomorrow morning?

 

[DeerCamp]

Does will definitely avoid coyote scent. I think it's deeply programmed. I have thrown a coyote carcass in one part of the field before, and watch them avoid that entire side of the field for a few days.

Mature bucks probably just see it as an annoyance, but considering the impact on doe sightings it may affect your buck movement too.

It is an unusual for them to come across coyotes in their day-to-day travel so I would think that if you got the coyote out of there movement should be back to normal soon maybe even tomorrow

 

[MUP]

I've seen deer, does as a matter of fact, following a coyote at a distance before. I guess they were keeping track of it.

 

[eastTN270]

One morning I killed two coyotes. A little while later I had some does and an 8 come through. They saw the coyote laying there and it got their attention for a few minutes but it didn't scare them off. So I killed two coyotes and an 8 that morning.

 

[PossumSlayer]

Got one yesterday

 

[30-06 type of guy]

I had 3 coyotes come up a ridge on me one morning. I put one down about 10-15 min later a nice buck came up that same spot hitting a scrape line. He was within 10yards of the yote

 

[Jcalder]

I've had coyotes and deer in my food plots at hours of the night. A deer will leave in the presence of a coyote but it won't ruin the spot. In October I was bow hunting my food plot. Watching deer feed when they blew and took off. Here comes a coyote around the tree line. Wasn't long and I had a field full again. I've killed a yote in the plot and had deer come in. They all live in the same environment.

 

[Monk74]

Shot one last year at daylight. An hour later doe's walked right up to it. Sniffing and stomping. Then just went about their business. Killed a nice buck a couple hours later within 85 yards. It wouldn't stop me from hunting that stand.

 

[SteveJ]

Last Saturday, opening of gun, I had 3 does feeding around me. As they started to head off, I noticed they were acting bothered about something but they never winded me. As they ran off I noticed a big coyote get after them for a few seconds and then wonder off.

This past Tuesday there was another coyote that slipped in on me at the same spot and was sneaking in on a small doe feeding nearby. She took off and I killed him. I left him lay just outside of the thicket he came from and just 50 yards from the stand because he was a bloody mess. The next day, on Wednesday I saw deer go right by where he lay and shot an 8 pt 10 yards from where the coyote was.

So I would say deer are aware of them but I don't think they would avoid an area all day just because of a coyote being in the area that morning.

 

[SwampChicken]

I've got a camera that I run in the backyard just for fun and I was averaging 30-40 pics of bucks and does every day for 30 days straight. I know for a fact that I had 6-8 does using my pt h of woods as a bedding area. Then I had two coyotes start showing up each night for the last 7 or so days and I'm only seeing 1-2 deer frequenting the area which are young bucks. The does and the mature bucks seem to have disappeared.

 

[megalomaniac]

Excess human pressure on the plot is affecting your sightings more than a live or dead coyote.

Don't get me wrong, a live coyote will alert deer, but as long as they are away from him (50y or more) the deer will act normal and travel and feed in normal patterns. If they coyote gets within their comfort bubble, the deer will head for cover.

A dead coyote will not affect deer movement. Yes, they will smell it, but do not view it as a threat.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Been a few times I have shot a yote and left it, then next day shot a deer that walked right past the dead yote. Think one time killed a yote then later the same morning killed a deer. Have also had deer stop and blow at a dead yote then walk on past.

 

[JArender]

without a doubt they run deer away. I was getting several photos a day of deer then three to four coyotes started running around and deer numbers went way down. I shot two and shot at a third and since only have had one yote photo but deer are starting to use the plots again.
My opinion is I plant screens and leave bedding around my plots for deer to feel safe. I may as well kill all predators to assist in them feeling safe too.

 

[JArender]

meant to add.... the day I shot these two was around 830 am. that afternoon I hunted another plot and watched a doe walk a bedding line cut, right up ti where I had drug these up to load in atv. She stopped with her nose in the air for 10 mins then stiff legged her way to where they had been laying and sniffed the ground for a few mins and entered through screen to food plott so I don't think the smell keeps them away if they don't see them but the smell puts them on high alert for sure.

 

[backyardtndeer]

without a doubt they run deer away. I was getting several photos a day of deer then three to four coyotes started running around and deer numbers went way down. I shot two and shot at a third and since only have had one yote photo but deer are starting to use the plots again.

These yotes here run the deer trails heavy this time of year. Think a lot depends on if they pass and don't chase and if they chase deer down in packs. Have seen several interactions over the years with deer and yotes in a field at the same time. If they run off and a single yote scares a deer away without giving a lengthy chase, the deer are not going far, but if yotes or even feral dogs get after them in a pack of 3 or more and run them, they may avoid the area if they know the dogs are around. I have seen luls in camera activity for 24 to 48 hours with upticks in yote activity, but then also seen does and yotes in same frames on camera and within just hours deer were right back. Will never forget one morning watching a doe that had obviously been running a long time that had given a domestic dog the slip. She stopped right behind my ladder stand, stand is on a little ridge. She had circled around in a drain that had slow running water. She was behind me, the dog in front. The dog kept circling around trying to pick up her scent before ending up going back the same direction it came from. I had heard several dogs barking before the dog came in. Doe just hung tight for a good while and eventually walked away. I am sure under the right circumstances dogs can run deer for long distances, and in others deer can slip away and not go so far.

One of the craziest interactions I ever saw was watching a doe in the late spring come up a hill in my view just a few yards from a yote that was watching her. She kept coming back, the yote would not leave. Went on for probably 5 minutes. I think she had a fawn nearby and was trying to lead the yote away.

 

[Ski]

Interesting thoughts posted so far. Looks like everybody has somewhat unique experiences.

I shot one the other day on my way in to the stand and left it lay. It's in a thick transition area between bedding and food. The next day I say 7 does and two bucks, but every one of them acted nervous with their heads pointing up often to sniff the air, then looking toward the area of the dead yote. They never did come in to the creek bottom as typical, just skirted through the thicket about 50-70yds along it. I've hunted that stand two more times since and not seen a single deer, which is odd because it's a reliable stand where I generally have my pick of the litter any time I want. Even more odd is that crows & buzzards & possums haven't touched the thing. Going on a week dead and it still looks like I just shot it.

 

[TDW05]

I killed a spike when I was younger that came behind a pack of coyotes. He wasn't no more then 2-3 minutes behind them in the same thicket. I remember saying to myself I don't know how that happened but that was a pretty lucky deer until it walked out in front of me.

 

[Archery_Research]

Just to post a follow up, no deer to be seen this morning from the same stand. I certainly agree with Mega's take on it that there has been a lot of human pressure on this plot and I do think that has slowed the action down during daylight hours for this particular area of the lease. All really good points made in this thread though and I appreciate everyone's input - feel like I've learned more about these annoying suckers in the past two days than I ever knew before.

 

[catman529]

My first coyote I ever shot was in a bedding area at 10 yards through the spine. It dropped in its tracks and I continued to hunt.
Later the does started staging through the bedding area making their way toward a destination food source. They were very uneasy about the coyote, staying in the bushes, stomping, staring at the coyote and sniffing around.
Eventually one old nosy doe got curious enough to come out where I could get a shot. I also dropped her in her tracks and had a dead doe and a dead coyote within 10 yards.

I don't think coyotes will run deer out unless the particular yotes in question have a habit of stalking and chasing deer. Kind of like people. Deer will stay a safe distance from non-hunting people but they won't completely avoid the area if they are used to non hunting human presence. But on property where a lot of people hunt, the deer are more leery of human presence and will avoid hunting pressure specifically. I'd say it's probably the same with coyotes, since coyotes can have different personalities.

Kind of like the discussion a few weeks back about four wheelers. If deer are used to four wheelers and don't associate them with hunting they don't care. If the only time they see a four wheeler is when people are sneaking around the woods shooting at them, they'll spook when they hear the motor coming through the woods.