Caution!

 **This post contains images and discussion that some people may not be comfortable with, please feel free to click away now**

Monday night when we let the dogs out for final potty Tucker didn't come in right away.  I thought he was maybe eating grass (he's been doing that lately) and when I shone the flashlight on him he still wouldn't come in.  So I threw on snowboots and trudged over to where he was eating grass blood.  
(I warned ya to click away, there will be pictures of the end result of the blood... you have been twice warned)
It was dark and cold, and I was tired so I scooted Tuck back up to the house and mentioned to Pie that if he had to let the dogs out during the night to keep a very close eye on them as there was a good sized patch of blood just across the driveway from the garage.
I got up for work Tuesday morning and because I was running late I didn't have time to investigate, other than snapping a quick pic with my cell phone... which I posted to Facebook with a few words about how we were possibly missing a barn cat.
Fast forward to Pie calling me at work late this afternoon, "You have to come home & let me in, I've locked myself out!!"

(feel free to laugh, I sure did)

I told my BIL and FIL that I had to go home and let Pie in and got my butt home as quickly as I could.  When I pulled into the driveway there was a strange vehicle there, turns out it was the neighbour Pie had flagged down and borrowed a cell from to call for help.  I thought it was pretty nice that he had stayed until I got there.
He & Pie told me they had investigated that bloody spot while they were waiting for me and that all our barn cats are alive and well.  And that it wasn't a neighbour's cat or rabbit... it was a deer.

**pictures forthcoming, including the deer kill... 

you have been thrice warned

 turn away now or do not complain**

Turns out this neighbour we had just met was a hunter and he looked at the tracks... the story unfolds that ONE dang coyote stalked and chased and ultimately killed a full grown deer.  There were tracks showing where it all happened, including where the deer was attacked but managed to get away.  She sought shelter alongside the two little pines beside the driveway, which is where the blood pooled, probably from an abdominal wound.  The little 'feast' Tucker was into last night.

 Honestly I'm so used to seeing deer tracks through the yard, and I know the coyotes have been going through, seeing tracks like this is nothing new.  It was pretty neat to see them through the eyes of someone that could put the story together.

 A tuft of bloody fur from near where the doe was attacked but managed to get away...

 The guys had told me where the remains of the carcass were so of course I had to go investigate.  Like I said the coyotes have been getting really bold around here.  ALL of this went down between 50' and 500' from the house.  This pic looking back at the garage was taken from where they had their supper.  Those pine trees on the left?  That's one of our dogs's potty spots!

 In less than 24 hours this is all that's left.  You can see there are a LOT of tracks around her, we had fresh snowfall* on Saturday and this is the hayfield where no horses/cattle have been turned out.

*the snowfall didn't amount to much, as you can see there are still plenty of spots with grass sticking out

 And these are the tracks looking toward the back of the hayfield/pasture area, that fence on the left is between our property and Neighbour Tom's.  I'm pretty sure they're living in those small hills at the back of his pasture.

 Now a couple of things to clarify...
I'm not mad the coyotes killed a deer.  I'm concerned for the safety of my critters.
The coyotes around this area are getting bolder and bolder.  In part because there are not many guardian dogs out here for the past few years.  There used to be quite a few but some got old, some were killed and some wandered away.  (and yes I know Hera is not up to the job yet, she's just a baby)
Also the coyotes have a lot to eat out here as far as wildlife, and I'm sure they're picking off barn cats, chickens, dogs, etc.  They're also exceptionally healthy looking, so they're obviously not starving.
It wasn't that long ago that they would not have dared hunt that close to the house/barnyard unless they were under duress.  And yes I know, that deer may have been ill/injured and a tempting target... I still don't like how at home the coyotes are feeling.  So we're keeping an extra close eye on the critters.  And hopefully soon I'll have my firearms certificate and can fire off a couple shots to scare them away when they're too close.

(and now I've probably driven away my few remaining blog readers)