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Coyotes and dead cows #7732645
12/02/22 01:45 PM
12/02/22 01:45 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
Y
Yes sir Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Yes sir  Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Y

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
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Two cows that died about ten days apart. Both in same pasture about a 1/4 mile apart. The one that has been eaten by coyotes was treated with antibiotics by myself. The one that hasn't been touched was untreated. Both been dead roughly a month. Some think antibiotics will cause coyotes not to eat a carcass. I don't see this as holding water. The one that hasn't been touch I put a chain on and drug her to the location were she's at the other one lays were she died. Only thing I can come up with is the human scent I left on thr carcass when I hooked and unkookec chain caused this. This is not uncommon for me to see. And I figure there's about a 50% chance they might not touch that one all winter. This is in a pasture at my house where I caught 13 coyotes last year within half of and I think there's more coyotes that that this year. It's also a pasture we winter in so there's someone in there every day feeding and cutting net wrap off bales so human in the pasture is normal. Also the cow that has been eaten on can be seen from the road and the untouched one is in a more remote part of pasture. Not saying the coyotes will never eat a critter I have placed somewhere because they do but it's also not uncommon for them to never touch one. Just food for thought. I'd be interested in any theories or discussions you guys might have.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732677
12/02/22 02:50 PM
12/02/22 02:50 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
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Wanna Be Offline
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Wanna Be  Offline
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SW Georgia
I’m guessing our buzzards are the same as yours too, lol. As I’ve posted before our buzzards will sometimes pass a hog, guess they pass cows too.

Last edited by Wanna Be; 12/02/22 02:51 PM.
Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732715
12/02/22 03:42 PM
12/02/22 03:42 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,691
Nevadafornia
L
Lazarus Online content
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Lazarus  Online Content
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Joined: Mar 2012
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Nevadafornia
Yes Sir:

Couple years ago I was after the coyotes and had access to some dead pits, and then a stretch of highway where it was open range and it seemed there was daily a dead cow hit on the highway.

On the dead pit, there was very little hesitancy of coyotes to eat new additions. However, every once in a while, there was a cow added that no coyote would touch. Really odd. They would eat the cow that was on top of, or under, the untouched cow, but no way were they going to eat "that one" cow. The untouched cows were a mixture of cows that had, and had not been, vaccinated/inoculated/etc. Some were calves, some were old cows. There was just no rhyme or reason to it.

With the cows hit on the highway, I would drag them to my preferred spots and most were hit immediately by the coyotes. I had no basis to determine their status as vaccinated, etc. but assumed that they had not been recently treated since they were range cows. However, I saw nearly the identical results with the range cows as with the dead pit cows. Most were consumed pretty quickly, but every once in a while there was a cow that nobody would touch . . . even the ravens would just pick the eyes out and that was it. I experimented with placements of the carcass and did learn a few things. Coyotes wanted a wide open view of their surroundings to get comfortable. Cows that were in high brush took longer for the coyotes to feel comfortable than those out on the short grass prairie. On the other hand, a cow in plain site, but near escape cover, had a much higher rate of being eaten than one in dense cover. For example, a cow in the corner of a pasture that had high brush around the pasture was pretty enticing to even the most paranoid coyote. Often I could take a cow that was untouched, drag it a mile or two away and have instant success. Other times, it was like that uneaten cow was radioactive -- nobody, nowhere would touch it. Another trick I learned was if you cut into the visceral cavity and opened the cow up AND THEN DRAGGED IT to your spot, there was a high probability that coyotes would eat it. I think some coyotes were just super spooky about eating big baits, and others were not. Opening the viscera advertised to more coyotes and they would follow the cow trail to the bait. Another oddity that I could never figure out was that cows I dragged to the north side of the highway had a higher chance of being rejected than those I dragged on the south side of the highway. I think this may have had something to do with there being more coyotes on the south side (because there was better terrain, some distant hay fields, water, etc.) but it was really a puzzler. And the end of the day, I came away convinced there are a whole bunch of things we probably don't know about their behavior that are very important to how they communicate, etc. Interesting topic.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732726
12/02/22 04:04 PM
12/02/22 04:04 PM
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 566
MO
D
Dstone1992 Offline
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MO
Interesting wonder if there was something off-putting on the chain that left a smell behind?

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Lazarus] #7732737
12/02/22 04:25 PM
12/02/22 04:25 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
W
Wanna Be Offline
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
Originally Posted by Lazarus
Yes Sir:

Couple years ago I was after the coyotes and had access to some dead pits, and then a stretch of highway where it was open range and it seemed there was daily a dead cow hit on the highway.

On the dead pit, there was very little hesitancy of coyotes to eat new additions. However, every once in a while, there was a cow added that no coyote would touch. Really odd. They would eat the cow that was on top of, or under, the untouched cow, but no way were they going to eat "that one" cow. The untouched cows were a mixture of cows that had, and had not been, vaccinated/inoculated/etc. Some were calves, some were old cows. There was just no rhyme or reason to it.

With the cows hit on the highway, I would drag them to my preferred spots and most were hit immediately by the coyotes. I had no basis to determine their status as vaccinated, etc. but assumed that they had not been recently treated since they were range cows. However, I saw nearly the identical results with the range cows as with the dead pit cows. Most were consumed pretty quickly, but every once in a while there was a cow that nobody would touch . . . even the ravens would just pick the eyes out and that was it. I experimented with placements of the carcass and did learn a few things. Coyotes wanted a wide open view of their surroundings to get comfortable. Cows that were in high brush took longer for the coyotes to feel comfortable than those out on the short grass prairie. On the other hand, a cow in plain site, but near escape cover, had a much higher rate of being eaten than one in dense cover. For example, a cow in the corner of a pasture that had high brush around the pasture was pretty enticing to even the most paranoid coyote. Often I could take a cow that was untouched, drag it a mile or two away and have instant success. Other times, it was like that uneaten cow was radioactive -- nobody, nowhere would touch it. Another trick I learned was if you cut into the visceral cavity and opened the cow up AND THEN DRAGGED IT to your spot, there was a high probability that coyotes would eat it. I think some coyotes were just super spooky about eating big baits, and others were not. Opening the viscera advertised to more coyotes and they would follow the cow trail to the bait. Another oddity that I could never figure out was that cows I dragged to the north side of the highway had a higher chance of being rejected than those I dragged on the south side of the highway. I think this may have had something to do with there being more coyotes on the south side (because there was better terrain, some distant hay fields, water, etc.) but it was really a puzzler. And the end of the day, I came away convinced there are a whole bunch of things we probably don't know about their behavior that are very important to how they communicate, etc. Interesting topic.

That is very interesting. The next hog I kill I’ll drag to an open field, near cover, and see what the results are. Still doesn’t explain the fact that the buzzards won’t touch it.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732748
12/02/22 04:36 PM
12/02/22 04:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
Y
Yes sir Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Yes sir  Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Y

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
Wannabe I was told the high fat continent in hogs is hard for most wild animals to digest and around here a coyote has to be pretty hungry to eat a pig, which doesn't happen very often. Maybe that's what u are seeing down there...???

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732754
12/02/22 04:41 PM
12/02/22 04:41 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
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SW Georgia
I guess it could be. I’m with the coyote, I ain’t eating that rank smelling thing either.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732761
12/02/22 04:47 PM
12/02/22 04:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
Y
Yes sir Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Yes sir  Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Y

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
Lazarus that's some interesting information and thoughts. I'm glad I'm not the only one who contemplates these things. I'm glad you brought up communication because just knowing how many coyotes we have I wouldn't be surprised if 15+ coyotes have come across the untouched cow and not a taker. I could understand the really cautious/ spooky coyotes finding something to turn them off but everyone? Makes me wonder if they have a way to communicate to stay away from this one. Say if it was my human scent that scared them off, after so many days that's going to be gone, but if a really cautious coyote came by a few hours after I put that cow there could it communicate that this cow is danger and they just keep marking it ...??? We lost 3 cows in that pasture in a short time so I believe it was likely they died from the same sickness so that kind rules that out. I'll guarantee they will still be chewing on the one cow in 4 months and likely they may never touch the other.

Dstone
I see this behavior somewhat regularly over my lifetime so I'm thinking it wasn't some unique odor on the chain but who knows...

Last edited by Yes sir; 12/02/22 04:49 PM.
Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732764
12/02/22 04:49 PM
12/02/22 04:49 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 496
SD
T
Turd Furgeson Offline
trapper
Turd Furgeson  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 496
SD
In no way am I doubting your findings as I find this extremely interesting. However, my experience differs from yours. I had always heard that coyotes wouldn’t touch recently vaccinated cows and I had thought well that’s BS if it gets cold they’ll hit it. One winter I dropped off two sick cows that had been pumped full of antibiotics in strategic locations and kept checking on them and sure enough they laid there untouched for the most part until spring. Next time I get the chance I’d like to try the experiment again and see if anything changes. Thank you for your info.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732783
12/02/22 05:06 PM
12/02/22 05:06 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
Y
Yes sir Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Yes sir  Offline OP
"Callie's little brother"
Y

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 10,057
Marion Kansas
TF I've doctored a lot of cattle myself that died some they eat some they don't. I don't think it's always the antibiotics. Most cattle that die at a feedlot have been treated yet coyotes flock to the dead piles there. And there is a difference between vaccinated and treated with antibiotics for sickness while we're one the subject. All our cattle get regular vaccines.
Once I pulled 2 400 heifers that fell through the ice out of a pond. It was very cold and I though they'd make a good trapping location. Watched them all winter and they never got touched.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732792
12/02/22 05:16 PM
12/02/22 05:16 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 496
SD
T
Turd Furgeson Offline
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SD
Ya it’s odd when you see it, long cold winter on the northern prairie you’d think they’d get desperate. Maybe my deal was just an anomaly? Good discussion topic to bring up. Anymore I go for deer first, never seen them avoid those. Beaver don’t seem to do well here either.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732825
12/02/22 06:01 PM
12/02/22 06:01 PM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
steeltraps Offline
trapper
steeltraps  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
Yes Sir !! WOW ! Just asking myself WHY no takers here myself! Have trapped around dead cows for 35 years now. From 160 acre hobby cow farms to 100000 acres of cattle. Coyotes around cattle still mystifies me. No ryhme no reason. Some just want touch a certain cow. In a certain place.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: steeltraps] #7732829
12/02/22 06:06 PM
12/02/22 06:06 PM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
steeltraps Offline
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steeltraps  Offline
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Posts: 6,004
alabama
Last year moved a cow. Caught 13 here. Less coyotes here now on this small few sections BUT only caught 1. No tracks. Cow is now Well look at it. Not even a nible

8E27758A-7FD4-4FE2-9D17-039B42FB1C5E.jpeg6E168E00-5B8B-4D55-8E5D-E2EDE70D3639.jpeg
Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: steeltraps] #7732830
12/02/22 06:09 PM
12/02/22 06:09 PM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
steeltraps Offline
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steeltraps  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
Sometimes people. Like to say = O its so dry a coyote came by and you didnt see its tracks. OR it wouldn’t eat cause of this that or the other. Or it just nibled on cow and will come back. NOPE. 23 days latter Not a coyote! LOL!

F2706DA5-51D6-403E-80AB-13FD4D937DA9.jpeg
Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732833
12/02/22 06:11 PM
12/02/22 06:11 PM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
steeltraps Offline
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steeltraps  Offline
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alabama
Place looks open enough to me . How bout you guys ? Moved cow with same chain I moved other cow and we caught 13 coyotes. Had so much fun last time. Landowner got in on the trapping fun witb some Longsprings

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732835
12/02/22 06:17 PM
12/02/22 06:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,417
Idaho
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bearcat2 Offline
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Idaho
I've seen the same with roadkill deer, you can throw out five of them and four of them will be nothing but white bones when you check them three days later (if you can even find the bones) and the fifth one will lay there until it either melts or dries up. Tossed one out this summer and put a camera on it and not even the birds hit it.

I will say I have better luck with deer than anything else on getting the canines to hit it, and they seem much less leery of whole deer than bones and scraps. They will hit bones and scraps at times, but seem much leerier.

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7732865
12/02/22 06:58 PM
12/02/22 06:58 PM
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Frazee, MN
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backroadsarcher Offline
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Frazee, MN
Just thought of a question. Was the dead cow that has been eaten on picked open by birds before the coyotes started to eat. plus I have picked up road kill deer that were not tore apart and the coyotes never touched them. But if they were tore apart they were all over them. Maybe lazy coyotes.?.?

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7733051
12/02/22 10:21 PM
12/02/22 10:21 PM
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 123
NE
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sandhillscoyotes Offline
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NE
Yes sir I’ve seen the same thing I’ve got one pasture they won’t touch them till breeding season but they are there and check it out but won’t open them up Steel traps I’ve had the same scenario caught 16 coyotes in the same pasture as the carcass one year and the next only two and no tracks in the snow but the next section north was the hot one with no carcass I just figured the survivors associated that section as a dangerous place and changed travel habits

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7733177
12/03/22 12:25 AM
12/03/22 12:25 AM
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 17,383
Central Ohio
LT GREY Offline
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Central Ohio
Caught 17 foxes once off of a dead cow. . .and I don't live in Pa. or Md.

JS

Re: Coyotes and dead cows [Re: Yes sir] #7733222
12/03/22 02:20 AM
12/03/22 02:20 AM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
steeltraps Offline
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steeltraps  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2015
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alabama
Originally Posted by Yes sir
Wannabe I was told the high fat continent in hogs is hard for most wild animals to digest and around here a coyote has to be pretty hungry to eat a pig, which doesn't happen very often. Maybe that's what u are seeing down there...???

Hungry coyotes and /or high density of coyotes!

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