A bloody mystery Part 1

My regular morning jaunt, to go exchange the SD cards from the trailcams. On the way down the hill, a cat pretending to be an owl in the tree.
  

I was fetching the trailcam card, when I saw blood on the snow. This was Friday, Feb. 22nd.


Coyote scat was a clue... I kept following it. Turns out I was headed for the place where an event  occurred.


Then I came across some deer fur. I kept walking, and more fur, then a huge pile of it. Wiki tells me that wolves attack from the rear, but coyotes go for the throat. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for a deer with such wounds.


This is beyond the frogpond, near the wetland, the frogpond frozen over in the middle of the photo.


The trail led across the edge of the forest, from the far meadow path, back up across the back of the house, across the yard, and down the hill into the frozen wetland. I ran out of energy to follow it, needing water!
 


Back up at the house, the trailcam revealed our mangey-looking coyote. He seems to favour his leg, but did in the video, as well (see below). Poor thing. It's hard to believe it is mange, as we've had no evidence of it in any other critters.

We have several coyotes, but individual feeding territories vary, for the most part. It all depends upon food sources, denning sites, and competition. The mothers den is crucial for protection.

This speedy one treed the turkeys.

Aren't they beautiful?

Their sound in the night is haunting.

This coyote, from two months ago, was limping. I would think it is the same one. I often see a pair on the video. This one, limping, is solitary. I see them in the forest, from time-to-time, as I walk. They run. Once, we saw one in front of the shed, tracking Daisy. Daisy just ran for the tree.

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Part two or my bloody search tomorrow!