The fact that the deer was a piebald buck would instantly make me think that its death was the result of being shot. I could be wrong.

Whether it was poached isn't clear. A piebald buck would surely attract the attention of a poacher. Possibly shot at night with a .22. Was there a road nearby?

I'd think that any muzzleloader hunter having the opportunity to shoot at a piebald buck would surely put great effort into finding it. In PA the late muzzleloader season is with a Flintlock ONLY. This would make the prize of taking a piebald buck something unique. It would make sense to believe that the shooter would try really hard to recover this rare trophy.

Flintlock muzzleloader hunters are a different breed. They hunt when deer are extra, extra cautious, after being chased around all fall. They hunt when weather is less than favorable, especially when it is wet and powder won't ignite. They hunt with open sites. I'd like to think that they are generally good ethical hunters compared to rifle hunters.

I feel that the original poster of this thread is on the right track in believing this animal may have been poached. There are big problems with poachers, here in PA.