I had "Wild America" in my yard about 4:00 AM this morning.  Something killed a young deer and it was laying in my front yard when I left for work.  I heard it go by the bedroom window bleating, but no other sounds.  A very neat approx. 4" x 4" hole had been torn in its side just behind the ribcage and what appeared to be the stomach pulled out...not ripped or jaggged, looked like it had been done with a knife! It was still steaming and I figured the streetlights or somebody leaving for work spooked the predator off its kill.  Sound like a coyote kill?  We have a few suburban yotes and no loose dogs. No barking either.

could you see how it was actually killed ? Bite marks, other bloody areas ?
ChuckC

I thought that coyotes go for the throat on their kills, any evidence of that?

Aliens (?) - lol

Seriously now, Centaur is right.  Coyotes usually go for the throat for the kill.  Usually start eating at the back end,but may eat the guts from the side.  If you find bite marks on the throat, you're probably right.

I have seen videos of coyotes and wolves (dogs ?) eating prey before they even kill it, as long as it is immobilized.  But even then there are marks.  I think they, and many predators, first go for the rear end to immobilize it, then throat maybe to kill it.

Maybe body snatchers were to blame ?
ChuckC

Coyotes will grab whatever they can grab on a running animal.When there are two,one will often grab the hind end to stop or slow the animal and the second will go for the throat.Dogs are very inefficient and usually make a huge mess over some distance.I can't see how it could be anything but coyotes and there should be bite marks on the neck but I guess it's possible that it got scared off before it got there and the young animal may have died from it's other wound.Animals go into shock from such events and usually succumb from the combination of that and the wounds.

Do you have any aggressive stray/ feral dogs around? Large bobcat?
Coyotes 'usually' grab the throat or hind quarters area and go from there. They will 'usually' start ripping the hind end out first to start eating. A couple of coyotes can/will grab whatever and wherever and start bringing it down.

It could have also ran into something sharp/jagged? Happens.

Mark

Good point.  

It may have damaged itself or even been hit by a car and got a three point rip in its side, then died later, in your yard.  I have heard and seen badly injured deer walking and bleating.
My first muzzle loader deer was doing that.
CHuckC

I'll look again when I get home and have some light. The carcass had been obviously "stressed", but there wasn't alot of damage or fur pulled out.  It did appear something may have had it around the throat.  I was just a bit surprised at where it chose to start eating and that the flesh almost looked to have been cut open, no ripped, dangling flesh at all. The empty cavity right behind the lower ribcage looked suspicious.  All the suburban yotes I've seen around have been singles.  This was a late fawn that still had visible spots.

Could it have gotten hung up on a metal fence or other obstruction and cut itself open???

How about a large bird of prey?

9W9,
I thought about it because my backyard is fenced, but it's not the type where the top tier is sharp or exposed.  The cavity was not torn nor jagged and then there was that blob of stomach laying unattached beside the carcass.

I see, yes the separate piece of tissue suggests something feeding.  Crazy.  What a backyard murder mystery Lol.

Definitely a chupacabra.

Coyotes have always made a ton of racket when I have witnessed them killing deer.  A spotted fawn is small enough for just about anything to tackle.

That's a lion kill trademark.

Lions are unlikely in many areas, but I never say never.  Dispersing lions can go a long way and end up in odd places.

Bite wounds around the neck and head would also be likely for a lion but might not show easily unless you skin the animal.

Found a big gutpile about 15 yds. from the kill that I missed in the dark this morning.  We just don't have any outside dogs in the neighborhood. It was definitely small enough that a dog could have pulled it down, but I'd guess a pet would have barked running game and still been on the carcass when I left for work. I'm well inside the city limits, but sightings of yotes aren't rare.

I should have read more carefully.  Didn't realize this was a spotted fawn or pay enough attention to your location.  Probably coyote and not a dog.  Dog would worry the carcass but probably not feed on viscera.

Wouldn't discount an opportunistic bear. Bears can and will hunt fawns.