Ate up coyote

[17HMR]

I had a snared coyote ate up over night there was a head, spine, tail, front and back legs left, all w/o any meat, bits of fur all over the ground. the ribs were even gone as well as the guts.

This is the 3rd time I have seen this through the years, has anyone else had this happen? Or know why it happens?

[trappnman]

as a pure guess- eagles?

[krj]

I have had it happen before. I always thought it was one of a couple things going on. Something like what has been described to me as when the family group is still together and one will get trapped the dominate female or male of the group will stay around and nip at the individual caught in the trap, until one thing leads to another and the coyote that is being restrained gets eaten.
Or possibly an intruder coyote in another group’s area and being snared and not being able to get away gets eaten not some much out of hunger but…………… the one insane moment. I believe this to be the closest answer.
I haven’t had it happen since I started using true kill snares. I reason that it is because there is not a long enough time with live coyotes in snares to get the same thing going on.

I posted this on trapperman a few years back when it last happened to me and about got laughed off the net.

[17HMR]

Steve, no bird sign but coyote sign all over, should have stated that.

krj, that sounds plausible to me and matches my thoughts as well, the coyote didn't have a water head so was killed quickly whether it was the snare or other coyotes.

[trappnman]

gotcha-

have you had any such in traps?

[17HMR]

No, 2 snared, and 1 I shot on the way to work at 3:30 pm, was going to pick up on the way home, stopped at 11 pm and nothing but bits of fur, blood, and coyote tracks all over....

[Zagman]

I shot a coyote in a trap before work this year but could not pick it up at that time, as I was dressed for success.

Later that day, I pulled into the farm where the dead coyote was and there were three buzzards on the coyote as I rounded the bend.....oh crap....there goes $12! LOL

Anyhow, I flush them away and go over the to coyote......it looked exactly how I'd left it, which relieved me. No blood, no fur scattered all over......they had not even moved it in the catch circle.

I figrued, therefore, that they had just found it.....

When I picked it up and out of the trap, it felt awful light for an adult coyote.......

When I got it home, I figured it out.......there was a golf ball sized hole right behind the front leg, as if it had been shot by a slug. And the arsehole was enlarged a bit......

Those birds had ate all the guts out of that coyote.....no meat or fur.....just the guts.

I know why buzzards and vultures dont have feathered heads, and this example clearly showed how and why, as there heads had to be all the way up in there to eat all that offal.

The coyote actually was skinneable and will go through with the rest of the fur coyotes.....and I bet you'd be hard pressed to pick it out of the bunch......if at all.

Does not answer your question, but I thought it was noteworthy, and until reading your post, forgot about it.

MZ

[lotsofmink]

I have it happen quite often Ive lost 9 coyote to ravens and eagles this year.
When its really cold out coyotes will eat their own last year I lost 2 like that. They like a hot meal.

[trappincoyotes39]

Yes 17 HMR highly doubtful other coyotes eagles or buzzards I would bet. If other coyotes it would happen with live ones in the trap or snare. Dead critters easy source of food for birds of prey a close up photo would tell me in a heart beat what you had going on, as birds and how they eat on a carcass far different from a coyote eats and where they eat on things.

Main clue telling me some sort of a bird is dead critters all 3 and spread about, tells me birds of prey. You will have other coyotes for sure check out the smells and sights of such dead kin around for sure, No different than M-44 dead coyotes getting pissed on by other coyotes, feeding of one another is not common at all and not down to the bone or paunch area, heck they don't even eat the paunch on lambs or ewes let alone their own kind.

You have magpies in your area? Amazing how quick a group of magpies can clean up a deer carcass or dead coyote in a snare.

[robertw]

I've had it happen a few times, even shot a coyote (1 of 3) that was feeding off of the carcass of the dead coyote one time in Wyoming.

[BadDog]

If your coyote has some goodies inside of him and is laying there dead and his buddies come along, they might want the goodies too... like belly full of slimy partially digested beef or mutton... mmmmm!

Then while they are at it, they finish their plate. Very simple... happens mostly on tough winters,deep snow and when coyote is packed, or was packed I should say, full of carrion.

Look at the bones for crunching, crunching comes from powerful jaws that crush things like bone.

Badgers eat coyotes, but thats a no brainer, there will be a hole right on location if a badger pulls in.

Of course eagles clean up carcasses, but they leave much more behind.

Once coyotes get a taste of your coyotes, you need to remove them or you have no fun when snaring... but that was then and this is now and with 1/16 everywhere, this doesn't happen to me anymore cuz all the coyotes are dead before it happens... seems like anyways. It just dawned on me, this hasn't happened in about as many years as I have been using 1/16... and how many thousands later?

[musher]

If you were in wolf country, I'd say wolves. They eat their own ... relatives!

[17HMR]

I was thinking that time of day would rule out birds, I was there about 2 hours after it got lite, and havent seen but a couple redtailed hawks in the area. No magpies in this area at all.
Marty, Still loving those stingers I ordered from you when you were at the Nebraska rondy a few years ago when they were first out. Out of 50, 42 are still killing coyotes, in the pastures with no entanglement they are laying at the end of the cable with no tore up trail. 17 ft long with extention. this coyote was in one.

[humptulips]

I've had coyotes eat up skinned coyotes before but never one with the hide on it.

[motrapperjohn]

Had 2 ate up klike that in Wyoming a few years back, one was snared open mouth, jaws open and behind ears, left just like you described, the other on the same ranch, snared, fresh kill only warm head left with blood still running and both with nothing but coyote tracks around. Someone once told me that sometimes coyotes will kill and eat others that are tresspassing during dispursl.e

[trappincoyotes39]

most of the coyotes dispearsing are younger not older coyotes, but would be an odd occurance IMO if coyotes where cleaning them up like that, still stick with birds of prey, makes sense open areas, dead coyotes. I find less eagle and magpie issues in the breaks that have cedar cover as eagles hunt by sight they can't eat what they don't see. Buzzards different they ride the air currents and have excellent noses.

[BadDog]

Me and my big mouth... guess what happened to me today? After a 5 year streak of Zero cannibalized coyotes. Yup... a coyote ravaged skeleton, cannibalized by his buddies. Isn't that funny? I kid you not.

Thanks for the compliments 17. All my Stingers are still in use, including my original prototypes from i don't know how many years ago. A few discarded, but still going strong. Good ole North American quality.

[Wright Brothers]

Happened here with a coon in a trap. Thought it was dogs, they returned another night while better tracking snow and I confirmed not dogs. I did catch one there later.

In my experience not many K9s eat coon. I thought they just could not handle the trapped coon as entertainment and their natural instincts kick in. When two or more together I've witnessed strange actions, especially late season, kinda like us lol.

[Noel]

Ive seen eaten and tailless fox but never coyotes.
This is slightly off topic but my friend got a coyote in a foothold this year that chewed at her foot. I was surprised to see that.

[Bob Jameson]

Had one in Arkansas and one in Pa. over the years in Jan. and Feb that had been partially eaten. One in trackable dirt and one in 3 inches of snow.No doubt it was coyotes in those cases due to the sign.