The predator/prey relationship can be so difficult to watch that many animal lovers choose not to think about it. The kills most often shown television are of lions, cheetahs, or American mountain lions using their crushing jaws to break an animal’s neck and cause a merciful death. What’s rarely shown is how coyotes and wolves eat their prey alive. Unlike the cats, they don’t take down large prey at the neck, but bite the hamstring, crippling the animal. Once disabled, the pack surrounds it and begins ripping at the animal’s underside until it goes down. Then the pack rushes in and begins feeding. At what point the animal actually dies during this carnage is anyone’s guess.

Idaho guide Eric Chesser of Tines Up TV captured a confrontation between a pack of coyotes and a herd of deer. This is a rare glimpse of predators in action in North America and will give you a feel of what our beloved large animals are up against. Check out the video at OutdoorHub.