Tracking a blood trail & finding skulls

Shot a coyote about 5:30 this morning. Saw it hit, coyote went down, but managed to run into the bushes at the edge of the pasture. I tracked it via the blood trail, but lost the trail after 1,000 feet or so. It was pretty easy to follow. The blood showed up well against the green leaves.

The coyote led me a on tour of where it eats its my farm animals though. Numerous piles of different colored turkey and chicken feathers, each pile being a different meal, and then this skull. The blood trail went right across it; you can see the drops of blood on it.

I don't know what kind of skull this might be. It doesn't look like a deer. I did lose a small goat earlier this year -- maybe a goat skull? lamb skull? you can see my thumb and forefinger in this shot for size.


This was another skull that I ran across while tracking the coyote. It appears to be a beaver skull; notice the prominent teeth.

The blood appeared to be arterial -- it was bright red, so I think I lung shot the coyote, probably on the left side. I don't think it'll survive, but I didn't find it to make sure. If it does survive it'll probably avoid my property from here on. Either way is fine with me.

Got a second coyote today

I've written up a summary of coyote hunting regulations here.

The dogs got a skunk yesterday and I'd read on the internet that skunk scent is an effective mask for human scent. After briefly considering rubbing the dead skunk on me, I decided that putting it somewhere downwind of me would do the same job, and be more popular with the other people i deal with.
So up at 3am, in my position at 3:30. I shot this fellow about 5am at the door to the chicken coop, a 220 yard shot. At that distance I didn't want to get fancy; a shot to the torso just behind the front legs. It was quick.

I think that this is the coyote I saw out on the road. His front is a lot lighter color than the other coyote. I'll do a couple of more mornings to see if any more show up. I've been running a coyote buffet for too long.

Both of these coyotes were male. Anyone know how to tell how old a coyote is? I'm wondering if they're young males that are looking to establish a new territory.