I try to keep my dogs out of the woods during the deer hunting season. Two nights ago my wife was woken by coyotes making a ruckus out back and of course our dog's went crazy too. I had assummed they were eating the gut's of a buck my neighbor got.
My ridgeback took off down into the woods. My calling wasn't stopping her. The Rotterdane was on her way as well. So, as I went trucking down there to save them from a "anything that moves" local, I can see they are concentrated on one small area.
I don't know how many there were but the snow was heavily matted 4' wide with a small blood trail running about 25' to a massive blood pool. Then a 90* turn and a thinning blood trail for about 10'. Then nothing. no flesh, hair, or bones. I'm thinking they got a Raccon that put up a good fight for a little while. Whatever it was they obviously carried it away to finish off.
All 30' of this L shaped murder scene was heavily matted down 4' wide. The prints were small along the outer edge, I'm thinking youngesters. I need to get a trail cam up. I really want to know how many there are out there.
So the dog's know the bloody snow is out there and took off this morning on my wife for about an hour. I get home and get kisses from them both. I wonder if I have rabies from wild bloody coyote spit second hand from the mutts? LOL!