Yote "Death Howl"

Couple years back, late one night I had two yotes show up. Broadside center-punched the chest of one(34# male) at about 80yards with a .223 69gr TMK. He went down hard, attempted to get back up, then gave a long mournful howl.
Last night, smacked a large lone male(40#) at about 60 yards with a .223 55gr Vmax that did almost exactly the same thing.

Heard of the "death moan" of bears, but starting to wonder...

Any tales?

 

I’ve shot several species that did something like that. The strangest was a rabbit.

 

Interesting. Especially really late at night, way back in the high lonesome.
Makes me wonder who they're talking to.

 

I once ( in my early hunting years) made a bad hit on a coyote far back. It let out this howl/ challenge bark. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I put the animal down ASAP. I felt horrible about a poor shot and wounding the animal. But it was a sound I'll never forget.

 

In shooting over 350 coyotes I have only ever heard this once. Even though it was over twenty years ago, I can remember it like it was yesterday. Kind of an eerie sound, to say the least.

Paul

 

Both of these were solid chest shots that stopped their mobility immediately. Their "goodbye" was definitely a memorable sound.

 

I'm a long way from making your numbers, but peculiar that I've heard it twice.
I'm convinced most of our yotes are actually hybrids. Maybe that is a clue.

 

Strangest I had was a NJ whitetail buck lots of years ago. Hit him mid back with buckshot so hind legs weren't working. Before I could finish him he dragged himself around baaing like a sheep. Strange. Never heard that before or since.

BW

 

Shot a fox at about 40 yards with a .223 62 grain federal deer thug. I hit him right in the chest. He flopped around, squelled, and then let out a howl/gurgling growl. It freaked me out, and kind of made me question hunting for a little bit. It maybe lasted 5-10 seconds.

 

Over the many years Ive been removing coyotes I also have heard the pitiful howl once or twice. All were solid drop on the spot kills, but I guess time enough to make its last voice heard. Rabbits do the scream the most, never w/a shot gun, mostly with a 22lr.

 

Was it anything like this?

 

Can’t...get...picture out...of...my mind. Spock what should I do?

 

I made that same howl one time when we tipped a 1000 pound cart load of dry-wall over, and folded my ankle in the process. jd

 

Nope, not even close

 

Something else to consider is that if you simply sit there without moving something else is going to come along and see if the dinner bell was rung for them. The predators in this area know that a shot means humans and trouble but it also means something is dead and maybe an easy meal when the humans leave.

 

Something I didn't consider years ago, but am convinced it is a valid point. Actually watched this old dog for a long time that night thinking that maybe he had a comrade nearby he was calling to. If he did, his pard decided "discretion was the better part of valor."

 

I would guess you have some hybrids.

Ive been fortunate enough to always have a lot of success over the winters past hunting coyotes and have shot a lot of them.

Ive had a couple so what is called a “coyote distress” but Ive never heard one do a death howl.

Ive also never shot a 40# coyote in my neck of the woods. My Dad has shot in the neighborhood of 3k coyotes and had on a few occasions shot 40+ pound coyotes but it’s rare for a full bred coyote to get that big in many areas.

I firmly believe when a guy gets over 40 pounds the coyote isn’t pure bred.

It would be quite interesting if you go out again to try record a few kills with the hopes it happens again. I’d be anxious to hear it!

 

Hung him on my old pull scales the next day, this was the number. The largest one I've ever hung on these was about 48# after his ticker and several ribs had been "amputated" with a 178gr Amax.

Well satisfied they are hybrids of some description.

 

Yep that’s a stout coyote. Largest one my Dad ever shot was 48#s as well. After we skinned him his whole front end was completely different looking from other coyote carcasses we had.

Bigger chest area by nearly a half, wasnt as long but wider and broader. Head and jaw area muscles looked completely different as well. I know that one was some kind of hybrid.

 

Back when I trapped regularly , I shot one in the trap, and with its last breath, it gave out a similar mournful cry. I had killed many coyotes, and never had that happen.
So I took it back to the truck, and threw it on the tailgate, went back to re-set my trap, and while I had my back turned doing that, another coyote came around behind me, and ( judging from the fresh tracks around my truck) , was sniffing the dead coyote that was hanging off my tailgate.
That was kinda weird, never happened again though, and I stripped the jammies off hundreds of them dogs.