Re: do raccoons and coyoties kill prey befor they eat? Or do they eat it alive?

Sarah,

The best short answer I can give to this question is 'normally'.

Both animals have such a wide range of food sources that they need to have 
different techniques for dealing with different types of prey.  For 
instance, if a coyote is feeding on mice, it will probably kill each one 
with a single nip before swallowing it - it would be difficult for a coyote 
to grab a mouse without fatally injuring it.  If a coyote catches a rabbit, 
it is in the interests of the coyote to kill the prey immediately otherwise 
it might escape !  If, however, a coyote were to find an injured sheep or 
cow, it may not be able to kill such a big animal quickly.  I do not know 
whether the coyote would start to feed on large prey before it was dead.

Although coyotes will eat a wide range of different foods, they are 
efficient hunters and would normally kill small prey such as rabbits with a 
single nip and shake.  Raccoons are much more generalist and may not be as 
adept at killing live animals they may catch.  One other factor to bear in 
mind is the tendency for hunting animals to play with captive prey before 
eating it.

I think that predators will normally kill their prey before starting to 
eat, partly to prevent it escaping, and partly because struggling prey is 
difficult to eat !  Also, live prey might injure the predator by biting, or 
in the case of deer or cattle, kicking.