couger kill

Tsho86 · Sep 14, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-09 AT 11:28PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-09 AT 11:25?PM (MST)

Found this last year while shed hunting. Looks like this old bull was killed by a mountain lion, But it looked like the ears and jaw were left and the skull taken by somebody so possibly they poached it and a couger was just feeding on it.

Hmm i wonder what did this....

The suspect

Can't really run all that well with one of these... this is what makes me think the couger got him.

fishinghunter14 · Sep 14, 2009

so looks like someone cut off the head and antlers then tried to burry the head. a mountain lion will usually bury what they kill so idk good find though. looks like a broken leg at some point and maybe a bear feeding on it and coyotes but looks like the meat was still pretty tender id say a poacher. i wouldnt go near that bull if it was dead and a lion killed it they usually stay pretty close but your guess is good as mine

$MAVERICK$

SneakAttack · Sep 15, 2009

What does the shed score?

338BUCKNBULL · Sep 15, 2009

REST ASSURED THIS WAS NOT A POACHING INCIDENT, ME AND MY COUSIN FOUND THIS ELK A FEW DAYS BEFORE YOU, THE HEAD WAS CUT OFF AND THE HIDE WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION. WE ROLLED THE ELK OVER AND INSPECTED FOR ANY BULLET HOLES AND NONE WERE FOUND. MY BEST GUESS OF HOW HE DIED IS CLEAR IN YOUR LAST PICTURE JUST ABOVE HIS HOOF WAS SWOLLEN TO 3X THE NATURAL SIZE, AND THE HAIR IS MISSING IN A SMALL SPOT WHERE I BELIEVE SOMEONE SHOT AT THIS ELK ACROSS A LARGE CANYON AND UNDERESTIMATED BULLET DROP, HITTING HIM IN THE HOOF AND LATER DYING A PAINFUL LEAD POISONED DEATH.I ALSO TOOK MY PICTURES TO THE DWR HERE IN SALT LAKE AND THEY BELIEVED IT WAS A BULLET WOUND ALSO. (sad deal on such a magnificent creature.)BOTTOM LINE HERE IF YOU ARE NOT EXPERIENCED AT LONG RANGE SHOTS, DO NOT TAKE THEM. THESE ANIMALS DESERVE MORE RESPECT THAN THIS.

apollosmith · Sep 15, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-15-09 AT 08:15AM (MST)[p]338BUCKNBULL-

So did you take the antlers? With DWR's permission? Or did somebody stumble upon the bull between you and Tsho86 and take them?

Tsho86 · Sep 15, 2009

what was burried in that pile was the jaw, nose, and ears. I figured that whatever animal it may have been put it there to kind of stash it, but it is possible somebody burried it. Just to be sure if this is the same one can you send me a pm on what area?

ScottNM · Sep 15, 2009

>REST ASSURED THIS WAS NOT A
>POACHING INCIDENT, ME AND MY
>COUSIN FOUND THIS ELK A
>FEW DAYS BEFORE YOU, THE
>HEAD WAS CUT OFF AND
>THE HIDE WAS IN PERFECT
>CONDITION. WE ROLLED THE ELK
>OVER AND INSPECTED FOR ANY
>BULLET HOLES AND NONE WERE
>FOUND. MY BEST GUESS OF
>HOW HE DIED IS CLEAR
>IN YOUR LAST PICTURE JUST
>ABOVE HIS HOOF WAS SWOLLEN
>TO 3X THE NATURAL SIZE,
>AND THE HAIR IS MISSING
>IN A SMALL SPOT WHERE
>I BELIEVE SOMEONE SHOT AT
>THIS ELK ACROSS A LARGE
>CANYON AND UNDERESTIMATED BULLET DROP,
>HITTING HIM IN THE HOOF
>AND LATER DYING A PAINFUL
>LEAD POISONED DEATH.I ALSO TOOK
>MY PICTURES TO THE DWR
>HERE IN SALT LAKE AND
>THEY BELIEVED IT WAS A
>BULLET WOUND ALSO. (sad deal
>on such a magnificent creature.)BOTTOM
>LINE HERE IF YOU ARE
>NOT EXPERIENCED AT LONG RANGE
>SHOTS, DO NOT TAKE THEM.
>THESE ANIMALS DESERVE MORE RESPECT
>THAN THIS.

Thank you and they do deserve more respect than these unethical shots given. SAD

338BUCKNBULL · Sep 16, 2009

PM SENT

bowhunt · Sep 16, 2009

Wow, that is some impressive forensics!

Bullet drop, lead poisoning.

Just FYI, a bullet in the foot will not cause an elk to die of Lead Poisoning. A bullet in the shoulder would not make him die of Lead Poisoning.

CATMAN · Sep 16, 2009

thats no cougar kill. And if the carcass looked the same it was first located as it does in these pics.....csi would have to be the one who told me that there wasn't a bullet hole in it because I surely couldn't tell one way or the other

cjg_beef · Sep 16, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-16-09 AT 03:59PM (MST)[p]I have a hard time believing the 'lead poisoning' too. First off if it was a direct hit to the leg it would have shattered the bone. My guess is that the elk broke it's ankle and had a hard time escaping the jaws of a hungry lion due to the injury. Then some hunter came along and found the carcass and cut the antlers off.

REDDOG · Sep 16, 2009

I agree with catman, if that is even a cat track, its a bobcat. tho the kick backs under the tree are tell tale cougar, bobs do the same thing.

also, the guts would be torn open first thing by a cougar.

not saying one wasnt in the area, but its doubtful thats what killed it, looks mostly like birds feeding on it.