Mountain lion or coyote would be my guess.. When I dump deer carcasses in the woods after butchering, they are always dragged by coyotes to the same spot in the middle of my buddies pasture. We throw them back in the thick stuff, and the next day, there they are again. Since then, we have changed our procedure because no matter what, the coyotes would continue to add to their "collection". I find it odd that coyotes drag their food into open areas instead of secluded areas, but this is not the first time I've seen this behavior. At a friends in south central indiana, the coyotes do the same thing. The field will be scattered with deer carcasses in the winter. I've even followed a "drag trail" where the coyotes have dragged deer over 1/4 mile into an open field to eat. Strange.. Im interested in anyone's thoughts on why they do this. This sounds like the opposite of what you found..A "collection" in a thicket.