What got to my deer?

I shot this buck with my bow in the evening but could not find him until the next morning. I showed pictures to my buddy and he said that coyotes usually start to eat dead dear from the rear end first so he thinks it was mountain lion. What ever got to him chewed through the side and cracked one of the ribs and was really close to vitals but never got to them. It must have ran off when I was getting close to finding it. we also have lots of hogs so it could have been hogs but i'm not really sure what it was. there was no signs of pig tracks or any other tracks. I killed it in Hawley, TX... Jones county.

I've never posted pictures so not sure if the pick will go through.

Probably coyotes. I bet they started at the entry wound and ate from there. They certainly don't always start at the A$$.

Every coyote kill I have seen is they open up the belly, eat through a few ribs and eat the heart liver lungs first. I have never seen one start at the so called A$$.

If a mountain lion got to your deer you would likely never have found it. They move and cover/hide their food.

Then what was it in your opinion?
The calves I've had eaten NEVER started at the belly. Why is that??? They must not like the taste of beef guts.😂🤣😆🙄

I think coyotes/dogs are more likely to attack a live animal from behind, this starting from the rump. A dead animal is fair game to wherever the best taste comes from.

You should buy a rifle.

Bobcat?

I agree. They start at the [censored] end when the animal is alive. When it’s dead they get to pick and choose. Not sure what it was. Lots of possibilities.

Yep, I shot a doe at diusk one evening on a ranch known to have mountain lions. It only went 100 yards but down a steep bank in to a creek bottom. Lost the trail in the dark. Headed back the next morning. First thing I saw was cougar scat then a track in mud. Doe was covered up with leaves. I had left gun in truck because I did not want to deal with it hauling deer out. Hair on the back of my neck went up when I realized what had happened. I know that cougar was somewhere watching me. I left deer for him. No loss on this ranch. I use to help owners when they had paying customers. One of them wounded a buck. I found it the same way. Owners thought customer covered it not wanting to pay fee for shooting a young buck. I tried to convince them it was not the hunter.

That appears odd to me. You gonna eat that deer?

^^^ This

Did you look for tracks this is a good starting place?

Where was you arrow entrance or exit located on that side? Cut hide is easy location for them to get started eating at.

Without close inspection I would say could be any of several things, coyote, bobcat or even badger if you have them around.

Agree with the others that say doubtful Mt lion with it not being covered.

I’ve seen coyotes start behind the shoulder on a lot of dead livestock.

Three or four racoon could do it as well... I like to set up a trail cam on a gut pile and see what comes in.

Jones county has always had more coyotes than they need.

Buzzards went in at wound. Picked meat out between ribs. Arrow cracked rib.

A friend of mine shot a buck a few weeks ago and it ran a short distance. Short time later a hog rolled up and then disappeared in the area where the deer went. He then literally heard what sounded like the hog was eating something. Hog reappears and then he shoots it. Gets out of blind and sees that the hog had started eating the deer where bullet had passed through. This was in Taylor county.

pigs

This year I had a buddy who walked up on a hog eating his deer. This is about 2 hrs after hitting it with a crossbow. I would have thought coyote if he and his brother hadn't caught the piggy in the act.