Hungry Coyote Gets Fooled When Clever Mule Deer Sneaks Into A Bison Herd At Yellowstone National Park

At first glance, you might mistake one for a small wolf darting across Yellowstone’s open meadow, but look closer, and you’ll realize you’re watching one of the park’s most adaptable and cunning predators: the coyote.

You can find coyotes just about everywhere, including most suburbs and even in some urban metro areas on occasion. So while Yellowstone’s wolves, bears and bison often steal the spotlight, coyotes are the quiet survivors, thriving in nearly every corner of the park. They’ve learned to live alongside bigger predators, harsh winters, and ever-changing landscapes — and somehow, they always find a way to endure.

Before wolves were reintroduced in 1995, coyotes were actually the top predator in Yellowstone. With wolves gone for decades, coyotes had expanded across the park in huge numbers, hunting freely and filling the gap wolves once held. But when the wolves returned, everything changed. Wolf packs pushed coyotes out of open valleys and reclaimed their hunting grounds. Many coyotes didn’t survive the transition. And yet, those that did adapted brilliantly.

Coyotes On The Hunt

Today, Yellowstone coyotes thrive in smaller territories, focusing on what they do best: hunting small mammals. They stalk voles, mice, rabbits, and ground squirrels with pinpoint precision, often leaping high into the air before pouncing — a move that’s become one of the park’s most entertaining sights for wildlife watchers. Coyotes are found in every habitat across Yellowstone — from grassy valleys and sagebrush flats to forested hillsides and thermal basins. In winter, they often follow bison herds, waiting for scavenging opportunities when an animal dies in the snow. They’ve even been seen teaming up to distract ravens or sneak scraps from wolf kills… a risky but clever move that shows just how resourceful they are.

Coyotes can be some pretty dangerous predators, especially if they have a partner. Not known to hunt in large packs like wolves, coyotes generally keep it much smaller, like their immediate family. Most of the time they hunt solo, but can work together, making it much more difficult for their prey to escape.

This video is a great example of a coyote on the hunt, with a larger target than usual… a mule deer.

A mule deer found itself being chased down by one of these coyotes in Yellowstone National Park. Of course, deer typically feed off vegetation, acorns, and things of that nature and when they’re young, they are the perfect prey for coyotes. In the footage, you see the deer frantically running away, but luckily enough, there’s a herd of bison nearby. In a desperate attempt, the deer runs to the group of stampeding bison, and quickly gets lost in the large number of the creatures. You can see the coyote trying to figure out where the deer disappeared to, and it almost reminds you of a Jason Bourne movie… sneaking into a crowded area to avoid capture… pretty genius.

The videographer shared in the caption:

“Up Slough Creek, in Yellowstone National Park, on Saturday, October 15, 2022 (the day the East Entrance Road reopened after June flood damage) the bison were stampeding off and on, so I was taking some phone video when a mule deer sprinted into the frame, pursued by a coyote.

Genius-level survival strategy on the part of the deer- run into the bison herd. Coyote abandoned the pursuit.”

Needless to say, I can imagine the relief the mule deer was feeling once it found its way into safety inside the herd of bison. Although, we have seen instances in the past where the bison herd will reject the imposter, and attack themselves to keep the predator away from the herd.

Check it out:

It’s not always easy out there for a coyote…

Unlike wolves, coyotes usually travel solo or in small family groups. Mated pairs raise their pups together in underground dens each spring, fiercely protecting them from predators. It’s a tough world for young coyotes, but the species’ ability to adapt ensures that Yellowstone’s meadows are never without their yipping calls and quick, darting shadows.

The relationship between wolves and coyotes in Yellowstone is one of competition and coexistence. Wolves dominate large prey like elk and bison, while coyotes have carved out a niche as small-game specialists. When wolves first came back, coyote populations dropped nearly 50%. But as the ecosystem balanced out, so did their numbers. Today, they’re a vital part of the park’s predator-prey web, helping control rodent populations and cleaning up carrion — essential roles in keeping Yellowstone’s ecosystem healthy.

In Native American folklore, the coyote is often portrayed as the trickster — clever, mischievous, and endlessly adaptable… but on this day, the mule deer proved to be a bit more clever.

Nevertheless, that trickster spirit is alive and well in Yellowstone. Whether you spot a coyote trotting along the road at dawn or hear its high-pitched yips echoing through the Lamar Valley, you’re witnessing one of nature’s most enduring survivors.The post Hungry Coyote Gets Fooled When Clever Mule Deer Sneaks Into A Bison Herd At Yellowstone National Park first appeared on Whiskey Riff.