Determining the cause of death for a deer carcass can be challenging, as various factors contribute to deer mortality, including disease, vehicle collisions, starvation, and predation. While many animals scavenge deer remains, identifying a coyote’s responsibility for the initial kill requires careful observation. These indicators help differentiate a coyote kill from other causes.
Distinguishing a Kill from Scavenging
Assessing a deer carcass first involves determining if it was a kill or later scavenged. Predator kills show signs of struggle. Disturbed ground, broken vegetation, or drag marks around the carcass suggest a chase and takedown. Fresh blood, particularly around the attack site, indicates a recent kill.
Carcass condition offers clues. Predator kills involve fresh tissue consumption; scavenged animals show decomposition before feeding. Bites on a deceased animal won’t bleed under the skin, but bites on a living deer show subcutaneous hemorrhage. Skinning the neck and head for hemorrhage around puncture wounds is informative.
Key Indicators of a Coyote Kill
Coyotes have specific kill and feeding patterns for deer. They target the throat, grabbing and holding it to bring down the deer. Younger or less experienced coyotes may attack other body parts. Multiple coyotes may systematically attack hindquarters to disembowel and immobilize the deer by shock.
Coyotes begin feeding on softer tissues, typically the abdomen or hindquarters. They consume internal organs; the liver is a preferred target. Unlike larger predators, coyotes do not cache or bury their kills, leaving the carcass exposed. Coyote kill struggle signs are less pronounced than those from larger predators.
Tracks and scat near the carcass provide additional evidence. Distinctive coyote tracks indicate their presence. Scat with deer hair or bone fragments suggests coyote feeding. Predation determination becomes less certain as a carcass ages or if remains are scattered, as other scavengers may visit.
Differentiating From Other Predators
Differentiating a coyote kill from other predators requires recognizing unique attack and feeding behaviors. Wolves, larger canids, inflict more extensive trauma and leave larger bite marks than coyotes. Their feeding patterns involve consuming larger bones and more completely consuming the carcass.
Bobcats and cougars, both felines, have different hunting strategies. Cougars target the neck or skull base, leaving distinct bite marks, and may “shave” hair before feeding. They cover kills with debris to cache them, starting feeding on chest organs like lungs, heart, and liver. Bobcats also target the neck or head.
Bears leave large claw marks and crush bones. They may move the carcass significantly from the kill site, exhibiting unique feeding patterns like “skinning” or consuming large muscle masses. Domestic dogs, unlike wild predators, leave haphazard bite marks and may “worry” the animal without efficient killing. Differentiating dog from coyote attacks based solely on bite marks is difficult without considering other signs like track size and wound spacing.