I was bushhogging the pasture one day and had just turned to make another pass when I saw a big, huge, gigantic, german shepherd sized coyote standing right in the swath I'd just cut. Not 100' away. I revved the tractor up and put it in 3rd to try to scare it off, thinking it had just wandered into the wrong spot...it stared at me. I got to within probably 50' and it turned around and walked off.
Not ran...WALKED.
A few weeks later, I saw a big doe whitetail prancing around on a neighbor's farm.. She was really upset, and I watched for a minute to see what she was so mad about. All of a sudden, there was movement and a big coyote charged at her. She turned and ran for a second, and the coyote stopped.. She turned back around and started pawing and prancing again.. I went inside and got my rifle, but by the time I got back out they were both gone. I walked over and found a dead fawn with its throat torn out and big deep puncture wounds right on the top of its head.. Needless to say, it belonged to the big doe and was probably taken right off her side. It was still warm and flexible, so it had to have just happened.
Pretty sure it was the same coyote I'd seen in my field.
Then last summer, we got woken up to the sound of deer being attacked right across the road from our house, on a little piece of land we own over there. Our goats weren't more than 100 yards away, and there were at least four coyotes working. I took a shot in the dark at one, but didn't hit it. We found a severely injured, but still living fawn laying in the weeds later that morning. It could still walk, but was bleeding badly from its hind quarters.
We got a big livestock guardian dog shortly thereafter. We wouldn't be without one, and we're planning on getting another at some point just so big Ivan will never have to tackle a pack by himself.
I hate coyotes with a passion.
