Camera on dead elk

[boneaddict]

That’s a nice thick cat.

[pianoman9701]

I thought baiting cougars was illegal??? Kidding! Awesome catch right there. 

[Ironhead]

 

[Okanagan]

Very interesting.  I didn't think cougars ate carrion.  Maybe just an old wive's myth on my part.  Certainly a healthy cat.

they will scavenge fresh meat then they get the chance

It's not a hard and fast rule but IME cougars generally don't eat stuff that they haven't killed.  There are exceptions, obviously.

I shot a buck one evening and did not find it till the next morning, several hundred yards beyond where I had tracked it the evening before.  It snowed an inch during the night and after the snow a cougar had come on the blood trail, followed it to the deer and apparently leaned over to sniff it but did not touch it.  Fresh kill, no human scent.  I was surprised on that one that it did not eat some of the deer.

I assume you are correct that the elk died naturally, but is there any chance that the lion killed the elk and came back later to feed?  Sometimes the kill marks leave little external sign.  We have tracked cougars to a kill which it left without eating any, and then it came back hours later or the next day and started eating.  They break the patterns I expect from them often enough to keep me humble!   

GREAT pics BTW!



 

[HighlandLofts]

Was that found down in your area?

[DOsborn]

Very interesting.  I didn't think cougars ate carrion.  Maybe just an old wive's myth on my part.  Certainly a healthy cat.

they will scavenge fresh meat then they get the chance

It's not a hard and fast rule but IME cougars generally don't eat stuff that they haven't killed.  There are exceptions, obviously.

I shot a buck one evening and did not find it till the next morning, several hundred yards beyond where I had tracked it the evening before.  It snowed an inch during the night and after the snow a cougar had come on the blood trail, followed it to the deer and apparently leaned over to sniff it but did not touch it.  Fresh kill, no human scent.  I was surprised on that one that it did not eat some of the deer.

I assume you are correct that the elk died naturally, but is there any chance that the lion killed the elk and came back later to feed?  Sometimes the kill marks leave little external sign.  We have tracked cougars to a kill which it left without eating any, and then it came back hours later or the next day and started eating.  They break the patterns I expect from them often enough to keep me humble!   

GREAT pics BTW!

I suppose he could have killed this elk, when we found it one of the front shoulders was eaten and about 18 inches of the rib cage was exposed, we looked around and did not see any bite marks on the back of the neck but did not look at the underside. I thought that cougars would alway cover there kill.

[DOsborn]

Was that found down in your area?

yes, siouxon unit

[elkoholic1]

 

[Alchase]

That is a healthy cat!

[NOCK NOCK]

Cool pics. 

[Okanagan]

Very interesting.  I didn't think cougars ate carrion.  Maybe just an old wive's myth on my part.  Certainly a healthy cat.

they will scavenge fresh meat then they get the chance

It's not a hard and fast rule but IME cougars generally don't eat stuff that they haven't killed.  There are exceptions, obviously.

I shot a buck one evening and did not find it till the next morning, several hundred yards beyond where I had tracked it the evening before.  It snowed an inch during the night and after the snow a cougar had come on the blood trail, followed it to the deer and apparently leaned over to sniff it but did not touch it.  Fresh kill, no human scent.  I was surprised on that one that it did not eat some of the deer.

I assume you are correct that the elk died naturally, but is there any chance that the lion killed the elk and came back later to feed?  Sometimes the kill marks leave little external sign.  We have tracked cougars to a kill which it left without eating any, and then it came back hours later or the next day and started eating.  They break the patterns I expect from them often enough to keep me humble!   

GREAT pics BTW!

I suppose he could have killed this elk, when we found it one of the front shoulders was eaten and about 18 inches of the rib cage was exposed, we looked around and did not see any bite marks on the back of the neck but did not look at the underside. I thought that cougars would alway cover there kill.

Re kill wounds:  Thanks for the added info.   I got curious on one large blacktail buck obviously killed by a cougar and partly eaten, so I examined and skinned to find out how he killed it.  No sign that I found showing externally.  By skinning the neck up to the skull we found where the large cougar had bitten the buck on the back of the neck just below the skull, severing the spine and spinal cord between the first and second vertebrae.  Once I found the tooth holes then I could part the hair and locate them from outside but otherwise had not seen them. 

Re covering:  I've found several kills that have not been covered, and a couple where the cougar dragged the dead deer under low overhanging limbs in snow but otherwise did not cover it.  Small sample.  I'd be curious to hear what other lion hunters have found.  Pics from California and SW show covered cougar kills but I've found more up this way that are not covered.

[Star882]

Awsome pictures!

[lewy]

I'd bet that cat killed that elk

[O. hemionus]

Great photos! What cuddeback are you using there?

[DOsborn]

Great photos! What cuddeback are you using there?

these were taken from an old cuddeback Capture