Dead or Alive?

[FTG-05]

I shot at a coyote about week or so ago. He was facing down at the bottom of my hill, 155-160 yards as the crow flies per the GE measurement tool. Shot felt good, no apparent flinch (I've been working on that). Rifle is Ruger American in .223 with a Vortex 3x9-40 scope; ammo is IMI 77grn OTM. Rifle is sighted in at 200 yards for this ammo. Hold for 1st shot was behind his head and neck a couple inches, 2/3 of his body was "above" the shot.

At the shot, the coyote went down and went into a "chasing his tail" flailing around. I turned my attention to coyote #2, but he/she ran to the nearby Cedar thicket and they were gone. Went back to Coyote #1 and he was now standing there broadside. Got another shot off, but it was off.

This was around 8 AM; at about noon, I went down and found this:

First shot site:

Standing shot site:

And between the two:

I found a blood trail for about 20-30 yards to the same Cedar thicket but then found no other signs. No body and no buzzards for several days afterwards. My downhill neighbor didn't see any either.

Pic from the 1st shot site to my house. Shots were taken from the 2nd pole from the left.

What's your assessment given the blood signs left?

I *assume* if he died, he made it back to his pack, who promptly killed him and ate him; hence, no buzzards. Or they found him dead first and dragged him to be eaten; same result: no buzzards.

LMK what you think.

Thanks,

 

[Hunter 257W]

When they are chasing their tail like that I always think "gut shot". I seriously doubt the varmint survived even if it drug itself a long ways before collapsing. I'm not familiar with how well those "Heavy for caliber" .224 bullets expand but if it were a normal varmint type bullet in a 223 I'd expect explosive expansion and a fast kill.

 

[bbqit]

If you ever see coyotes kill you will have no problem killing a coyote. I would turn down a shot on the state record buck to kill a coyote

 

[PAGOATER]

Coyotes can take a lot of lead and still run off. I bet he is dead under some brush or a tree stump.

 

[fritoman]

Dead

 

[Outrigger]

Definitely dead. What kind of bullets do you use. I know that 223 very frequently comes in fmj; especially in this ammo shortage. Of course a bullet that offers better expansion would provide a faster kill, but I don't think your yote went very far.

 

[Mattt]

Yup dead. A lot o times a little bit high entry/exit will give a mediocre blood trail as the body cavity must fill with blood before it starts to leak.

 

[FTG-05]

Definitely dead. What kind of bullets do you use. I know that 223 very frequently comes in fmj; especially in this ammo shortage. Of course a bullet that offers better expansion would provide a faster kill, but I don't think your yote went very far.

"Rifle is Ruger American in .223 with a Vortex 3x9-40 scope; ammo is IMI 77grn OTM."

 

[Grainger]

Prolly dead in the thicket, Buzzards, even crows would have a hard time getting into some serious thick brush.

I don't know if Coyotes eat their own, prolly been dinner for Mr Possum for few days.

When they start to spin, I've heard that called "The Coyote Death Spiral".

 

[TnTurk]

Any solid hit with an IMI 77gr OTM within that distance and that yote is dead. Those bullets can be quite destructive on tissue.

 

[Carlos]

I shot one with my MZ last year. It did that spinning, chasing its tail thing for about 15seconds.
I never found mine either, but tracked blood for 80 yards.

I agree, you killed that one, good job.

 

[KPH]

Shot one and before it was over had shot 3 legs off it still made it down hill and up under some tree roots.

 

[SEC]

Match bullets can be unpredictable at times.

 

[Woodman]

Well if he's not dead...he's gonna have a heck of a limp, so you will recognize him if you see him again .

 

[FTG-05]

Match bullets can be unpredictable at times.

In what way? My thinking was "make sure to hit them".

 

[SEC]

In what way? My thinking was "make sure to hit them".

Sometimes they'll act like a hollow point and other times they'll act more like a full metal jacket. Just my opinion.

 

[FTG-05]

Got it thanks! Let's hope he no longer cares!!!