Deer loss through predation / UPDATED

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:45 am

I imagine that you guys up north deal with this allot.Mike P stated that the Yotes got to his buck but this is my first time.

I killed my doe Monday evening and busted my hump just to get her the 150 yards to the blind for pictures let alone another 150 - 200 yards to the Jepp.I had no @$$ left so I butchered the doe without gutting it about 15 - 20 yards past my blind taking the hams ,shoulders and Backstraps with the intention of returning the next morning to clean up the torso.
There is very little meat on the ribs and neck and when I am alone (which is most of the time) I can only drag so far before that is it so I butcher it there with my Kodi Pack and let the other creatures have the rest,it never lasts long.

when I got there yesterday I could not believe what I saw.
The deer had been eaten almost 100% of it.
Just the head was still there,the rest was bone.It was wild hogs or wild dog's
I couldn't tell which, the area was so tore up,whatever it was it was a feeding frenzy.I must admit that it spooked me pretty good,I have had dealings with the wild dog's and hog's and will shoot both on sight.
For five yards in a circle arount the bones the ground is torn to shreds and a deep hole gug out.
It spooked me pretty good but I still did my clean up and now the blind is ready for one of my Pastors and his son this weekend.

I have never seen that down here.It was only there about 13 hours.
And to know I was right there butchering the deer.

Yall have any tales from the dark side.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:36 am

Usually the only thing I leave is the "gut pile" and it is gone within 24 hours in the area I hunt. It held true for the two deer I killed & field dressed this year.
Odd thing though, another hunter shot a buck and was unable to track it so he lost it. When he told me (well over a week later) I decided to have a look. I found the buck (within 50 yards of the stand

) and it hadn't been touched by predators/scavengers! I was in the same area last week (almost 4 weeks later) and the buck was still there! ??????

chadermaran · Post by **chadermaran** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:43 pm

Opening day of Wisconsin archery season 2 years ago I got a phone call from my dad. He told me he went out and shot a big 8 point. I figured good, this will get me in practice for my season which was opening in 2 weeks. My dad is one of the luckiest hunters I know. He wasnt in the tree 5 mins and this deer walked in. He said he hadnt even pulled his bow up when he first saw it coming. Every year as I grew up I always loved tracking deer with him. As a kid I always wanted to go out right away after any deer he shot. But 3 hours was always the magical number with him. So he would always give us his watch so we would know when it was time to go out. Time always went so slow when you have a watch in your hand. Anyways, he shot this deer at 5:00 so i showed up at his house at 7:45 knowing he would be ready at 8. When we got back to his stand we started looking for blood. He told me he thought the shot was alittle back from where he wanted to hit it. There was very little blood so it was tough going. At 10 I found where the deer walked off the trail he was following and walked into a small field. this was about 400 yds from where my dad shot him. I shined the flashlight ahead of me and saw a big area that the grass was all knocked down. I figured that the deer fell there and kicked around. As I got close and shined the light at the deer my dad yelled and asked if it was there. My response was "um, ya and no. There was nothing left. From 5 til 10 something had gotten to it. Very little hair, little pieces of bones, and the head is all that was left. I know there is alot of coyotes in the area but quite afew wolves also. After reading up on the way they eat we figured wolves got to it. It was odd, from 8 til 10 we were in the woods not too far away and we didnt hear a thing. So now we dont wait the 3 hours. If he thinks it was a good hit we go right away, if hes not sure we wait an hour. I know sometimes being out in the woods after dark things can seem eerie, but that night I was freaked out and I couldnt get out of the woods fast enough, lol.

beretta96D · Post by **beretta96D** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:43 pm

From your description sounds more like hogs, with the burrowing and such. I agree, gives me the willies as well. For me mostly, it's the howling at night that drives me nuts.

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:19 pm

well you got to be ready for about anything when your in the field. I aint scared of yotes but I cant stand not being able to see what I hear. Ive had them dang yotes close in the dark but never had a problem..Hogs well around here they are small and you hardly see them..Cougars getting to your downed deer before you do is the biggest fear..and at night you best be ready for anything..

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:32 pm

Very creepy Scott!

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:46 am

In my experience, in this area a carcass will NEVER last until morning.

Why?

Bears
Wolves
Coyotes
Hogs
Bobcats
Alligators (Depending on where the deer ends up)
Possums (Don't laugh!)

But the most amazing thing I ever see is the clean-up work BUZZARDS do!

I've seen road-killed deer turned into a denuded skeleton and a strip of hide within SEVERAL HOURS by buzzards, many times. It's incredible to behold. It's not uncommon to see twenty or thirty buzzards at a carcass, battling for the prize!

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:51 am

We are infested with the damn things! Here is a recent article from the Cincinnati Enquirer talking about what is taking place where I live.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2008 ... 1/-1/today

There is a strange phenomenon taking place with these animals as far as behavior is concerned. The yotes out at the farm act like normal yotes. When they see you, and 90 out of 100 times they will see you before you see them, they take off and head for cover.

Here in the neighborhood they stand there and look at you. It's as if they are sizing you up. This year they have killed three small dogs and several cats and two additional dogs were severely injured. They are taking more and more dogs and cats every year and the scary part is they are taking them even when the owner is with the animal. Where we live you are now constantly being told by authorities not to leave any small child alone, not even for a few seconds. Sadly, it is inevitable that there will be an attack on a child in the future. I am certain of this.

I hate coyotes! I mean it! I hate them! I hunt them and I kill them. And every time I dump one I feel good. And as of late, this passionate hate has become more intensified. When I get back from hog hunting in a couple of weeks I am going to start yote hunting with a vengeance.

One way or another I am going to kill every coyote out at the farm. And when I am done with them, I am going to start on the ones here in the neighborhood.

Did I mention I hate them?

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:55 am

Mike P wrote: Did I mention I hate them?

Mike, old buddy, you definitely have issues with repressing your feelings.

There's no need for that here, man.

We're your friends.

Don't hold back.

C'mon ... tell us how you really feel.

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:50 am

I went in yesterday to all my spots to get ready for one of my Pastors and his son this sunday and the deer is all gone.
I moved it and they found it and there is nothing left.
Nothing goes to waste but it's very spooky not knowing what it was.Maybe someone will have a sale on trail cam's now that the season is almost over and I can find out what it was.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:59 am

Sax ... if you want to find out what sort of critter ate up your deer carcass, make up a mud slick, get another carcass from someone, and bait the slick.

It's an old trick for getting tracks to make plaster casts from. All you need is an area clear of leaves and sticks and such, a couple of buckets of water and an old broom.

It really works.

Don't get it too sloppy ... just soft enough to take really good impressions.

A track tells the tale, buddy.

If you can't buy or borrow a trail-cam, that is!

bait pile willie · Post by **bait pile willie** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:57 am

in nature every animal or bird has its place and reason tobe there .some are just the cleanup crew,this means nothing goes to waste .

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:05 am

Thats a great idea Grizz.

kennisondan · Post by **kennisondan** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:29 pm

betting it is pigs.. the dogs do not burrow into the ground when eating.. hogs do that rooting thing a lot..

dk