Dead Cow

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LynxBoy

New member
I found a dead cow that stinks like #@$%
I heard a group of coyotes howling one night and went and scouted the area as soon as I could. The cow seemed to be in the exact place those yips and howls were comming from.The cow is not even half gone yet. The one side has ribs showing and are bare bone.The hind legs were not touched but the rear end had a large hole.Yes I know I bet all cows have a large hole in the rear
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My question is this......

1)If the coyotes are feeding on this cow would there be alot of scat around it?
I looked a little but didn't see any fresh scat. I could of looked harder but that damn smell! Leaving the area I did see some old scat.(Total hair turds)

2)If the coyotes are feeding on this cow are they staying close by?

3)When do they feed? I heard the howling around 10pm.

4)Would it be smart to set up and watch the cow?

5)Day or night?

6)Should I call from a distance?

7)Why would a coyote come to a dying rabbit that either another coyote, owl, hawk or fox is already eating when they have plenty of steak right there?

Sorry for such a long post it's just I've been at this for awhile now and still no dice. I feel with the areas I'm hunting I should have been successful by now! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...Trevor
 
The night you heard the howls is probably the night they found the cow. The older dogs call the group in when they find a large carcass like that.

Now for your questions.
1 not nesescarily. Dogs won't crap where they eat or sleep. Scats are found away from these areas like the older ones you found full of hair.Perhaps the farmer dumps carcasses regularly in this place.

2. Maybe, if there is good bedding cover within a mile . Otherwise they will return to the core area they prefer. Find this route they use to get to the carcasse and you have a great place to call from in the afternoon.

3. When ever they feel hungry. If they have such a place to feed they visit first thing in the afternoon or evening.

4. You can do it this way if you like just like hunting a deer over clover.

5. Either one would work but arriving after dark will spook animals already feeding on the carcass.

6. Find the route they use to get to the carcass and set up a calling position with the wind in your face and blowing into an area where there is no cover for them to aproach without beeing seen, open pasture or crop field .Doing this will most likely place them in front of you for the shot.

7. That's an easy one. The coyote is just like your dog at home.He is a greedy rascal.When they find such baits they eat until they are totally round before leaving it for the day. It could also be a territorial response when near a bait like this.He wants to protect his right to that bait and everything near it.It all belongs to him and his pack or family group.No outsiders allowed! Jimmie
 
How long it last depends on alot of factors.
Is the hunting good for them? They know where that cow is,and that it isn't going anywhere. If the hunting is bad,or the temps -0 for awhile,they'll work that cow pretty fast.
We've had baits sit for a month untouched after the initial hit, then a week of -0 temps and it's hammered.
Often they'll use a food source such as that as a filler,after hunting all night they'll finish filling up on their way back to their "day home",or core area.
More than likely, they'll continue to use that cow untill there is nothing left,even carting off the bones. That's why you don't find full skeletons in the woods very often.
Early morning,meaning get in before it's light enough to see,is often the best time to hunt a a bait.
Set back downwind as far away as possible,as a rule we set our shooting sites on baits at 300 yards to help avoid detection and also to give us a zero.
The first two hours after sun-up produce the most sightings.
If you want to call, I'd do as Jimmie suggests, find their travel route and set up on that in the afternoon.
Don't get too discouraged. This is never an easy game, but keep at it and all of a sudden things will work,and all those empty sets will be forgotten.
NiM
 
Thanks for the advice Roadkill. I think I'll try setting up over it in the morning and calling it in the afternoon......I'll keep you posted thanks....Trevor
 
Ok I went back and I didn't get in before daybreak so instead of waitng it out or even calling. I just went and checked it out it was one week since I found the cow and it looked excactly the same no change. I'm glad I didn't sit and watch it.
Your right Roadkill why would they eat that? It's not going anywhere.The hunting for them is so good right now!What kind of winter is this? The other day I called the Game warden and asked him what he thought about the Coyote population in my county? And where would he recomend me going? He said he honestly feels there everywhere in the county.He then refered me to a large farm that he has known of to have coyote problems in the past.Well needless to say the farmer welcomed me with open arms
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The farmer told me that he has had people come and call before
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He sad they never really did any good. He said years ago it got so bad he had to hire a profesional trapper! That summer the trapper took 173 coyotes off his farm. He said since then they have never really been as bad. But he said If I took 20 I wouldn't be hurting the population any.He said,"KILL THEM ALL!" After two days of scouting I can't believe how good these coyotes have it! There is atleast 2 deadholes on it. I've never seen anything like it! I feel silly now getting all excited about finding a Dead Cow. In each one of these dead holes I found there where just piles of animals! In one of the holes there was around 6 full grown cows. When I say dead hole.....that's just what the farmer calls it. Believe me it isn't a hole it's just a pile of carcases with maybe some tires and a old microwave thrown in. The other one had a mixture of sheep, lamb, and cow. One of the holes you could tell the coyotes have eaten from, the one with the lambs. But only a little. The other, the one with the 5 or 6 full grown cows was untouched. My whole point is this. If these coyotes where hurting for food then they would use these sources. But it's warm or atleast a very mild winter and they have tons of food and don't have to eat as much to stay warm. So these deadholes sit untouched. I have no choice but to call! And I already know I'm dealling with call shy dogs atleast I'd think.When I showed up the farmer pointed out a large dead female coyote that was hanging on the fence. He said a rabbit hunter shot it the other day.With the weather being like it is I'm not going to worry to much about the bait. I need to find there travel routes you know the ones with tracks running both ways and lots of scat? I can find scat here and there and tracks here and there but I know I'm missing the main routes......Trevor
 
Rabbit hunter shot one eh! Now it would be real interesting to know that story.Was it chasing the dogs or did they jump it?

You might want to check the farms on either side of this fellow.I think you might be getting pretty warm on locating a few here.They won't feed on a cow carcasse if there is something better in my experience. Pork is tops on their list followed by sheep and goats.I've seen them clean up a dead hog and leave a cow all winter.

I doubt you have call shy animals there unless there has been someone in there already this winter.Check otu as much of the creek drainage as you can and you will come up with that hotspot of activity. Jimmie
 
I't sounded to me like the rabbit hunters kicked the coyote up? He really didn't explain.I'm not sure if there dogs did it or what? I wonder if there was more then one? That would make for a very wary critter,after watching one of your buddies get blown away by a human.Don't you think? I can't wait till I get to be that human!
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I'll have to make sure I ask him the next time I see him for, the details on that story.I'd like to try to get out there as much as I can this week.I just can't give up yet.I don't think I'll end this season untill I get my first one.The hide might not be the best but oh well. I just hope I can get one before my fishing starts up
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Well that explains why the dead hole with the sheep/lamb in it had been visited and not the one with only cows. "Thanks"
I think one of the farms next to this one might have some hogs.I'm not sure.If not I know they have tons of cattle.
The days I spent there I covered allot of ground.But did no calling. I've had enough of calling to nothing. I need to be confident.I'm going to check a few more areas for sign and try to get deeper down in the main holler and follow the creek. boy that's going to be some tough hiking.That reminds me.What exactly do you mean by the drainage? Do you mean in the creek bed? Along the creek? Both? I've mainly been walking trails above.I haven't been in the bottom to much.That's prety thick stuff.I figured if they were in the area hard I'd see heavy sign up out of the hollow along the deer trails,pasture and crop edges.I saw sign but not "heavy" it is pretty hard to see tracks on leaves stuck in mud.I'll check all along the bottom and see what I come up with.I have night gear but would like to take my first one in the day when I can see. So I need to find where, I'm sure these things are bedding or hanging out in daytime hours. I've called plenty of times now where there was sign but no coyotes even close by. I know this now after reading alot of great info on this site.My next time blowing into the call I'd like to be as close to homebase to them as I can. if I don't find the sign I need, I'll head to the surrounding farms.

Can you explain what the area they are calling home at the moment will look like? Lots of scat or just heavy tracks?
Thanks for all the help.I can't stress that enough.......Trevor
 
From what I've read here and other places a family group can be as many as five animals at this time of year.From what I know myself they can be bedded within a two mile radius of one another during the day.What they kicked up was probably one of last years pups traveling and hunting alone within the groups territory. The alpha pair will be together at this time almost constantly, even hunting together. Not all of the pups disperse each winter.

Such places as those dumps will draw every transient animal for miles down wind of them.There will be quite a few transients roaming around this time of year, mostly young males without a mate.Transients will bed down where there is good cover.

From what you've written about this area you have all the components for a good hole for years to come.A mixture of livestock farms will always draw them in but not nescescarily for the livestock.Pastures draw rabbits and the feed draws mice by the tons.The two top foods on the coyote list.Farms like this are mixed ground with woods ,thickets, grassy fields, creeks and springs, all good wildlife habitat.Well balanced pastures are a year around food source for all creatures.

A drainage is the source of water for the creek or stream.Run off from the hills go into small ditches and streams which in turn run into larger creeks feeding the rivers.The drainage for the one creek at the back of the place can encompass several farms.That drainage or part of it ,depending on it's size, will be the territory for that group.That;s the major reason for getting permission from as many farmers as possible in that area.

You will never get confidence in your calling ability without using it.I won't hesitate to cold call a farm when scouting if I find a good set up where I think I might get a hit. Anywhere I run across one fo the funnel areas we've been discussing I set up.Where there is good cover there may be a bedded dog.While calling I can set and look over the area for travel ways that might be used and check them later when I move on.It gives me a chance to rest and think instead of wearing myself out.If I don't get a hit I can mark that spot off and look for the better sites.

A farm like that one you'll have to check animal trails and farm roads since there is'nt much other ground that will take tracks.All those lead to creek crossings the animals are using.That's where you will find any sign left behind.Scats will be on either side of those crossings.Checking them from the creek itself saves a lot of time.Look at the hills where they are coming from and where they are going.This will teach you more about travel lanes in an afternoon than anything I could teach standing there with you.The heavier the signs the closer you are to the core of the territory.

What if it's too rocky for tracks? Then you have to go by instinct and what you see in the terrain.Where are the fields most likely to hold food? where is the heavier cover for bedding? You know they are there now get after them!
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Jimmie
 
Thanks for all the info! It's helped me a great deal. I got to go out there with some snow on the ground. Wow,that sure helps alot for seeing tracks. I took your advise and did some "cold calling." And guess what? Yep, I called my first coyote in! That was the coolest thing! Now I just need to work on shooting them :) My gun never even left my lap! That damn dog came in from the direction I wasn't looking. If it wasn't for a stick breaking when he was running away, I wouldn't of even known he was there. I was so shocked to turn around and see one, I did a double take! I couldn't believe it.When I got up and looked at the tracks I saw that it had gotten within 25yards of me. I can't believe I didn't hear it.

Well I'm at work right now (3:00am)and it's cold as @#@# outside. I get off at 6:00am. After I go home and get a quick nap. I'm heading back out there. Hopefully I'll get one.

Yesterday I shot a few crows and took some of the feathers. How exactly do you use them for a decoy? Just tie a string to a few and hang it on a branch or something? I plan on getting the "predator supreme" but for now the feathers will have to work. I think a decoy will help greatly. I know I spooked that coyote.

It's 12 degrees outside right now. I can't wait! Wish me luck. Hope I come back with some good news.......Trevor
 
You can tie them on a string or use a large needle and thread them onto fishing line.Either one will work to gwet the coyote's attention off of you.

Now try to learn from your mistake.Think about where it came from and where it went too_Once you know that ,how could you have set up difernetly adn gotten the shot?Jimmie
 
LynxBoy, good for you. You're on your way to becoming a coyote killer, for sure. Now that you've called one in did you have the chance to figure out why he came in the way he did? Which way was the wind blowing? What direction was he in when he heard you blowing? What were you facing: an open field only or could you see the edges that they like so well to escape into? Don't sweat it, it takes time to be able to recognize the proper set up. Jimmy and G.C. are excellent at it. I've learned a thing or two, also. But we all get backdoored every so often. That is what makes it so fun and frustrating at the same time. Before too long you'll be able to know when to coax them in the last little bit with kisses and whimpers just from experience. But that will take a while because now you will be too eager to drop one as soon as you see it. Move slow, be patient and don't eat beans the night before. Now show us some pictures!
 
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