2019 whitetail

mcseal2

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May 8, 2014
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Crazy day (last Sunday, getting this posted later). I shot a buck with my muzzle loader the last night of that early season. I could not find him in the tall grass so I went back the next morning. I found where he had died about 75 yards from where I shot him but coyotes had left only a front foreleg and a pile of hair. I looked that morning and most of the next day but never recovered the buck, never found any more of him. I got aggressive today and went deeper into that area to see if I could catch deer moving during daylight on their way to feed. Its a tough spot to get in without being spotted, a small creek in an area that’s mostly grass. On my way in I found the remains of my buck 700 yards over a hill from where I looked for him. Sad it played out that way, but really excited to recover the rack. Old 9 point 19.25” inside spread and 162” gross. Got him tagged and now its time to shoot coyotes! Heard 8-12 sound off while deer hunting Thursday.

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Broomd

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Sep 29, 2014
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Painful...sorry about those circumstances, I always worry about losing deer to coyotes, around here it is a given if they aren't found same night.
It happened to daughter once, she was really upset to lose the meat.

I've decided that it if happens to me I'll camp overnight right at the last spot I last saw the wounded deer to discourage the coyotes from hanging around.
 
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Crazy day (last Sunday, getting this posted later). I shot a buck with my muzzle loader the last night of that early season. I could not find him in the tall grass so I went back the next morning. I found where he had died about 75 yards from where I shot him but coyotes had left only a front foreleg and a pile of hair. I looked that morning and most of the next day but never recovered the buck, never found any more of him. I got aggressive today and went deeper into that area to see if I could catch deer moving during daylight on their way to feed. Its a tough spot to get in without being spotted, a small creek in an area that’s mostly grass. On my way in I found the remains of my buck 700 yards over a hill from where I looked for him. Sad it played out that way, but really excited to recover the rack. Old 9 point 19.25” inside spread and 162” gross. Got him tagged and now its time to shoot coyotes! Heard 8-12 sound off while deer hunting Thursday.

View attachment 139765

Wow, very nice buck! Glad you found the rack.
 
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mcseal2

mcseal2

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Painful...sorry about those circumstances, I always worry about losing deer to coyotes, around here it is a given if they aren't found same night.
It happened to daughter once, she was really upset to lose the meat.

I've decided that it if happens to me I'll camp overnight right at the last spot I last saw the wounded deer to discourage the coyotes from hanging around.

Probably not a bad idea. It's hard to tell what to do unless you are 100% sure of the hit. I have helped pursue deer that people thought were hit better than they actually were and jumped them, never recovered them. I tend to always be cautious on pursuing to fast anymore. I had coyotes eat a deer once before, but this was the first time I ever had them take one and leave with it. I felt really good about my shot this year but it was last light at 75% what I consider my effective range from my practice. When I didn't immediately find him I decided caution was my best option. Looking back I could have at least hung my sweaty shirt in the tree I shot him near, that might have made the predators more cautious.

There had to be a lot of coyotes, far more than I expected in that area. They can clean up a cow carcass or make a calf disappear when they are concentrated around our calving pastures so I know they are capable of it. I just never expected that area to hold that many with no livestock near and not a lot of cover.

I have only taken a couple deer with the muzzle loader so far. Both have traveled a little after the shot, further than they would with a centerfire rifle shot placed the same. I am sure no expert on the ballistics of muzzle loaders but I have come to view them more like a bow than a rifle on lethality. They drill a large diameter hole through a buck but don't have the shock that comes with a faster bullet expanding more dramatically.

One thing is for sure if I camp in an area with enough coyotes to leave with a deer, I want to have more than just my muzzle loader along. I don't think they would bother a human but I'd rather not have only one shot if I found I was wrong. I was bow hunting back in high school and using all the methods possible to elmiminate my scent. I had doe pee sprayed on my boots also to help mask my scent trail. Walking out to the vehicle in the dark I heard something behind me in the grass a couple times. I go to the truck and grabbed the giant Maglite I used to have by me seat. Shining it behind me showed 8 coyotes scattered between 75 and 150 yards. I never bow hunted without a handgun along after that. They were likely more curious than aggressive but I still feel better being armed.
 

Broomd

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Appreciate the thoughts MC. I've been fortunate to have all of my animals die near the shot.
But will throw up a tent and flop near any area that I do 'lose' one for the night. Coyotes are very wary of humans. Chances are they'd avoid the area.

Regarding your take on the aggressiveness of coyotes, they are deathly afraid of humans around here. The only way that something of that nature could happen is with a rabid animal. Very rare.

Coyotes live primarily on mice and rodents, so they can and do live about everywhere.
 
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mcseal2

mcseal2

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Yeah I agree they are mostly afraid of people. I have never seen one show aggression unless it was already trapped or wounded. Just makes me feel better to have the pistol if I’m sleeping out there. Ranching for a living I view coyotes as a respected enemy. I thin the population every chance I get but they are a very smart and worthy opponent. I read that you have to kill 80% of the breeding age adults to drop the population for the next year. I like to try to shoot the most aggressive ones by challenging them when calling, I think they are often the ones that are bold enough to act as ringleaders for the rest.
 

Broomd

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Good on ya. They need called and killed.

Can apprecaite the livestock thing; but our highland cows have horns and they are formidable. Coyotes want no part of our herd!
 

Jimss

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Mar 6, 2015
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I hit a whitetail hard this past year. Luckily it was open country with tall grass I got up on the ridge about where he was shot and started glassing hard with binos and spotting scope Luckily I spotted him laying in the tall grass around 500 yards from my shot. I watched him for around an hour trying to figure out a strategy and let him stiffen up . I made a great stalk with wind in mind and finished him off with a final shot

If I would have tried to follow his blood trail I likely,would have spooked him. Its hard to say how far he would have ran and if I ever would have found him Sometimes it's worth backing off and taking it easy Lesson learned on that hunt I was thankful I spotted him from the ridge top!
 
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Nice buck. Looks like you were out of state for that one!

I had coyotes eat the guts out of buck this year within two hours between arrow release and find the buck. I didn't look at all, and spent about an hour at the tree before starting. So in all actuality, they were really on him within an hour. That was a first for me.
 
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mcseal2

mcseal2

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Damn coyotes are thick. I went calling last night. I was just getting up to leave my first stand at 18 minutes and saw one pop out of the thick grass. He spotted me also and I got him in the crosshairs but had not yet squeezed the trigger when he turned and trotted off. I don't think I spooked him bad, he just saw movement and didn't like it. I will try that spot again in a couple weeks. I was trying to be to perfect on my sight picture, I probably should have shot. I hate to educate instead of eliminate them though.
 
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Jan 9, 2020
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Crazy day (last Sunday, getting this posted later). I shot a buck with my muzzle loader the last night of that early season. I could not find him in the tall grass so I went back the next morning. I found where he had died about 75 yards from where I shot him but coyotes had left only a front foreleg and a pile of hair. I looked that morning and most of the next day but never recovered the buck, never found any more of him. I got aggressive today and went deeper into that area to see if I could catch deer moving during daylight on their way to feed. Its a tough spot to get in without being spotted, a small creek in an area that’s mostly grass. On my way in I found the remains of my buck 700 yards over a hill from where I looked for him. Sad it played out that way, but really excited to recover the rack. Old 9 point 19.25” inside spread and 162” gross. Got him tagged and now its time to shoot coyotes! Heard 8-12 sound off while deer hunting Thursday.

View attachment 139765
Great buck! Get them coyotes!
 
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