She can be cruel at times......After sitting in a stand for 3 1/2 hours yesterday in 25 degree temps with a hard wind, I had the chance to shoot a decent 6 point buck. When he first went by me it was so quiet I could hear him breathing, that was pretty cool. He got broadside at 12 yards and I was able to draw on him and shoot. It felt good, but I thought it might be a little back. He took off bulldozing everything in his path, not slowing for anything. I sat down for another half hour, then walked out to my truck to warm up some. When I took up the trail it was pitch black, but snow on the ground was a big help. There was blood almost immediately, decent, but not gushing. The encouraging part was there was that fine spray that comes with deer blowing blood through their noses. I followed the trail downhill into a hemlock swamp, bleeding essentially stopped, except for times when he brushed against vegetation.....
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I had travelled about 175-200 yards and came to a spot where I lost the trail. I was near the bottom and could hear a stream nearby, but instead of checking their I thought it prudent to back out and go after him this morning. I should mention that I had heard coyotes while still in my stand, and know there are a lot in the area.
The two pictures above were taken this morning.
This morning my buddy and I took up the trail at about 8:30. It was 13 degrees. I got to where I lost the trail last night. I had my buddy stay there and went forward through some tight, short hemlocks. Blood was on their branches, I walked ten yards through them and stood in disbelief......this is what I saw....
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It was like a war had erupted in that bottom, I have never seen anything like it. There were seven distinct spots in a 20 yard area that that were covered with blood and hair, nothing else. We searched the entire area and never found any other part of the deer, they took the whole thing away.
If I had gone 15 yards further last night I would have found the deer, what I do know is I will not leave a deer there overnight again.
David
Bummer! Next time leave a sock or t-shirt at last blood.
That hurts man. Sometimes the right call is to back out, so don't be too hard on yourself. After all, you went back in 13 deg weather! Some guys (unethical ones) wouldn't do that. Kudos son!
Coyotes are impressive! I have had them find deer I have field dressed before I could return with a drag sled. I have changed the way I recover deer in most areas now too. We work to hard for those steaks... live, learn, adapt!
Bummer David. I know it doesnt make you feel better but it didnt go to waste.
I would have backed out also.
That sucks......but it happens. One of the reasons I have a hard time taking a shot in the last 40 minutes of a sit. But that's just me.....
that's what coyotes do, and they do it well. I would have left it overnight too. I just make the best decision with the info that is available at the time..... sounds like you did too.
You sure that was coyote or did Sasquatch take it?!?!? LOL
Wow. Amazing you never found anything.
I am sorry. That stinks
I shot a doe earlier this fall that at the shot I felt the bottom limb of my bow hit something. It caused my arrow to go left and I hit the doe too far back. Marked the trail and backed out to come back in morning cause I knew I didn't want to push her from a bed and lose the trail.
I found her in just a few minutes of looking but the coyotes found her first. First time ever for me to lose one to them. Been hunting this property for 25 years and never had a problem.
Part of nature.
The yotes are an impressive animal. Their survival instincts are axing, and their yipes and howls often sende into a trance of long lost wilds.
With the above Said I hunted them hard, with bows, rifles and dogs. They are a deserving quary and yet tey can still aggravate me when they do this. I'm sorry they got your kill. I, along with many others have had it happen too and it is never welcomed
Those yotes are efficient little suckers!
Sorry they got your deer!
Bisch
Thats a shame my first trad deer had kiyotes on him litteraly minutes after I shot him. Thankfully a guy on the next property saw the coyotes take my deer down. However it wasnt until 2 weeks later that I found out. But I got the rack anyway.
Noted kiyote hunter Tim Wells says it may not be a whole pack that cleans your deer in one night. He says 2-3 can eat their fill go dig a hole puke up what they have and keep doing that until its gone.
They got one for my son this year too. It happens! As has been said, nothing in nature goes to waste, but I'd still rather have it in my freezer than in a coyote.
We had a bear get an elk this year on the Oregon coast and never found the carcass. just like yours...nothing but blood and hair everywhere.
It happens a lot out here. we never stop as long as we have a blood trail even if it takes all night. There are exceptions when they are in dangerous areas with shear cliffs.
Well the good thing is you can sleep well knowing you fed those coyotes and it didn't go to waste.
You absolutely did the right thing. Good job! Bummer about the yotes.
Real bummer man. Makes me want to go coyote hunting. Might make you feel better too!?
Bummer Dave. Constant threat of that here to.
I completely get that the deer didn't go to waste, and I still believe at the time I made the right decision. And I do feel differently than I have when I simply never recovered a deer.
I am just dumbfounded and amazed at what they accomplished in a relatively short period of time. I mean it was shear destruction in that entire area, and to not find any part of the deer just blows my mind. It has given me a new measure of respect as to what coyotes are capable of for sure.
David
We have that problem here real bad. I personally have been on 2 trails where there were not enough of the deer left to eat, and got lucky on my sons deer this year we had to leave over night for we bumped it 2 hours after the shot. I found it the next morning with only the hams tore into and the abdomen ripped into but really not bad. We salvaged the shoulders back strap and tender loin.
Heck I have a fried who said he found only skin and bone in only 3 hours out here.
tough break.
man those yotes have got a lot to answer for not good. at least it did not go to waste
Been there myself. hate it!
that sucks... unless your a coyote then its a grand celebration of good luck.
sorry to hear that...we are over run with coyotes up here in Alberta...need to be hunted more...they serve a purpose but when they get high in numbers....they can be a problem....
Heck, you were lucky to shoot a deer in NH. Too bad it ended like that.
You did the right thing. You could have pushed that deer further and lost him. It's very possible the yotes finished him off. The reason they made such short work of it is they were hungry, being so cold out.
My 2012 (rifle) buck saw a similar situation, but with a luckier result for me. After the hit he moved off parallel across the mountainside at dusk. I waited the usual wait then quietly followed up then decided not to push him and waited until morning.
The following morning I was back and able to follow. He turned abruptly downhill which was going to lead him to private land I did not nor expected to get permission to enter. My heart sunk; I didn't want to lose the deer, and I didn't want it dying in the neighbors yard.
Halfway down the mountain the deer abruptly turned and headed back up. "Why did he do that?" I wondered. I found where a bobcat had met him halfway up, hid, crouched, and pounced! There was evidence of a good scrap then the deer continued on up and then back across. Eventually I walked up on the cat -a beautiful big tom I believe.
He didn't want to give up his deer so he did what a bobcat would do to a fox or single yote -he stood his ground. He did not offer any threats, in fact he'd not make eye contact with me, looking away when I looked or closing his eyes, even though he was only about 20feet away. The deer was dead another 50ft up the mountainside.
I told the cat it was my deer and I was going to take it, but that I'd leave him some. I clapped and pressed the issue and he sauntered off like a big fuzzy house cat.
Thought that was pretty cool.
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I'm not a fan of backing out unless I know it's a gut shot, then you just don't have any choice unless there's good tracking snow.
Then I think you should stay in the area for a couple hours and go until you either move the deer/elk or find it.
The reason to stay in the area is if coyotes find it, they will carry on and you can go to the site and spook them off.
Pretty amazing.
Dave,
Having lost a deer to the same, I sympathize with you. But in my situation, the dogs left SOMETHING! Incredible. Perhaps the extreme cold was driving their appetites.
Regards,
Todd
David,
I had the same ting happen to me a few years ago. I decided to change the odds...Tilly
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Here in Michigan, coyotes have been part of the question on if a hunter should wait or go after a deer right away for a long time.
If I were you, I would give it two days, and go back to the area with a shotgun and a fawn distress call, or even "The Can" from Primos...the one that replicates a doe estrus bleat.
Coyotes have become a big problem, we have the same problem with coyotes in Florida. They are out of control we have seen our deer population suffer due to the coyotes. :banghead:
I'm so sorry about your deer my brother shot his first bow buck 3 years ago and we jumped him and I backed out and went back next day coyotes since that day I have hunted with no luck for every yote I can go after I will drop the population quite a bit this winter got a few buddys coming that always have luck
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Hey David!
Sorry to hear about your loss. That's pretty spooky having something drag the whole darn deer off. :scared: On occasion we'll hear of a coyote in the area but I have yet to see one around home. The toughest predator in our woods is the red fox. They can make quick work of the hindquarters but have yet to find one that can drag off a mature deer! :rolleyes:
Stay at it and have a Merry Christmas!
Tim
Wow Dave....I've never seen yotes leave nothing! sorry man.
wonder if a bear or lion dragged it off and covered it up.
Thats to bad I would be hunting some predators.
All they left is the gut pile?
IMO something isn't right there I've looked at a few coyote kills and scavenging sites and none of them looked like that. A human or a bear or something took that deer.
I wonder if there was anyone hunting near you that got it?
very strange
We Kill/ :help: survive(we're part time hunters, they do it full time). Would you pass up a FREE :campfire: dinner if you were starving?( find it very strang that yots would take the heavy bones(looks like someone gutted the deer) only bears/mnt lions/wolfs carry off a kill)
Next time PEE or hang a swetty tee shirt in the area marking your :deadhorse: kill as a wild animal does, might help, might not.
yep, it's a bummer, but do put it all into proper perspective.
like bldtrailer just said ... the cycle of life for all living things - it's all good, one way or another, 'yotes got as strong a will to live as any creature.
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
yep, it's a bummer, but do put it all into proper perspective.
like bldtrailer just said ... the cycle of life for all living things - it's all good, one way or another, 'yotes got as strong a will to live as any creature.
Good post.
Dave, your DNR might issue you another tag. Many states do nowadays.
That really sucks.
We only have 2 days left in the season, and one of them will be snowstorm. I am content that I did what I needed to do......The coyotes just found him before I did. Bobman, there is snow on the ground here....There was nothing there but coyotes. I went back today and looked more. I found a portion of the hide from the rear end buried under a log. I looked for three hours trying to find remains.....nothing. Nothing but Coyote tracks, blood and hair. I do think that their is a chance that at least part of the carcass is in the stream.....Under ice. I will be looking there again in the spring as soon as the ice is out.
I keep coming back to this....I am amazed at what they were able to accomplish I a relatively short period of time.
David
God will feed them as well as he will feeds you. nothing goes to waste
That's too bad David, at least you had the thrill of the hunt. I had the same thing happen to me several times as well as a few friends. You did the right thing by backing out. I know how hard it can be for an opportunity up there.
That stinks bud!! Cool experience, but stinks!!!
Lost a doe antelope in September. Amazing how fast they reduce it to zip. Left me a stomach, some hide, coup,e bones and a memory. They gotta eat too, but, they are on my wanted list this year. I have two full bodies waiting to mount the ones I find,
David,
The one that the coyotes eat of mine...it was like they buzz sawed her down the middle and left the down side shell. I went back in the spring and found a small leg bone left over. Made a knife out of it to skin a coyote if I ever shoot one.
Oh, it did stink...literally like a dog kennel that hadn't been cleaned in months!
Sorry that happened to you. I sure wish we had about 75% less yotes, I could live with that. There's just too dang many now.
I shot a doe once out of a small group one morning and within seconds of the scattering deer two yotes came by under the stand. I couldn't get them to stop for a shot, they were on the hunt casting back and forth like a bird dog, caught the blood trail and took off at a dead run. Got down within seconds myself, jogged over about 75 yds, spotted dead deer, and they had pulled the tail off and started in. Musta ran off when heard me coming. And they never made a sound the whole time.
Years ago on a deer hunt in Idaho a buddy of mine shot a doe late in the day and it was a liver hit. I talked him into waiting until morning to retrieve it ... when we got there in the AM all we found was a red spot in the snow and a hide and bones. We never did find the head. It was amazing how cleaned up those coyotes had left that deer carcass. My buddy wanted to shoot me after that, luckily he shot a buck the next day.
sorry they got it before you did.
In November I called in coyotes everyday with my deer calls. Which makes one really careful about what kind of a shot one would take at a deer. I am still frustraited that I did not get a clean shot at any of the coyotes. One day I saw two groups of about 12 coyotes in each group meet in a picked bean field, they did not like each other. It is no wonder that most of the deer moved out of that area. Every sunset there are so many howling nearby that they are impossible to count.