What do you make of this?

[browning204]

I grabbed this story from another forum. What do you all make of it? I didn't know coyotes would/could cause this damage for shits and giggles.

The sickening trueth about coyotes and deer yards up here in Maine. The worst predator of all for us folks up here is the eastern coyote! The eastern coyote here is a hybred between coyote and wolve. In the winter months coyotes hunt in packs alot of the time just like the wolves do. Our deer when heavey snow comes around will yard up just like most places do. The coyotes watch these deer yards for an opportunity to kill. I know this is supposed to be that way but, for all the non beleivers that think that they only kill for food. What I am about to show should change your mind on this predator.
The coyote here is ultimate killing machine mother nature ever handed us. They will watch these deer yards until the right moment arrives and when possible they will push all the deer they can onto the ice. The deer due to their pointed holves can not run and are doomed. If they can not push the deer out they will take what they can anyway they can. Normally one will enter while the herd is surrounded and sure enough when one comes out it is food for them. This would be the best way IMO if all was to work like that. However here, things are different as they take all they can. Here is what they will do to a deer yard if they can get the chance. I hope this opens up a few minds as to what is really happening up here in the northeast and I truely hope it doesn't come to that down there or where ever you folks are at. Thank you for looking at this. The canoe in this picture was used to move the deer around and also to get a couple out of the water that had died there.


Notice how they are barely eaten or chewed up. Looks like they were killed for fun. Thanks for the help guys!

[DirtyDog]

Wow, I am not sure what to think. If they can make a kill, then they probably feel they can come back to it when they are hungry the next time.??????? 

[studabaka]

A behavior I associate with domestic dogs and not yotes, but I guess it's possible. Seems like they didn't actually witness it.

[FinsnFur]

wow, thats pretty wild

[Bopeye]

I'm with Stu on this one. Unless the coyotes have just totally lost their minds up there.....
I know a pack of domestic dogs could do that, but coyotes? First time I ever heard of it.

I know a guy that unbelievably turned loose to go wild an attack trained German Shepherd a couple months ago. I asked him why he would do that and he said he didn't want it anymore because he couldn't trust him, but he didn't have the heart to kill him. You talk about stupid!!!!
I rarely get riled, but this gentleman received a 15 minute rant from me on how much potential problems he has caused for the dog, any livestock that comes into contact with that dog and possibly anyone that comes into contact with him.
I also went on to mention that if I am out calling and that stupid thing comes into me and I have to kill it, I would skin it out and leave it in his driveway for his little girl to see.
Some people's children............

[keekee]

I would say dogs as well. I would like to see a couple pic's of the deer up close and of the bit marks. Or know were the bite marks were on the deer.


Brent

[vvarmitr]

Seems they have more wolf in 'em then most people will admit. Wolves are noted for doing just this type of thing.

A side note ... Those deer are not colored all alike. They look a little wierd from where I'm sitting.

[CrossJ]

 I agree with Brent, I would like to see an upclose view of the deer. As for random killing, it does happen around here with goats. There are several ranches that run several thousand goats, and they on occasion have goats just killed and left. It usually is one or two a night for a week or more. The random killing of a 30lb goat is alot different than a 150lb deer though. Will coyotes kill randomly; yes. Did they kill those deer; not enough info to say. Maintain, Geordie

[Bopeye]

I have heard of them killing more than they could eat, but this was usually done by an over anxious juvenile..........hard to differentiate between them and dog kills then due to the inexperience of the young coyote.
I could see where they would kill one or two, but from where I'm sitting there has got to be at least a dozen or more deer laying there. What predator, other than man, kills for the pure enjoyment of it and especially in that kind of numbers?
I'm not saying a predator couldn't be a thrill killer, but I believe even their own instinct tells them to not kill more than they need so there will be food to eat later..........maybe I'm wrong.

That one right there is just tough to comprehend...........surely it is......

Maybe it's true and maybe it's not, but I'd have to see more evidence than one man's say so and a single photograph........

[browning204]

ya, I was thinking it was kinda odd that this is the work of coyotes. But Hey, what do I know???

[Bopeye]

CCP and I talked about it last night and he related a story to me about a old lone male killing goats for fun down here on the Georgia/Tennessee line. It was quite a story and I learned a lot listening to it.
Taking what I just learned from CCP and applying it to this photo would give it some merit for a higher possibility, but still would remain in the improbable context. Make any sense? 

[Jrbhunter]

A couple thoughts come to mind. 

1- domestic dogs.   

2- deer die in yards like that from starvation.   Especially in heavy and prolonged snows, (Like the 7' that hit the NE this winter) so is it fesible that they died natural deaths and coyotes stumbled on them afterwards?  Maybe they were even in the dillusional stage of dehydration or starvation when they were killed?  That'd be tempting to any coyote.

Even if each gut/throat were ripped open, that's not indicative of a coyote kill... with a large group of carcasses it's possible that numerous coyotes started on the source at once (hitting multiple deer simultaneously).   That could IMPLY mass killing- but would really be the least confrontational way for a pack to get their fill on such a big spread out food source.

Anythings possible.  The story definately has an anti-coyote slant to it and doesn't sound well founded to me.

[Ridge Runner]

well the original post on the other forum stated that there was 4 or 5 coyotes killed at this site, If when coyotes pack up like the do here in late winter, this does happen occasionaly
RR