is it possible for coyote to kill a deer?

[brainhulk]

I saw a freshly bitten off deer leg on the trail this morning. Didn't get to take a pic because my friend didn't really want to stick around lol. I only know of coyote in this area, are they able to bring down deer? I was thinking damn, i didnt think a coyote could do that.

 

[DaTT]

You didn't pick it up and start eating it like a drumstick?

 

[midwestfisherman]

Yes a coyote can definitely bring down a deer.

 

[shortylickens]

If a pack of coyotes gets desperate they will attack a larger animal.
But as a rule they prefer carrion and small prey.

 

[IronWing]

A coyote in southern California would have a great deal of trouble taking down a deer that wasn't already sick or injured. Coyotes are more into rats, cats, and rabbits. Farther north coyotes get bigger and will sometimes work together as a pack to take down bigger prey though it is still relatively rare. Are you in mountain lion habitat? Lions eat almost nothing but deer.

 

[lxskllr]

Dunno about an individual animal, but a pack definitely can. Packs of feral dogs can, and do take down deer.

 

[Markbnj]

Strange that the meat was left behind.

 

[Slew Foot]

Let me find Silver prime and get back to you

 

[schmuckley]

The deer could have gotten its leg caught in a claw trap.
That said, yes a coyote/pack can bring down deer.

 

[olds]

I wouldn't think a single coyote could bring down a healthy, adult deer.
More likely if a coyote was involved, it scavenged the leg. IE deer was already dead/dying.

 

[Elixer]

I saw a freshly bitten off deer leg on the trail this morning. Didn't get to take a pic because my friend didn't really want to stick around lol. I only know of coyote in this area, are they able to bring down deer? I was thinking damn, i didnt think a coyote could do that.

It was obviously a chupacabra attack.

 

[WHAMPOM]

I saw a freshly bitten off deer leg on the trail this morning. Didn't get to take a pic because my friend didn't really want to stick around lol. I only know of coyote in this area, are they able to bring down deer? I was thinking damn, i didnt think a coyote could do that.

Predator favorite, new born, sick, old and lame prey. A healthy adult deer is not an easy take down for a single coyote, a pack yes.

 

[Puppies04]

It was probably a tiger or a lion. I imagine they both stumbled on the animal at the same time and decided to have a fight to see who got the meat.

Not sure which one won though.

 

[brainhulk]

A coyote in southern California would have a great deal of trouble taking down a deer that wasn't already sick or injured. Coyotes are more into rats, cats, and rabbits. Farther north coyotes get bigger and will sometimes work together as a pack to take down bigger prey though it is still relatively rare. Are you in mountain lion habitat? Lions eat almost nothing but deer.

I see plenty of coyotes here. Fairly small looking and always solitary never roving in packs. There are mountain lions in socal, but this particular area supposedly doesn't have them. There are bears in socal too, but not in this area either.

Maybe the coyote got lucky and happened upon an injured or sick deer.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Injured or sick deer maybe. Coyotes are pretty timid creatures overall. They'd have to be pretty desperate to attempt to kill anything larger than they are. Id imagine they get quite a few baby deer though.

 

[balloonshark]

Youtube has a few vids if you're into watching coyote and deer battle.

 

[mmntech]

Coyotes love eating cats and small dogs. All the city folk who moved out here kept complaining their pets were going missing. Was good for a laugh.

Coyotes will apparently work in small packs to hunt large prey. Apparently they can take down something as large as a bison.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote#Hunting_and_feeding_behaviors

 

[pontifex]

Strange that the meat was left behind.

there isnt any meat on a deer leg, at least not below the shoulder area.

OP, nothing else found besides the leg? Seems odd that all you would find is the leg. Did it look fresh? No blood or fur in the area?

The deer parts could have been dumped in the area by a hunter. Maybe an animal was carrying the leg and it got scared and dropped it.

Hard to say without more details.

 

[DrPizza]

Around here, I've seen coyotes 70-80 pounds. As a pack, yes they can take deer down. Also, deer tire out pretty easily. Coyotes, let alone many domestic dogs, can run a deer to the point of exhaustion. In deeper snow, a human in decent shape on show shoes can run one down.

They're also highly intelligent. I witnessed a group of coyotes that "chased" animals into a valley. The coyotes were very loud up on the hill & drove their prey downhill and across the valley. What amazed me was that waiting on the other side was another group of coyotes who had been silent the entire time.

 

[brainhulk]

there isnt any meat on a deer leg, at least not below the shoulder area.

OP, nothing else found besides the leg? Seems odd that all you would find is the leg. Did it look fresh? No blood or fur in the area?

The deer parts could have been dumped in the area by a hunter. Maybe an animal was carrying the leg and it got scared and dropped it.

Hard to say without more details.

All i saw was the rear hind leg. The blood was still red, so i assume it was a fresh kill. Also the hind leg looked fairly meaty...lol

 

[ghost recon88]

Sasquatch

 

[cbrunny]

I saw a freshly bitten off deer leg on the trail this morning. Didn't get to take a pic because my friend didn't really want to stick around lol. I only know of coyote in this area, are they able to bring down deer? I was thinking damn, i didnt think a coyote could do that.

For sure. Might be rare, but "can they" = yes.

 

[pontifex]

All i saw was the rear hind leg. The blood was still red, so i assume it was a fresh kill. Also the hind leg looked fairly meaty...lol

so the whole hind leg? like all the way up to the torso??

 

[brainhulk]

so the whole hind leg? like all the way up to the torso??

Maybe not all the way up, most of the way...i think. Lots of meat left

 

[Ban Bot]

A coyote in southern California would have a great deal of trouble taking down a deer that wasn't already sick or injured. Coyotes are more into rats, cats, and rabbits. Farther north coyotes get bigger and will sometimes work together as a pack to take down bigger prey though it is still relatively rare. Are you in mountain lion habitat? Lions eat almost nothing but deer.

/thread. I came in here to post that a healthy coyote wouldn't think of trying to take down a healthy doe, let alone a buck. Due to the risk of injury, and the speed of the deer, I am not even sure a pack would try. Now sick, weak, or unprotected young is a different question.