A Shame, is this common?

[j_h_nimrod]

Didnt kow where to post this but figured since it was a deer hunt this would work.

A friend recently shot a 4x5 whitetail with a bow near Manson. The shot was at last shooting light and after waiting 1.5 hours he went to find the animal. As it happens the deer was still alive and, though fatally wounded, was still able to get up and move off slowly. Thinking as we have learned to about wounded animals and letting them di, he pulled out for the night and intended to go back in the AM to pick up the trail and get his prize.

Early the next morn while scouting for the sign and looking for the dead deer, he found it. In the proceeding 10 hours it had been devoured by coyotes. All that was left was the rack and a skeleton with a little hide left.

My buddy was devestated, is this something common here?  What else could he have done differently to keep this from happening?

Regardless, it looks like we need to take the coyote population down a notch or three.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I wouldn't say it's 'common', but does happen in late season more than other times. All the critters are down in winter range. The varmints are there for easy pickins. If I was in a thick yote/varmint area, I'd have camped on a trophy buck with spotlight.  As a rifle/pistol hunter, I've never left a deer in the woods over night although such is common for bow hunters, maybe more so back east than here.

-Steve

[jess]

that is why you never let an animal lay overnight and who would want to eat it after the guts stayed in it for ten hours... They do it on tv because they give the meat to the food bank and dont care if it is spoiled.... I would have hounded that buck all night until it was in my hands... its a shame hopefully your buddy learned a valuable lesson here and never leaves an animal overnight again...

[buck man]

Sorry to hear about your buddies deer. it happened to me 3 years ago also.  Made a poor hit and went back next morning and both the hind quarters were eaten. Got to kill more coyotes!

[j_h_nimrod]

I have never left an animal out over night myself because of all the reasons mentioned.  I learned to take care to get the animals body cooling ASAP and have always had good luck. I have worked with a number of Eastern US bow and rifle hunters that commonly leave animals overnight or all day before looking for them and that seems to be a common theme I hear, don't follow up wounded game. Sort of makes sense but certainly not something I will do, especially in coyote central here.

[sirfunkeybut]

That exact thing happened to me with my first buck, we tracked into the night and the blood got a little thin so we came back in the morning and found the coyote took everything, the legs weren't even attached at the rear

[h20hunter]

I think you can take a lot of positive from your experience. The animal was recovered and tagged. He should be able to sleep better knowing he did that. It is a shame that he didn't get the meat of course. You also mentioned the animal moved off slowly...maybe get another arrow in next time if you can.

[400out]

  Damn that sucks! Had it happen to me and my cousin last year  ate everything but the skull 

[Curly]

There was another story like that earlier this year or maybe it was last year.  I think it was a story that 400out told..........or maybe it was someone else.......  

edit - funny you should post that 400out.  I was just typing my post as you were posting.

[high country]

that is why you never let an animal lay overnight and who would want to eat it after the guts stayed in it for ten hours... They do it on tv because they give the meat to the food bank and dont care if it is spoiled.... I would have hounded that buck all night until it was in my hands... its a shame hopefully your buddy learned a valuable lesson here and never leaves an animal overnight again...

If it was 70* at night I would agree.....in the winter, not so much.

[400out]

Yeah I'm sure it was mine! For some reason there was a lot of chit talking about my hunting ability and ethics  It happens! For the record if you could see the canyon behind and to the right of this deer only a idiot would go in after dark and push a deer 

[h20hunter]

Man....seeing the pics that is a damn shame.  Those yotes won't waste any time. Shot a few pigs in Texas this year and the dogs were coming in while the beast was still thrashing.

[Curly]

Yeah I'm sure it was mine! For some reason there was a lot of chit talking about my hunting ability and ethics  It happens! For the record if you could see the canyon behind and to the right of this deer only a idiot would go in after dark and push a deer 

Yeah, your story and those pics were shocking.  I will always remember those pics.......I was 

[h20hunter]

If you track your kill the next day, find it all eaten up, then still tag it and claim it your better than some....maybe most.

[400out]

If you track your kill the next day, find it all eaten up, then still tag it and claim it your better than some....maybe most.

and Hhe tagged it! Me and a buddy put some meat together from our kills and took it over to him as a  good job jesture