So WTF killed 3 coyotes we found together yesterday. Unsolved Mysteries, SH edition!

[TheGerman]

Was out shooting at a different spot than usual in the desert yesterday. Went to go put up targets and the guy with me came across a random site; 2 coyote bodies with basically only the rib cages/cartilege left and 3 completely picked clean coyote skulls that were seperated from the rib cages. One rib cage was apparently completely gone.

Obviously they had been there a while as any animal/rodent out there can pick the bones clean. What we couldn't figure out is, what the hell did this? I know further up north coyotes can be eaten/killed by bears and mountain lions, but this is in the middle of the desert on the Utah/ Arizona line where bears and mountain lions generally are much further north from. On top of that, one dead coyote could be anything, but 3 together like this is a totally different thing that I've never seen or heard of before.

They also didn't seem to be shot from the skulls or rib cages/mid sections we saw and in Utah there's a $55 per head bounty on coyotes, so its even more unlikely they were shot as you had just left $165 laying there. Unless the remains were dragged together (by what?) the configuration they were shot/killed in was entirely too close together, and the fact there were no holes or boken anything in the skulls/ribs points to something other than humans killed them.

So some more info as much as I can lay out:

- 3 complete skulls all about the same size, all picked 100$ clean

- 2 complete rib cages/midsections, all picked clean sans any cartiledge

- All 3 heads and 2 rib cages were within 2-3 feet of each other

- AZ/UT area, high desert where bears/mountain lions are extremely uncommon at best. They generally begin showing up 1 hour further north from this location.

- All 3 heads and rib cages/cartiledge did not contain anything looking like a penetrating wound from a bullet from either side. This makes it highly unlikely these were shot as there would be some evidence of a bullet/bullet fragments causing internal damage to the skull or midsection.

- Terrain the skulls/bones were left was flat sand/rock groung with some dead grass that was only 6 or so inches high. Was not in a wash or hidden against a hill or anything looking like an animal had made a den or pulled them to a safer spot. Was as open as you were getting out in that area.

So WTF is going on with this? Aliens?

 

[Gtummy]

Probably someone dumping carcasses. Doubt a poison would put them down that fast.

 

[TheGerman]

Probably someone dumping carcasses. Doubt a poison would put them down that fast.

Why though?

You could turn them in for $55 a head. And the location these were in (assuming they werent further dragged by something) is nowhere near a road accessible spot someone would dump them at.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Are there any cults active in that area? There were accounts of mutilated cattle and other livestock in other parts of the country earlier this year. And lets not forget the two girls who lured one of their classmates into the woods and tried to kill her as a sacrifice to some online horror story character called "Slenderman". And of course, the shitheads that had been behind that "Momo" nonsense a few years back.

The world has some real fucking shitbags running around, and the cover of darkness in some of the more remote areas offer plenty of cover for whatever is going on in their twisted heads. I hunt and camp in the wilderness a lot and I am never without a couple of Fenix and Imalent high output flashlights and being heavily armed of course.

 

[Maggot]

Probably someone dumping carcasses. Doubt a poison would put them down that fast.

I was going to say someone poisoned them, they eat their belly's full, then ran off together and died. Most likely scenario.

 

[Gtummy]

While I am aware of that stuff happening occasionally I just can't get my mind to go there without hoping there is a less sinister reason.

 

[vwhugger]

Could that be near Area 51?

 

[Slash0311]

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Rattlesnake bit maybe?
Never seen one of my long lost cousins come in contact with a snake before... wonder if they would try to eat it and possibly have a bad day because of it..??

 

[diggler1833]

My guess is that the old boys doing it didn't know about the bounty, or were killing the coyotes for fun by other than legal means.

 

[atomic41]

I was going to say someone poisoned them, they eat their belly's full, then ran off together and died. Most likely scenario.

This is what I'm thinking too.

Side note, I do know where a mountain lion lives outside Moab which is as you said north of there. She had cubs about two years ago.

 

[TheGerman]

Are there any cults active in that area? There were accounts of mutilated cattle and other livestock in other parts of the country earlier this year. And lets not forget the two girls who lured one of their classmates into the woods and tried to kill her as a sacrifice to some online horror story character called "Slenderman". And of course, the shitheads that had been behind that "Momo" nonsense a few years back.

The world has some real fucking shitbags running around, and the cover of darkness in some of the more remote areas offer plenty of cover for whatever is going on in their twisted heads. I hunt and camp in the wilderness a lot and I am never without a couple of Fenix and Imalent high output flashlights and being heavily armed of course.

Mormons?

 

[pmclaine]

Chabracupra.....or however you spell it....

 

[TheGerman]

Rattlesnake bit maybe?
Never seen one of my long lost cousins come in contact with a snake before... wonder if they would try to eat it and possibly have a bad day because of it..??

That would be one hell of a full auto rattle snaked.

We need common sense rattle snake control!1!!!!

 

[308pirate]

Chupacabra? Chupacoyote?

Or

 

[Huskydriver]

To turn in the yotes for the bounty you only need the jaw and ears

Were the jaw bones gone?

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Mormons?

LOL

I was thinking more on the lines of some bored as fuck local misfits who never had any friends in school because they always gave off an unsettling vibe, sees some shit on TV one day and decides they want to become disciples of some Lovecraftian beast because it looks "cool" and offers a way to get back at society since they don't have the actual balls to join ANTIFA or some shit...

 

[MACHTECH]

Lightening. I found four deer together like that years ago.

 

[TxWelder35]

Not entirely impossible to shoot em with light varmit bullets, slip em in between a rib, and never see bone damage.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Trapped, sold pelts, profit. Anti poor.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Lightening. I found four deer together like that years ago.

Woah
Any noticeable burns?

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Trapped, sold pelts, profit. Anti poor.

Very possible/plausible

 

[GIXXER2000]

I live just across the river from Laughlin Nv and we have plenty of Mountain Lyons here. I had one spotted less the a mile from my house and its all desert from our back wall to the mountains about 6-8 mile behind us. A guy at work set up a coyote call and waited for couple of hours nothing came in. When he went to get his call the was a cat hiding in low spot about 75 yards from the call. When the cat saw him he just got and walked away in big hurry. This is why the dogs stay in at night.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

Lightening. I found four deer together like that years ago.

Was just going to say the same thing. Seen it with cattle.

 

[deersniper]

Not entirely impossible to shoot em with light varmit bullets, slip em in between a rib, and never see bone damage.

This.

 

[diverdon]

There is a pesticide called Timik that will drop them within feet of where they eat it. It's a federal crime to use it on varmints. It's was for killing nematodes on the roots of orange trees.

I heard a story once about an orange grower who bought a new convertible and parked it in his driveway. A neighbors tomcat hopped in and pissed all over it. So somehow a teaspoon of Timik got mixed into a can of tuna and left in the driveway that night. In the morning the driveway had a even dozen dead cats in it.

I do believe they quit making it 10 or 20 years ago, but old farmers and hoarders ya know.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

There is a pesticide called Timik that will drop them within feet of where they eat it. It's a federal crime to use it on varmints. It's was for killing nematodes on the roots of orange trees.

I heard a story once about an orange grower who bought a new convertible and parked it in his driveway. A neighbors tomcat hopped in and pissed all over it. So somehow a teaspoon of Timik got mixed into a can of tuna and left in the driveway that night. In the morning the driveway had a even dozen dead cats in it.

I do believe they quit making it 10 or 20 years ago, but old farmers and hoarders ya know.

What color was your convertible?

 

[TheGerman]

OK, so far we have:

- Poisoned (meh; if it kills them quickly, why are they in the middle of fucking nowhere and noone took their skulls for a bounty? seems way too random and too much effort for nothing)

- Chupacabra

- Lightning (it hasn't rained here in months)

- Trapped (ok plausable, but I'm just not seeing it)

- Full auto rattle snake

Kind of disappointed we didnt try dragons or ninjas yet.

 

[deersniper]

F) Shot with vmaxs and dumped.

 

[pmclaine]

Perhaps they had dirt on the Clintons?

 

[powdahound76]

Was @Bender in the area?

I mean, they are not pigeons, but.....

Or Lulu doing a mixed species film again, this time of the snuff variety.
Think 8mm.

 

[Meety Peety]

You don't need rain to have lightning, but my monies on someone dumping them. Why, maybe didnt know about the bounty, maybe didn't care, maybe did something less than legal, who knows.

 

[whatsupdoc]

So No pictures!

 

[pmclaine]

Put their lives in the hands of "Condor Gear"?

 

[pmclaine]

They bought Chinese made "Pano Night Vision" thinking they would be able to see their stalkers first?

 

[Snipe260]

Those illegal Mexicans had a long journey north. They were hungry!

 

[TxWelder35]

F) Shot with vmaxs and dumped.

I guess we aren’t going for logical answers here

 

[Powder_Burns]

Not gonna say it was aliens, but...

 

[MtnCreek]

They weren't trapped for pelts in August.

 

[SmartDonkey]

Without pics it's hard to say how long they have been there, but my guess would be trapped or snared. I once found about 10 of them the same way (but closer to a road). You don't want to skin them out in the cold so they go to your garage and now you have a pile of carcasses- And as mentioned-- you generally don't need the whole animal for a bounty.

Another possibility is one of those mines/sensor that releases the poison gas. I think that those drop them where they stand. But a few years ago a kid/dog got in one so they are now illegal.

 

[RTH1800]

Likely trapped or snared. I stack them in piles of 100-200 every year. Eagles eat the carcasses.
it’s very likely only ears are required for bounty collection.

 

[mtrmn]

There is a pesticide called Timik that will drop them within feet of where they eat it. It's a federal crime to use it on varmints. It's was for killing nematodes on the roots of orange trees.

I heard a story once about an orange grower who bought a new convertible and parked it in his driveway. A neighbors tomcat hopped in and pissed all over it. So somehow a teaspoon of Timik got mixed into a can of tuna and left in the driveway that night. In the morning the driveway had a even dozen dead cats in it.

I do believe they quit making it 10 or 20 years ago, but old farmers and hoarders ya know.

If I understand it correctly the area would have been littered with scavenger carcasses as well. Whatever eats the original poisoned animal also dies on the spot.

 

[theLBC]

brown recluse

 

[TexPatriot]

Don't overthimk it OP. Government trapper that used snares or leghold trap or varmint caller, either of which dumping their kill. Buzzards and a list of other carrion eating scavengers and birds went after the vitals and drug everything off. Here in Central Texas usually everything is gone by morning because of the hogs, including dead hogs.

I woke up a couple mornings ago and saw buzzards and caracaras or Mexican eagles circling and feeding on something below the cabin, put my boots on and went down and found a fresh killed yearling deer, probably a coyote kill. All that was left were the legs, head and some hide.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Somebody yote hunting, took a picture of his haul and left them in a pile.

Hunting & Fishing - Let’s start a coyote thread.

I’ve got a couple in the last few weeks. My 17 Remington is money!

www.snipershide.com

 

[DuneBoer]

This sure is weird.

 

[Huskydriver]

Likely trapped or snared. I stack them in piles of 100-200 every year. Eagles eat the carcasses.
it’s very likely only ears are required for bounty collection.

Ears and jaw in Utah

 

[supercorndogs]

Why though?

You could turn them in for $55 a head. And the location these were in (assuming they werent further dragged by something) is nowhere near a road accessible spot someone would dump them at.

To collect the bounty on coyotes here when they had it, you turned in two ears.

 

[TheGerman]

To collect the bounty on coyotes here when they had it, you turned in two ears.

Its been the bottom half of the jaw here for a few years now.

 

[JbBooks]

View attachment 7417230

This sure is weird.

Just gang setting a dead pile, done it lots of times, you’d be surprised what part of a dog you’ll catch when they go to jumping around after the first one gets em.