PA Bow/Flinter

Did some summer scouting on a new piece of property I can hunt this year and came across this skull (third of the year). There was nothing but bones left, so I couldn't tell how he died. My guess is wounded during gun season because I heard lots of people unloading their guns in this area. He should have been a protected buck, so I wonder if maybe somebody shot him, saw he wasn't big enough, and left him. Thats only speculation though. Don't know for sure, probably never will....just sad to think he will never grow to his full potentail.....he was starting to have a double browtine, and that was only at 1.5 years old. Here's a pic...

HuntingEd

I hate finding things like that, unfortunately it happens all to often... I QDM was more prevalent here in the midatlantic states...

mlo3135127

Cool skull. I agree with you on how it died (wounded during season). During every season I hear hunters talk about hitting deer and not recovering them. I have found many skulls myself, I would say this deer didn't die last season, it was at least from the season before.

PA Bow/Flinter

I've alsowondered about whether it was from last season, or two seasons ago. During this hot summer weather I've seen entiredeer be reduced to nothing but a pile of bones in mere weeks. So the fact that the skull is clean isn't a good indicator. Another skull I found this spring still had hide on it when I found it, but now,that pile of boneslooks similar to the pile this skull was found in.

I do tend to agree that it is probably from two years ago for two reasons. The first is that the bone seems rather porous, brittle, and light....as though it has been weathered for a while.AlsowhenI found it,there were leaves ontop of the bones. Like leaves from last fall fell ontop of the bone pile. I don't know for sure, but that is my guess. I doubt I will ever know.

Matt/TN

thanks for sharing but bucks like that get taken here all the time

cardeer

good eatin

Rob/PA Bowyer

Sad but cool find. Depending how far you are from a road, don't rule out road kills that wondered off into the woods.

PA Bow/Flinter

Rob, thats a good point...I hadn't thought of that. If found him about 150 yds from adirt road. That could have did him in, but I'm not sure....just another option to ponder I guess.

tkycaller

three in one year is a lot to find. Maybe poachers?

Oneshot7

would have been a nice double brow in 2 or 3 more years it is a shame