Came Upon This Buck Today

[srad]

I've been squirrel hunting on a small patch of forest near my house, about 25 acres of woods that backs up to 40 acres of corn/bean fields. Also scouting for deer & have seen two bucks, one six pointer-- fairly modest rack & maybe 160-170 lbs, and one larger buck with a much bigger rack... spooked him a couple times so I didn't get a clear point count. Anyway, I surprised the big one again Saturday morning & found where it bedded down. This afternoon I came upon this buck below near the tree line of the bean field... I think its the same one based on the size & rack; couldn't find any exterior marks on what was left. Can't imagine coyotes killing this buck (I've seen three yotes in the woods & killed one of them) & think that maybe a bowhunter got a gut shot & didn't track it. Anyone here think it might of just been yotes? If it were coyotes, I'd think there'd be wounding around the neck.

Darn shame, I was counting on taking him during rifle season.

 

[MoparMan]

Wow too bad. Hard to tell without having DNR take a look at it. Doubt it was coyote's. They defiantely finished him off but probably just a lazy bowhunter. I hate if when someone shoots a deer and cannot find it. Some hunters are lazy and dont want to spend the time at the range shooting and practicing so of course they miss bad and once again are too lazy to track a deer to their full extent.

 

[Mrmonte]

Hard to say what happened to him. He could have got hit by a car even. Thats a pretty nice looking buck.

 

[Field King]

That Buck probably was wounded and could not escape or dead already from wounds but the yotes have definitly been on him after the fact, my experience is coyotes eat from the anal area upward which is what that looks like!

 

[srad]

Hadn't thought about calling the DNR... would calling a conservation officer be the right thing to do?

 

[redneckmedic]

You can try to track backwards. Do small outward circles from the body to see if there is a blood trail, just a thought if you really wanted to put forth the effort.

 

[boman]

Hadn't thought about calling the DNR... would calling a conservation officer be the right thing to do

I wouldn't----

but---to be completely legal--if you plan on keeping the rack--you need a CO to sign off on it--just like a road kill

Steve

 

[Mrmonte]

Hadn't thought about calling the DNR... would calling a conservation officer be the right thing to do?

Like boman said, if you plan on keeping parts of the deer call the DNR. I dont call the DNR when I come across any dead animal in the woods. There are no signs it was shot with a firearm out of season or anything, right? What would they care otherwise

 

[srad]

Thanks, I plan on getting the rack tomorrow. Saw him on my way out of the woods to have dinner with my daughter before she heads back to college... some things can wait

 

[DHolder]

Not being testy but, that deer could have been wounded by another deer, not a bow hunter. Most guys that shoot a buck like that will put in the time to find him.

 

[rudyman]

what a shame nice rack I wouldn't pass that up on an opening day.
any sign of a fight with the other buck?

 

[greg]

what county was it found.....if you keep the rack you will need to get a tag for it!!!!!

 

[srad]

No sign of a fight as far as I can tell, no markings on the face, neck, or shoulders at all. Could have been hit by a car I guess, there is a road maybe 400-500 yards away.

Live in Elkhart County... hope I don't need to get a tag just to harvest the rack. If so I'll probably wait till nature takes it's course & grab the full skull when there's nothing left but bones sometime in the future (provided no one else finds it).

 

[MoparMan]

Just call a CO and you'll be fine. You wont need to buy a tag.

 

[srad]

No tag needed, at least in the opinion of the District 1 CO I spoke to today; he said since it wasn't by the roadside and I just wanted the rack & not the carcass, there wasn't a tag that applied to the situation. Said that if I just took the rack it'd be ok.

 

[SNAFU-M1A]

Thats a shame, that's a nice rack. Glad you got it before the mice got to it or coyotes dragged it off.