Who Done It?

QuietButDeadly said:

Nope, I did not. Assuming a live birth, within the 3 hour window, I figured the evisceration started during the birth or definitely before the calf or cow was able to stand afterwards. The soft underbelly of the immobile calf was easy picking and the cow was to weak to provide defense. The calf was likely eaten alive and died from blood loss.

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It's good that you knew how to take care of business and kill the bastard. I've seen coyotes have a rabbit in their mouth and drop it to kill something else, then try to figure out how to carry both things. They are very greedy animals. Nice kill!

Mother Nature and her ways sure can be cruel and brutal at times....

No doubt that a coyote fed on it, but it is questionable as to whether a coyote killed it without taking steps to determine that. There is no obvious trauma to the neck area or bleeding from the mouth and nose. Killing during birth usually results in severe damage to the heifer/cow. There should be blood on the grass if it did in fact bleed to death and was fed on while alive. If there was such a terrible attack and struggle, there should be evidence of it. What I see indicates dead birth and the opportunistic coyote fed on it. I did not go to the scene obviously, just an opinion based on what I see and my experience looking at several similar incidents.

I had a similar case this past Dec. during the snow/ice event after Christmas. Tracks showed where a pair crossed the pasture to get to the calf. The only remains of the calf were from the shoulders/ribs forward. I skinned the neck area and found no evidence of trauma. What I did find were lots of buzzard tracks at the location. It was evident from sign in the snow that the buzzards had pulled the calf down a slight hill and fed until the coyotes showed up. The defining piece of the puzzle was the perfect cookie cutter outline of a calf on it's side in grass where it had been snowed on after death and before anything had fed on it. Legs straight out usually indicate born dead, legs curled under indicate that the calf lived for a time. There weren't any coyote tracks at that location. Conclusion: born dead, found quickly by buzzards and fed on by coyotes. Buzzards can and will find them pretty quick even in freezing weather. They live off death and they are equipped by nature to quickly find the source. This happens more often than most realize, but we don't usually have snow to help solve the riddle. It is assumed that the coyote killed it because he ate it.

I don't usually speak in absolute terms, but take it to the bank: coyotes watch buzzards. They will watch them and they will go straight to where they are circling and going down.

They also hang around calving pastures. They will run in and clean up afterbirth as soon as it hits the ground without molesting calves in most cases.

This case, and the other thread, show typical coyote feeding patterns. They usually start with the innards and return to feed on what is left at another time. One sure clue is to look at the ribs. Coyotes will gnaw or clip off the ends of the ribs.

Dogs are not efficient killers. You will usually find that the victim is mauled and has injuries all over, quite often to the ears, face, sides. and especially the hams. If they feed at all, it is usually on the hams. The friendly neighborhood dogs will group up and kill livestock, often just for fun. Several animals may be killed or maimed at one time. The coyote kills what he is going to eat in most cases. An exception may be young ones learning to kill. They haven't gotten good at it yet and you may see bob tailed calves or facial injuries to animals. There are no absolutes, just usual behavior. Look for throat trauma.

A cat usually jumps on the victim's back and digs in with his claws. He will bite the neck from the top, usually at the base of the skull. Skin out the neck and tops of the shoulders and look for the bite and claw marks where he got a good grip.

A bear may break the victim's neck with a powerful blow from a front paw. He will also grip the victim with his claws and bite the neck area. Look for the bite and claw marks along with a broken neck.

Keep in mind, one thing that you will never find on a coyote kill is claw marks.

Now, please understand that I am not trying to start an argument or belittle anyone's opinion. I am just relating what I have observed over the years in dealing with coyotes and their killing/feeding patterns. I have also had the benefit of associating with folks who have worked coyote control most of their lives and gleaning knowledge from them. You may have seen different and I don't doubt what you observe. I said usually quite a bit in this post as there are always exceptions to any pattern of behavior.

I could go on for hours about coyotes. I will stop now with the hope that I have helped just one person understand more about them or that I have got you to thinking.

Good work Harold. That one won't be a problem any more. Keep after them though cause there is no shortages of the little devils.

RPD I respect your information and it appears that you have had experience in this area. I know you stated 'USUALLY' and I completely agree nothing a coyote does is set in stone. I would just add that I have a bunch of video clips of coyotes eating road killed deer carcasses I have placed on my coyote bait piles. It's been over a few years and lots of video clips and I haven't gone back and reviewed the clips but the best I can recall every time I put out a road killed deer the coyotes always began consumption at the rear end and hips. I'm just wondering IF because I wired the carcass to a tree by the head to keep the coyotes from dragging the bait from the pile if that wire was what caused the yotes to start eating as far away from the wire as possible. I think I have observed times and actions that indicate the yotes have reacted to wires. I may be wrong on that and just imagined but the number of times causes me to think that way.

It has been my general observation that buzzards start at the butt on a dead animal but I don't think they are intelligent enough to recognize wire. Great sense of smell and perhaps eye sight though. LOL.