Cow with scar any Idea what caused it?

[Snookmonster]

She at the edge of neighbors field. Looks like something passed through?

[coyotecrazy]

Cougar, claws on both sides of her back. 

[Smossy]

My guess is a bullet or arrow wound, leaning more toward the bullet side, Looks just high enough to miss vitals.  Looks to me like it was a quartering toward shot and was a little high.

[Igottanewknee]

That elk didn't look scared to me.... 

[BOWHUNTER45]

My guess is a bullet or arrow wound, leaning more toward the bullet side, Looks just high enough to miss vitals.  Looks to me like it was a quartering toward shot and was a little high.

I like that answer ! 

[jason stevens]

Looks like she survived an animal attack . I think if that was a bullet or arrow shed have a broken back.

[haugenna]

My guess is a bullet or arrow wound, leaning more toward the bullet side, Looks just high enough to miss vitals.  Looks to me like it was a quartering toward shot and was a little high.

Don't think the entrance would be the same size as the exit.  Looks like an arrow before a bullet but may not be neither one.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Whoever and whatever was above her ...you can see one hole a little higher than the other ...Just slipped below her spine and out the other side ..THE NO DO NOT WANT TO HIT SPOT 

[3dsheetmetal]

She dosen't look scared but there is a scar

[Snookmonster]

I never could spell!

[northwesthunter84]

I agree with the arrow wound.  I have seen a couple on whitetail like that.

[brettinewen]

If that were an arrow or bullet she wouldn't be walking, that scar is in line with the spine.  Interesting pics, i'd guess a predator attack. 

[lee]

'Sqatch attack!!        

[Mudman]

Yelm area-cow unit.  Arrow, shot downhill arrow placed high exit wound slightly larger.  Cougar a possibility. Plenty of them around.

[The scout]

looks like it would have been hard to miss the spine if it were a bullet/arrow.but probably the cause

[boomstick]

Arrow wound had it happen to me right through the back strap.  Bullet shock more likely would break the spine there.

[lokidog]

Arrow wound had it happen to me right through the back strap.  Bullet shock more likely would break the spine there.

 

[MtnMuley]

I would agree arrow, but with both scars so similar, entry and exit can't be determined.  With the line it apparently took, I'd say a bullet would have done more than glance off the spine. Still, pretty good size scars for a broadhead, but after all, she does have her summer coat on showing more detail.

[MIKEXRAY]

I would also say arrow , shot down hill or from a tree stand. With an entrance hole that high on the back it would miss the spine . Looks like it healed well.

[huntingaddiction]

I would say arrow.  But the shot was uphill only way it makes sense to not hit her back!

[RadSav]

The triangular shape of the entrance and long vertical wound on exit looks like a down hill arrow shot to me.  Going over the top of the spine.  Quite common to shoot high when shooting down hill with any weapon but especially so with a bow.  Luckily big game animals recover quite well to that type of mistake with a sharp broadhead. 

Sounds like some folks need a refresher elk anatomy lesson!  Also, she was probably much fatter during archery season which might give you a little more evidence the shot was higher than most seem to think.

I have never seen scars that open and large though.  Could be something completely different and unrelated to a weapon.   

[Quackwhacker]

I shot a buck with my bow in the same spot a few years back. He was healthy as could be a few weeks later. I say archery from the uphill side.

[billythekidrock]

The triangular shape of the entrance and long vertical wound on exit looks like a down hill arrow shot to me.  Going over the top of the spine.  Quite common to shoot high when shooting down hill with any weapon but especially so with a bow.  Luckily big game animals recover quite well to that type of mistake with a sharp broadhead. 

Sounds like some folks need a refresher elk anatomy lesson!  Also, she was probably much fatter during archery season which might give you a little more evidence the shot was higher than most seem to think.

I have never seen scars that open and large though.  Could be something completely different and unrelated to a weapon.   

 

[BackStrappin]

I have a Doe that Frequents my yard ,  She had a Fawn and now the Fawn is missing but the doe has a newer scar that is pretty dang close to what this cow has.

Makes me believe is was some kinda Predator .

[deerhunter_98520]

Maybe she said no to a big bull and he horned her a little to hard   

[D-Rock425]

I'm going with arrow on this one.

[Jonathan_S]

No possible way that a bullet did that.  Not from a legal hunting rifle anyway.

The hydrostatic shock would put her down.  Even the blast from a .30/30 would put the spinal cord into useless fits.

Amazing how an arrow can be incredibly lethal but can also miss, so perfectly, anything vital.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I made that shot on a little whitetail buck from a stand near a property line.  There was a loud crack, he spun 180 and was down motionless.  As I was climbing down, I saw him thrash his head, then get up on his front legs and start dragging his back half running on his fronts.  I tried to get an arrow nocked and get a shot but the brush was thick and he made it back onto the property where no hunting was allowed.  Four hours later, at midnight, I picked up the blood trail with a flashlight, and after 1/2 hour slow tracking I busted him from his bed - he ran off normal as can be.  Two small dried blood pools (quarter size) on either side. 

[billythekidrock]

No possible way that a bullet did that.  Not from a legal hunting rifle anyway.

The hydrostatic shock would put her down.  Even the blast from a .30/30 would put the spinal cord into useless fits.

Amazing how an arrow can be incredibly lethal but can also miss, so perfectly, anything vital.

There is actually quite a bit of room for error in that area regardless of what you are shooting.

I shot a yearly elk with my muzzle loader and 250 gr bullet in the same spot. The elk went down, until I walked up to it. Then it took off. Luckily I realized I hit high, reloaded and snuck in at the ready and was able to put one through the boilermaker on the run.

One year we found a broad head lodged in the vertebrae of a rifle killed bull.
And another time we found a healed up bullet hole in  an archery killed bull. The bullet shattered/removed the arch off of the vertebrae.

[Jonathan_S]

No possible way that a bullet did that.  Not from a legal hunting rifle anyway.

The hydrostatic shock would put her down.  Even the blast from a .30/30 would put the spinal cord into useless fits.

Amazing how an arrow can be incredibly lethal but can also miss, so perfectly, anything vital.

There is actually quite a bit of room for error in that area regardless of what you are shooting.

I shot a yearly elk with my muzzle loader and 250 gr bullet in the same spot. The elk went down, until I walked up to it. Then it took off. Luckily I realized I hit high, reloaded and snuck in at the ready and was able to put one through the boilermaker on the run.

One year we found a broad head lodged in the vertebrae of a rifle killed bull.
And another time we found a healed up bullet hole in  an archery killed bull. The bullet shattered/removed the arch off of the vertebrae.

I guess "no possible way" is a pretty bold statement but it's still hard to feature that this particular wound was from a bullet

[Meat Truck]

Definite Sasquatch attack. When my brother got jumped by one, he had marks like that, and his corn hole hurt for a month.

[billythekidrock]

No possible way that a bullet did that.  Not from a legal hunting rifle anyway.

The hydrostatic shock would put her down.  Even the blast from a .30/30 would put the spinal cord into useless fits.

Amazing how an arrow can be incredibly lethal but can also miss, so perfectly, anything vital.

There is actually quite a bit of room for error in that area regardless of what you are shooting.

I shot a yearly elk with my muzzle loader and 250 gr bullet in the same spot. The elk went down, until I walked up to it. Then it took off. Luckily I realized I hit high, reloaded and snuck in at the ready and was able to put one through the boilermaker on the run.

One year we found a broad head lodged in the vertebrae of a rifle killed bull.
And another time we found a healed up bullet hole in  an archery killed bull. The bullet shattered/removed the arch off of the vertebrae.

I guess "no possible way" is a pretty bold statement but it's still hard to feature that this particular wound was from a bullet

I agree. I am pretty sure this one is a broad head.

[coachcw]

I'd say arrow. I miss judgedo a cow once and hit a cow high like that .I know we it wasn't good when the arrow went thirty yards behind her, saw her the next day running with the herd with a blood stain keeping up just fine. I assumed she made it fine. Still sucked and made me feel crappy.

[Old Man Yager]

Don't know what got into her, but I think elk and deer are alot tougher than people think. I shot a nice buck in what is now Hancock about 12 years ago, one of his front legs was about 3 inches shorter than the other. The upper part of that leg was deformed where he healed up. My dad had 2 bulls he shot in forks years ago, one had an broadhead in his neck, and the other one had a muzzleloader ball in his front shoulder, these animals are tough!

[bearpaw]

Don't know what got into her, but I think elk and deer are alot tougher than people think. I shot a nice buck in what is now Hancock about 12 years ago, one of his front legs was about 3 inches shorter than the other. The upper part of that leg was deformed where he healed up. My dad had 2 bulls he shot in forks years ago, one had an broadhead in his neck, and the other one had a muzzleloader ball in his front shoulder, these animals are tough!

  Animals are much tougher than most people think. We get animals every year that have old wounds, large caliber bullets, 22 bullets, birdshot, predator attacks, etc and have healed up and doing fine. Last year we got three animals later in the season that have been wounded earlier in the season and were well healed in only 1-2 weeks.

[ShedHead20]

Elk are extremely tough animals, my dad killed a cow in archery season several years back with a muzzleloader ball bedded in her spine. He said she was walking completely normal with no problems.

[Barbarossa13]

That's the truth ShedHead20.  A few years ago we were butchering a cow my dad harvested and found a broadhead and 2'' of shaft in the backstrap. 

[Meat Truck]

My old man killed a nice 5 point that had a broadhead and about 3 inches of busted arrow in it's backbone.  Bone had grown around the wound, it was crazy.  Those elk are tough SOB's.

[coxral]

I'm going with rub marks from a bulls hooves while mounting her!