Coyote chasing a Buck

So I was at the lease on Sunday and came across the strangest thing that's happened to me at the deer lease. We were walking around camp deciding where to put our RV, talking in normal voices in the middle of the day (around noon). All of a sudden I heard hoof's pounding the ground and looked up to see a nice buck running right for us out of a wooded area. Funny thing is that he was being chased by two coyotes! When the coyotes saw us they froze (and probably said some choice words in their heads) and then ran back where they came from. The deer kept going the other direction.

Anyone ever seen this before - I was surprised that even two coyotes would attempt to kill a mature buck.

Wow....!!!

I have seen it, they will choose a mature buck a lot of times. I think its because a buck usually wont run very far and turn to fight the coyotes and they will eventually wear him down and exhaust him and he's easy to bring down.

Not really a chase but:

I've seen a coyote chase a Mule Deer down a mountain in West Texas before, but not a mature buck.

I saw a large coyote chase a doe and fawn last year.

I saw something similar once, but it was three mature does and a bobcat. Not sure what that cat would have done with them if he'd have caught them. He chased one, then another, then another, then back to the first. Went on for about 5 minutes before he gave up, or they just got tired of screwing with him and bolted for the hills. Not sure which was the case, but he walked off panting.

Some believe that the reason why deer run with their tails up is to show predators they are healthy and not worth the effort to chase. Still, I have never read that predators are able to identify by appearance, deer or other prey that are sick or weak. Whatever the case, coyotes will chase deer to the point of total exhaustion.

Taking down a coyote that is chasing a deer gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Removing the competition is probably a basic instinct in most predators. As I have noted in other threads, wolves are very efficient coyote killers.

Once near Hebronville.The buck ran through camp(I think they think the yotes wont follow) and the yotes stopped,but another picked up the chase on the other side of camp.It was like they were doing a relay race to run him down.

Poor Yote.

I have watched a whitetail fawn chase a coyote in December in South Texas. I watched a herd of mule deer does chase a coyote in West Texas last year and then a herd of mule does and young bucks chase a coyote in western Kansas. The lead doe in each group was within inches of getting coyote each time. Coyote was doing is best to get away. I have also found fresh deer kills in La Salle county on 3 different bucks in June over a 2 yr period that coyotes had eaten. I know they killed 2 of the 3 deer. I would say that coyotes will kill more bucks during the post rut period in very dry or bad years than any other time of the year though.

I've seen it twice. Both times it was pretty quick and I didn't have a chance to get a shot off...

We used to never see coyotes but they are starting to make a come back. County trapper keeps them down pretty good though.

Been a few years but I have seen the Bucks run off a coyote twice, but they did it as a group. They literally circled the coyote like they were stalking it as a pack and when they got about 40 yards, they all charged. Also saw a doe run one off by herself, she was more serious than the bucks were.

Couple weeks ago, had a group of coyotes run a doe and a yearling through my set while I was bowhunting. Part of the group of yotes smelled me and they peeled off the chase.

In Kansas, I have only ever seen the deer run from the yotes but I haven't seen a coyote up there that really looked serious about catching the deer. Seemed they were more just chasing to chase.

Pretty cool to see that though. Time to go calling

Chasing women and drinking without eating has been known to put a lot of stress on men too.

Thank goodness the wolves are not that bad in Texas, they are much much worse than any yote as far as affecting deer herd.

Coyote can wipe out fawn crops. I have had less than 20% crop last year and this year is not much better. I have tons of grass and weed cover. Same on Mule Deer in West Texas on our lease. Our group of 8 hunters hunted the full Mule Deer season a few years ago and we only saw 1 fawn on 70,000 acres.

20-25 years ago we saw the same thing. We were feeding cattle outside of hunting season and saw a mature buck 2-300 yards off that seemed very spooky but wasn't paying us any attention. He ran several times then stopped. Finally, we saw 3-4 coyotes. I missed and missed and missed but did scare em! We always assumed that the buck was likely injured in some way although he seemed to be moving ok.

The timing was very fortunate for the yote as I had just put my 6.8AR away 2 - 3 mins prior to seeing this all go down. What was strange to me is that they all got within 20 yards of us and we were not being quiet. There were 4 adult men and 1 child walking around talking about where to place the RV's at camp - and my kid was probably yelling and playing in the dirt.

This was a first for me and it left an impression - really kewl to see though.

We have probably the best fawn crop I've seen in years but I've seen a couple of single does this bow season in poor shape that more than likely had a fawn, but lost it to coyotes.
We've got plenty and I saw one trailing a doe and two fawns last September.
I've had one stalk me several seasons back as I was walking a deer trail looking at sign. I felt as though I was being followed and looked around to see a coyote staring at me from the trail I was on only about 40 yards away. He froze when I looked eye to eye with him and I fired a shot that went high and only took a little hair as he ran off.
I hate coyotes.

I saw two coyotes last year work a buck. The first was laying flat in a wheat food plot. The other followed the buck onto the food plot. When the buck got near the first jumped up and chased with the second right behind. All 3 disappeared into the brush and I never saw them again. It looked like it wasn't the yotes first rodeo.

Tony Tebbe of Predator University uses Dogs as Decoys to draw them in

(575) 390-0048

i saved these pics from my camera from a few years back.





pretty cool if you ask me.

Wow

those are amazing pics - thanks for sharing

I've seen it. Coyotes and yearling buck met up at a food plot and the chase was on. The buck lived. Also busted a few mule deer off a rock ledge and they ran by a cpl bedded coyotes and they just had to chase them, kind of like a dog chasing a car going by. Yesterdau I saw a single coyote running a speed goat (and losing ground in a hurry), he no work here no more.

One time, we were walking up on a pond to check for ducks and we stumbled across a nice buck. As we turned around we realized that there were also about 10 hogs in the bushes that were charging my friend so we all unloaded on the hogs. After about 30 seconds we witnessed that same group of hogs chase that same buck and bring it down together. Wish I would have snagged a video but my phone was in the car. The weirdest thing I have ever seen in our area. I have heard hogs will eat anything but never heard of them chasing and eating a deer

I was sitting having coffee by the camp fire one morning several years ago...suddenly a buck emerged from the forest and trotted within 50 yards of me stopped and turned around...then I heard the strangest commotion...suddenly a fawn came running flat out behind the buck, with a coyote in hot pursuit with a doe in hot pursuit of the coyote! I set my coffee down and grabbed for my rifle that was leaning up next to me. As the fawn passed up the buck (coming straight for me) the doe managed to turn the coyote and ran him off into the woods while the fawn came within 15 yards and stopped (again looking back.) As the doe came back to the rest of the group (full of pride, no doubt) she suddenly recognized a human was close, whereupon she started stomping and snorting then they all trotted off in the opposite direction from the coyote. Amused, I leaned my rifle back up against the tree and picked up my coffee. As I was looking around marveling at what I just witnessed, out pops two coyotes trailing the path the doe took. Only one lived to see another day...thanks for reminding me of the reason I get outdoors!

Interesting read...I have been very fortunate in my 30 years of going to my ranch to have only seen one yote. This was probably close to 15 years ago and he was moving so quick I didn't get a shot off. I know they are close to our place since we can hear them howling sometimes, but we don't see any sign of them or catch them on cameras. We have even tried calling for them a few times and never seen a thing. I hope it stays that way!!!

those are some awesome videos….those wolves are apex predators and sure do some damage. if its alive, they will make a turd of it.

Interesting read

I don't recall EVER seeing a MD fawn on the West Texas place I hunt. Never really thought about it until I read your post. We've seen mountain lions and bears, but never a coyote.

We have seen coyotes chase deer through a set multiple times in the past few years.

In the past I never would have thought coyotes could or would attack grown deer, but I feel otherwise now.

Last weekend we were hunting dad had 3 deer and coyotes ran them off the feeder, but he ccouldnt get a shot. I had 5 deer out feeding a buck doe and twin fawns and 3 coyotes chased them off (same morning) mine weren't so luck I got one of them. Im thinking we will do some calling after season is over.

Friends have a huge ranch in Brewster and coyotes are very hard on the fawn crop. While hunting there you will hear 4-5 different groups howling. We hunt them at night and kill some but in that big country they get trappers to try to control them.The lion population has increased a bunch in the last few years since their ranch is close to the park where there protected.

Our family land is close by a feedlot and since the feedlot opened several years ago, our coyote numbers have exploded. That said, I've yet to see the coyotes show any interest in the deer or the deer show much concern for coyotes. Quite often, I'll jump both deer and coyotes bedded fairly close together.

In our case, I think the coyotes are more than satisfied with dead feedlot calves that they dine on nightly which are easier fare than chasing a deer. Under normal circumstances, I could see where hungry yotes might pack up to kill a deer. But, again, on our place they really don't pay much attention to each other.

The feedlot is a magnet to the yotes. We probably kill at least 50 a year, and, yet, there are always plenty of them around. I get the feeling that for every yote I shoot, I'm just making room for another at the feedlot deadpile cafe.

years ago a bud of mine watched a group of 5 take turns running a mature buck up and down the field
2 would lay down on one end and let the other 3 run the deer to them
when they got up to chase the others would lay down and wait
3 of those dies that day .....
I was rattling one time in a river bottom below that field myself
and rattled up a large pack ....I only got one of them
word is they know the bucks will be tired ,distracted and or hurt and easy targets
don't know about that but I can say for sure they came right to my rattling like they was on a string
slipping in real fast and kinda low like a bunch a cats