Deer Hunter Attacked By Coyotes

Soon after settling in for an afternoon deer hunt in Gordon County on Dec. 21, 2003, Jackson Jordon, 16, of Red Bud, soon found out what it was like to be the prey of a small pack of coyotes.

Forty-five minutes after hitting the woods on the private lease he was hunting, Jackson thought he heard someone messing around his truck. He knew the windows were up but remembered he had left it unlocked.

Heading across a picked soybean field to investigate, the young hunter got to within 35 yards of the truck when he heard what sounded like deer running behind him. He turned just in time to see three coyotes, one in mid- leap toward him.

“One of them jumped right up, bit my arm, and I fell down and dropped my gun,” said Jackson. “After that I maneuvered around and got one shot off, wounding one of the coyotes. When I got that one off of me, I went to turn and dropped my gun again because there was mud on it, and another coyote came up and bit me on the left leg. The third one was beside me snapping and growling, trying to get at my right leg. I kicked at it and hit it in the head with my foot. With my right hand, I reached across and beat the one on my left leg with my fist.

“Finally, it turned loose. I got my gun back, and when I turned around, they were running off into the woods.”

According to Joey Jordon, Jackson’s dad, the gun barrel was full of mud, so it was a good thing his son couldn’t get another shot off at the fleeing predators.

“He called me right after it happened and said, ‘Daddy, you’re not going to believe what happened. I got attacked by coyotes,’” Joey said.

“I said, ‘Son, they don’t do that. You know how they are, and Jackson said, ‘I don’t care, I’m tore all to pieces.’”

Jackson’s hunting clothes took the brunt of the attack, suffering several rips and tears, but he did receive a puncture wound on the top and bottom of one forearm. Also, when he slung one of the coyotes off his arm, the teeth ran across, leaving a scraping wound.

“It scared me at the time, but I’m not scared of going back,” he said.

Because the wounded coyote couldn’t be located, Jackson was forced to go through a painful series of rabies shots.

According to WRD Biologist Ted Touchtone, coyote attacks are very rare.

“Very seldom do we get reports on coyote attacks,” he said. “That doesn’t sound like rabies but some other type of aggression.”