Question about what I came across in woods....
04-07-2009, 08:59 AM
#11
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
Mountain Lions could put 20 miles away really quickly. Also, Look at the bones, if they were eating there should be marks on the bones. On coyote kill sites there are always some chew marks on the bones. Just a thought that you could check out.
-Jake
-Jake
04-07-2009, 09:51 AM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Ohio and Indiana
Posts: 2,088
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
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.
04-07-2009, 10:08 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,558
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
ORIGINAL: bowmanaj
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.
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.
04-08-2009, 10:22 AM
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains of VA
Posts: 698
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
One other REMOTE possibility is lightning. I realize that is a stretch but its not unheard of. The fact that it was a buck with antlers and was with two does, makes me assume it had to happen in late Sept-Oct when lightning is not as common, but in my area, lightning can occur any month. If this is the case it could be possible a tree that was struck can still be identified, maybe not I've seen lightning do some strange things. Livestock, especially cattle get struck and killed fairly often, I have first hand experience with this. Those deer could have been bedded there, got struck , and the critters feeding on the carcasses could have created the opening. Just my guess, I would not rule out Mountain lion either.
04-09-2009, 07:25 PM
#15
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
that sounds like a great place to put a trail camera... If you had wolves, I would suspect this might be a rookery site where pups are raised and kills are dragged back to the area for feeding. Mountain lions do hide their kills also, but I was not aware they returned them to the same spot (from what I have read). Also because of the size of the deer, coyotes could do it if they brought them back in pieces.
If you ever get back around there look for hair on branches and such. But that really is interesting. I think I would mention this area to your local game wardens and see what they suggest.
If you ever get back around there look for hair on branches and such. But that really is interesting. I think I would mention this area to your local game wardens and see what they suggest.
04-11-2009, 06:10 AM
#16
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 16
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
That is very puzzling. You would think that if it was a mountain lion there would not be such a big opening, but who knows. I do not necessarily believe in bigfoot, but I watch monsterquest on the History Channel and they did talk about finding "nests" in thickets that they thought were used by bigfoot.
My best guess though would be a mountain lion. I live in southwest MN and someone saw a mountain lion go through the land that I deer hunt. I never saw the cat or tracks, but I talked to a guy who traps there and he told me that he found cat tracks down by the creek. I definately do not think that a coyote would do that. I have heard of people digging up coyote dens and finding as many at 75 fawn skeletons inside of it, but that was an underground den.
My best guess though would be a mountain lion. I live in southwest MN and someone saw a mountain lion go through the land that I deer hunt. I never saw the cat or tracks, but I talked to a guy who traps there and he told me that he found cat tracks down by the creek. I definately do not think that a coyote would do that. I have heard of people digging up coyote dens and finding as many at 75 fawn skeletons inside of it, but that was an underground den.
04-18-2009, 10:15 AM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 1,462
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
ORIGINAL: hunting junkie
Sounds like maybe that is where they go to lie down when wounded.Just another guess.
Sounds like maybe that is where they go to lie down when wounded.Just another guess.
04-18-2009, 10:42 AM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: North Central, Iowa
Posts: 1,900
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
ORIGINAL: bkniowa
hey me again..thanks for the responses...I just got back from taking another look and didnt find any tracks or any sign of what could of done this. Did not see any signs of a den or anything of that sort. The mountain lion suggestion is interesting..I looked up so info on them and they do cache their kills..I have heard rumors of people seeing them in this area but at least 20 miles from where I found this. This part of Iowa is mainly wide open farm ground but we happen to own roughly 200 acres of woods in the area and thats where I found this..So I guess if there was a cat around it could hang up there for a while. I also walked through an 80 acre woods that connects with the one where the bone pile was found and saw 6 dead turkeys..I dont think this means much though. I have a cuddyback camera and plan on putting that up around that cache of bones in hopes of catching a glimpse of the culprit. If I find out anything I let you guys know..thanks
hey me again..thanks for the responses...I just got back from taking another look and didnt find any tracks or any sign of what could of done this. Did not see any signs of a den or anything of that sort. The mountain lion suggestion is interesting..I looked up so info on them and they do cache their kills..I have heard rumors of people seeing them in this area but at least 20 miles from where I found this. This part of Iowa is mainly wide open farm ground but we happen to own roughly 200 acres of woods in the area and thats where I found this..So I guess if there was a cat around it could hang up there for a while. I also walked through an 80 acre woods that connects with the one where the bone pile was found and saw 6 dead turkeys..I dont think this means much though. I have a cuddyback camera and plan on putting that up around that cache of bones in hopes of catching a glimpse of the culprit. If I find out anything I let you guys know..thanks
04-20-2009, 09:42 AM
#19
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 476
RE: Question about what I came across in woods....
Sounds like a cat's work to me...however, I don't think there is much of a documented mountain lion pop in Iowa. I found a similar thing in Minnesota this year, however, only one deer from whatI could tell, however, this had coyote tracks around it, never found the "kill" site, this looked like just a spot they dragged off food to eat in peace.
