San Juan Bull in a Hole

[grizzly]

We came across this last week on the San Juan. It looked to have only been dead about one week.

Grizzly

 

[isayNUNYA]

it took me two days to dig that elk trap.
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"I needed a cheesy signature saying like everyone else"

 

[Craig]

What a crappy way to die.

Did you leave it there or can you take the rack? I don't know how you would get it out of the hole.

 

[SPIRITELK]

what the hell??? thats one big badger hole. first time ive ever seen something like that. thanx for sharing the pick,s.

 

[never_catch]

Wow that's definately one of the strangest pics I've ever come across!!

~Z~

 

[highcountry]

Crazy, fluke things happen. What are the odds? Its sad to see things happen like that but they happen. Thanks for sharing. Yes i was curious also about if you got the rack out or not?

 

[UTodd]

Strangely enough, this is one of my worst fears in the outdoors- falling in some hole or crevice where I can't get out. That sucks for that bull. What in the world would have dug a dang hole that big? Did someone bury a case of Twinkies? Has Rosie O'Donnell been on the San Juan recently?

 

[Tbuck]

Way cool picture thanks for sharing. I am glad I didn't fall into that hole during my hunt down there.

 

[Squaw]

that pic takes on a whole new meaning of the 3 S's

 

[stealth_archer]

He's just trying to get ready for hibernation making sure that hole is comfortable for the long winter.

Or maybe his is trying to hide from his other half....she would never find him in there!

Joking aside, that sucks. Looks like a good mature bull, I guess its better that an elk fell into the hole and not a person or hunter. Thanks for posting.

 

[Walkers]

seems like there was a post similar to this a few years ago; if I remember right someone was accusing the one who posted the pics of "pre-dug" holes?? anyone else remember?

 

[browtine]

That hole i s deep!! can anyone explain why its there? Bear den? or what?

Later, Brandon

 

[hornhunter247]

looks like a sink hole! see them in az pretty often. wonder if there's a cow under him?

 

[ELKOHOLIC]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-09 AT 08:19PM (MST)[p]I remember seeing an email similar to this a couple years ago.
Tell us more. Did you call the DWR so they could investigate and so you could get the horns? Would have been interesting to get there take on what happened.

 

[BradN]

Those Blanding boys been digging for artifacts again?

 

[spotit1st]

I am just guessing he fell into this big pink hole during the rut because he couldn't find any cows? Sorry thats wrong just reminds me of some girls in High School I was told to stay away from!

 

[grizzmoose]

So do you think he fell in an existing hole, or do you think he was standing on weak ground and the ground caved in?

 

[slamdunk]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-09 AT 06:44AM (MST)[p]Well that certainly explains how them bulls hide sometimes, i always thought it was just a rumor!!
Must be one larger than the Kennecott pit on the Dutton!! Lol

Really though, that is the strangest thing i have ever seen!!

 

[antlerrick]

The way the vegitation is smashed down and dead around the hole, it appears the hole has been there quite a while.
That really sucks to see a nice bull go to waste!

 

[grizzly]

We didn't call Fish & Game, we were hoping to find a warden to pass the information to. We could've pulled him out with a come-along but you can't keep antlers attached to a skull so it didn't seem worth it. Plus, he wasn't that big anyway... at least not for that area.

Plus, he is possibly "plugging" the hole so something else won't fall in it and die.

We figured the vegetation was mashed down my coyotes and bears trying to get to him.

Grizzly

 

[kilowatt]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-09 AT 09:54AM (MST)[p]There was another case of an Elk wedged inside some very large boulders in s/e Wyoming I think a couple of years ago. An outfitter and client were after a Bull that the hunter shot and it ran off. They found it stuck in between large boulders and it took them some time and planning but finally got the Elk out along with the rack.

Sure would be a hard way to die like that, just wonder if there were any gunshot or arrows stuck in him that was not visible from above? Probably running and never seen that "sink hole" and the rest is history...tooo bad.

Brian

 

[treedagain]

crappy way to go...

 

[HKShooter]

The way the dirt is placed around the hole makes me think a human dug it??? Critters don't usually dig straight down and spread the dirt equally around the hole. I would at least call Game and Fish and have them fill it in.

HK

 

[hornhunter247]

ok just curious about how some of you think a human dug a hole 3 ft around and 7+ ft deep? lol not impossible but im curious where the mound of dirts at?

 

[pirogue]

That is deeper than Del Gue was in "JEREMIAH JOHNSON"

 

[muleyman]

I've heard that lightening can "punch" a hole in the earth up to 20 feet deep and up to 4 feet wide. Depends on how large the metal was that it was connecting to. (silver, old iron that was buried yrs ago?)

Not sayin it happened that way, just heard that it can happen...

muleyman

 

[muleybull]

I found a sink hole like that a few years ago with a dead beef cow in it. Hadn't been dead long either......

www.muleybulloutfitters.com

 

[Gator]

That is a death trap for sure Please Call the DWR or FS and maybe they will at least fill it in before some hunter ends up in it.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[Waygoner]

I ran into a similar situation a few years back. A cow elk had fallen in a sink hole and couldn't get out. A creek was running under ground and had caused enough erosion that the ground collapsed under the cow.

 

[birdbuster]

My theory is that there's one of those big San Juan bears under it. It's hard to imagine an elk falling down such a tight hole all by itself.

 

[silverstatehunter]

It may be an old mine shaft or ventalation hole. How deep is it? I have run into a few different mines shafts in both Nevada and Arizona before. That is a crazy picture though, thanks for sharing.

Jacob Menath
Menath Outdoor Insurance
www.Outdoor-Insurance.com

 

[BUTTERBEAN]

That is one big sink hole soon to be STINK hole.

 

[HKShooter]

I don't think a sink hole would have dirt built up around its edges???? Back in the day people used to dig wells by hand. Yes with a shovel/pick/bucket. What ever it is, it need to be filled in.

HK

 

[grizzly]

I called the Forest Service's mining division to patch the hole when I got home from the hunt, thinking it was a vent shaft and would certainly kill somebody if they fell in (you couldn't see the bottom at all). We didn't see anything that the DWR could do about it at that point, so I didn't call them.

Then I got a call just two weeks ago from the Conservation Officer in the area that saw the pictures on this site. He was the one that pulled the elk out and is investigating some peculiarities in the area.

I don't want to go into details of his investigation because I don't know if he wants information released (not that I know very much, but I have my theory), but hopefully they can catch the guy they are looking for.

Grizzly

 

[mtnmayhem]

That's pretty crazy.

http://whatahole.ytmnd.com/