Yesterday evening I shot a big doe. I watched my lumenock sail right to the sweet spot, and then bounce through the field with the deer. I watched as the red glow dropped and stopped moving in the distance. I felt confident that the deal was done. I quietly came down the tree, went the long way out to my truck to avoid jumping the deer, and went home for dinner. I always leave my deer cart at home,that way I don't get too excited and begin tracking the animal too soon.
After dinner, I collected my tracking bag(big lights, toilet paper,knife and gloves) and my deer cart, and my buddy (HAZCON7) and headed out.
I was a littlesurprised to see that there was not a deer laying there with my arrow, but we were prepared for that.
We tracked the animalwith very little blood untilwe ran out of blood and battery in our lights (several hours later).
No problem, I'll pick up the trail in the morning. We have had good luck with this before.
I get there early this morning, spend a little time with my binoculars, and find my deer. No problem.... except the coyotes had been enjoying an enormous, all you can eat buffet!!!
How many coyotes would it take to do this in six hours??

I had this very thing happen to me yesterday as well.

I'm also east central Il, in Tuscola. Where are you from? I know where I'll be around the first snow fall...... Shooting coyotes

Are you sure bigfoot didn't come to the buffet?

Wow, I sure glad I hav'nt seen that problem in Md where I hunt. I've never seen one but are sure they are there. That have the in Rock Creek Park in Washington DC so I"m sure we have them too.

1 big one or 3 little ones with big bellies, i once went back to retrieve an "overnighter" the only thing left was neck and rack, and the coyotes had cleaned an area about 30 ft. round

How many? Too many! I've had it happen to me before in Wis, where they ate the whole deer over night. My buddy shot a 130 class 8 pt, over 200 lbs and they ate his whole deer over night too. His was in N. Illinois. It was amazing, nothing left but fur, bones and antlers. It looked like pirhanas (sp) had feasted on it![:-]

That's why I'll never leave an overnighter again. Had it happen to me before on a nice buck. I'll bring a lot of extra light with me to keep tracking. I've also sat in my treestand for 6 hours after dark after shooting a deer at last light listening for the yotes to make sure they don't have a free dinner with my deer.

It is amazing haw much a coyote can eat but I would say the had to be a good sized pack of them. 4 or 5 probably.

I left my '06 buck out for 3 hrs or so. My wife, who helped track it, and I heard the coyotes when we were packing him out. I've also seen 2 dead deer on my hunting proeprties.....and they were barey touched by the coyotes. I don't get it.....except maybe they were too close to the road.

Jeff