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Pretty sure these are the same pair of coyotes I saw...
Pretty sure these are the same pair of coyotes I saw...
I managed to stick my first coyote ever with my bow yesterday morning here in IL. I'd seen a doe about 75 yds out and a forkhorn way out across the beanfield that surrounds the drainage ditch my stand is in. Got standing beans surrounded by standing corn right now. Two coyotes came in and were messing around in the thick brush off to my right. It sounded like they were eating something...I'd hear what sounded like bones cracking, plus they'd yip and snarl at each other. I used a cheap electronic call with a rabbit distress setting hoping they'd come in, and about 20 minutes later they showed up basically at the base of my treestand. The first one saw me but couldn't smell me, so he got nervous and moved out into waist high grass and thorns. The second one held up under a bush at 10 yds, and I stuck him with a shot that I thought looked like it was right in the boiler room. He snarled and spun, then ran up the same trail as the other and out into the standing beans. I could hear him run through the beans, but never heard him crash.
The weird part...there was no blood trail at all. I found my arrow with meat and blood on the NAP Killzone, and then the back third was covered in fur and blood. I never found any blood on all that tall grass or along the 30 yd stretch of beans that I checked. I was excited to see my first ever coyote kill, but I guess I'll just rest easy knowing that he won't be harassing any deer or the farmer's cattle...
Only a few thousand to go, get busy ! :-)
I was gonna post this earlier, but here's a pic of the arrow back in my quiver...there was a bunch of blood on the last 10 inches or so. It didn't pass through, and the arrow fell out about 10 yards up the trail he followed to get up to the bean field... I don't know how there wasn't any blood on the ground...
Anybody else use the NAP Killzone? Supposed to be a 2 inch diameter. I'm wondering if the blades didn't open fully or something...
Looks like the arrow passed mostly through, then the head snagged on some grass and got pulled out.
I've always heard that fur can soak up a boatload o' blood, but...???
Any chance that at the short range and (presumably) steep angle, you shot over the spine and the arrow stopped when it hit the ground? My last deer was hit over the spine and I only got the top of the off-side lung with that first shot. Arrow did not pass clear through on that one either, and I was using a head that should penetrate pretty well (Hell Razor 100).
Another possibility - if the coyote was gathering itself to blow outta there, well, they have to drop down first; in that case, it's more of a soft catch, so (again, if the arrow was traveling sharply downward) that could really limit the penetration - even more if the dog was moving down and away from the shot.
Don't know how fast your bow is, but those buggers are QUICK!
Coyote fur is long and dense therefore can soak up a ton of blood. That is most likely the answer to you not finding any blood.
First one I ever arrowed was with a fibre glas arrow. Went clear through and he fell over teeth popping, bit that arrow of clean on both sides of him, looked like it was cut with a pair of dikes.
I got good penetration for not passing through...I have a lighted nock that was clearly visible as the yote took off through the brush, but only a few inches...I agree that it probably pulled through as it tore through the weeds and thorns... I have no idea how fast my bow is, but I'm pulling 70 lbs with full length Wal-Mart special carbon express arrows... I think the lack of a pass through is due to the 2 inch expandable broadhead.
Interesting to hear that their fur is thick enough to absorb that much blood. They both looked like they were pretty dang healthy and had full coats, so that's a good call on a lack of blood trail.
What do you do with a dead coyote, by the way? I figured I'd show it around to my buddies and then find a place on my FIL's farm to let it decompose...
The only time I have not gotten a pass through on a coyote is when it stuck the ground on the other side, including a spine shot. They are not that big, and I have purposely shot them in the shoulder quartering on several times with pass through's. I am guessing you hit the ground on the other side. I am also thinking you hit high, they are super quick and the eye doesn't always see the quick reaction at the shot if the yote ducked any.
Killzone works fine, but you still have to put it in the boiler room. Coyotes seem to give it up pretty easy if you get a decent shot, most of mine don't make it far. I have never had one make it over 80 yards, and not all of them were hit that great.
You can always skin it and have the hide tanned, I did that with my first one.
I shot a yote years ago and when I shot he was quartering away. He spun towards quartering on just when the arrow hit and my arrow exited just in front of his opposite rear leg. Yep, they are crazy fast. Anyhow, he ran full bore and died on the run. I mean he just tumbled head over heels after running about 40 yards. I saw him drop so I went to the impact spot and never found my arrow. It's still out there some place. Ha. I too had zero blood and figured it was the hair. I recall thinking, if I had not seen him drop I would have lost him. I have a supportive wife and she was ok with me getting a full body mount. My taxidermist did a great job and that yote gets a lot of compliments.
I will add that to me they are a real trophy with a bow. I can't say how many have busted me drawing on them. They don't miss much!
Bill
Kind of reassuring to hear that they don’t go far when well-hit.... On a Gun Guy forum I used to visit, somebody once offered that a good coyote can haul off more lead than a dumptruck.
GF, I was so thrilled when I got my bow yote. It felt like a PY buck because I got busted so many times before. It probably took me 7 or 8 years.
I did not see my arrow hit because he turned so fast. I knew I got him good after about 10 yards I saw him stumble. I said out loud "got you". Like I said he died on the run. It ended in a flurry of a tumble and then not a twitch.
I think getting an adult yote with a bow is a tough critter to close the deal on. Bill
The pass-through into the ground idea makes more sense as I think about it. He only had about 30 yards to go to get to the standing beans, and I know I heard him tearing through them. I was expecting to find a big blood trail to a dead coyote...I'm sure he's laying out in the beans somewhere...I just didn't want to knock down a lot of stalks stomping around searching... Hopefully I get a shot at his partner before it's all said and done.
