I bowhunt hunt Illinois DNR administered state land of several thousand acres. This land receives federal funding for habitat improvement and consists of open food plots and plenty of surrounding dense hardwoods. As is typical of second-growth timber, there is an understory of brush, brambles, etc., which provides ideal concealment and cover for a healthy population of whitetails. There is also a healthy population of coyotes this year.
Last Tuesday evening, at the last few minutes of legal shooting light, I called in a mature buck and I shot him as he was walking fifteen yards in front of me. I heard the arrow strike flesh and knew it was a solid hit but did not hear it strike bone, as it would I have if it had penetrated the thoracic cavity. I could see that he was badly hit as he bounded diagonally away from me and, at that time, I also got an appreciation for the quality of his antlers. As he was approaching me, and as I was preparing for the shot, I was thinking about chops and venison roast and not about trophies. A few moments later I thought I heard him go down and I mentally marked the spot where I thought I heard the sound.
I waited thirty minutes by my watch before climbing out of my tree and by then it was nearly dark. I searched around the impact point for my arrow and blood but could find neither. Since I thought I knew the general area where he should be I headed immediately for that spot, thinking I would soon find him on the ground. But, there was no deer. I next did what any hunter would do. I went back to the point of impact and began an intense search for blood. There was none, and by then it was dark. I searched for another hour with the minimal illumination from my puny l.e.d. headlamp. I knew that I needed a more powerful light so I started walking the half mile back to my truck and it was then that I stumbled across my arrow sticking in the ground right where it should have been. The arrow was covered with dark venous blood but also held evidence of bowel penetration. I knew I had a mortally wounded, or dead, deer but just didn't know where. I returned with a more powerful light and searched for another three hours but came out empty handed.
Since I had seen coyotes during the day I knew they would soon find the deer so I returned the next morning at first light. I searched until noon, took two hours for lunch, and returned ready to search until dark. My tactic for the afternoon was to return to my tree stand and watch and listen for evidence that the coyotes had found the deer. Except for a small yearling buck, I saw no activity all afternoon. At dark, as I was climbing down from my tree, the coyotes announced that they had found the deer but since I was facing the tree and had my back to the sound I could not pinpoint their location. But, I knew the layout of the land and the general area where the sound was coming from.
It was my intention to listen for the sound of coyotes feeding on the deer to lead me to it so I could reclaim it and see whether there was anything to salvage. I would attempt to sneak up on them and shine my light to identify their location by looking for reflection from their eyes. But, I wanted to have a gun along if I was going to run a pack of coyotes away from a deer carcass in the dark.
I went home, had dinner, and returned armed with a powerful flashlight and a handgun. Since I have been hunting the area for several years and since I routinely walk in before daylight and out after dark I felt comfortable walking back to the area without a light. There was no moon and the sky was overcast. The only illumination was the faint reflection from the city lights several miles away. It was impossible to sneak quietly with leaves and brush in the way; however, I crept into the woods as quietly as I could, carefully listening for sounds as I went. A few yards into the woods I sat down and quietly waited for activity.
I had been sitting less than ten minutes when I was nearly scared out of my wits. The entire pack of coyotes had sneaked up and began a chorus of howls just a few yards behind me. I was so surprised in the first few moments that I could not find the button to my light, I could not reach for my handgun, and I could not think about what to do next. The howling continued as the coyotes scattered and dispersed but they remained at a comfortable distance (for them and for me) as I rationally determined that I was outsmarted, outflanked, outmanoeuvred, and outnumbered. I left they coyotes to their feast and returned home to an empty freezer.
I am typically not afraid of critters but I still get chills in my spine just thinking about it. I do not think the coyotes would have attempted to prey on me. They probably heard me sneaking in the woods and went to investigate. When they determined it was a human they were stalking they set up their alarm howls. It was very disconcerting that they were practically in my back pockets when they did so and it is apparent that, had they wanted to, they could easily have crept in for the kill. I don't know how many of them there were but I guess about five or six. It is amazing how stealthy they were in view of the fact that I was sitting quietly and intently listing for sounds. I never heard them until they chose to let me know of their presence.
I have been beating myself up about making such a poor shot and losing the deer. But I think I did everything I could have to find it and recover it. I am more upset about losing all that venison but am also curious about his headgear. I will wait a few days until the coyotes are finished with it and try again to find it to see about recovering the antlers.
