Southern Utah Buck... BEAR OR COUGAR??? (NEW PICS)

[Wyoming08]

This is my Brother in-laws Dad's buck he shot while hunting the Utah Muzzleloader hunt in Southern Utah.   He shot this buck Thursday evening.  They had left their horses in camp for the afternoon hunt so after he shot it, they gutted it and hung it in a tree for the night.   When they went back for it the next morning it was gone!   They started looking for it and found a big drag mark that was about 300 yards long from where they hung it.   When they found it, something had buried it.  This area has quite a few bear, so they figured it was a hungry bear that had taken it.  I thought that Cougar bury their prey quite often and told him I thought it was a Cougar.  Let me know what you guys think.  It has an outside spread of just over 27

[saylean]

without checking the area for tracks, I would say its a toss up between a bear and coug. But thats my guess.

[bowhunterforever]

Nice buck! Had to tell with out looking for tracks, cause the both will burry there kill.

[couesbitten]

I think that a bear would be more likely to steal a hanging deer than a cougar would be.

[Buckmark]

Hard to tell what moved the deer without more info, tracks?
What area of Southern Utah? just curious as ive hunted there before.
I like that messed up right front, i would have taken him for the character.

[Bigshooter]

I have never heard of a bear burying a kill, not saying its not possible.  But cougars do it all the time.

[Wyoming08]

They were "CLOSE"  to Monticello.  They really didn't find any tracks.  It did have a big bite taken out of the rib cage,  but that was all. 

[huntnphool]

Very unique buck, congrats.

[Pathfinder101]

Nice Buck!  Could have been either, but I vote cougar.

[Wyoming08]

The second Picture is what they found the next morning.  So now what do you think it was?

[Pathfinder101]

Cougar.
When I was in my late teens, I dated a lady for a while that was in her mid-30s.  That's what I looked like when she was done with me...
Cougar.
 

[Gobble]

Cougar.
When I was in my late teens, I dated a lady for a while that was in her mid-30s.  That's what I looked like when she was done with me...
Cougar.
 

 

[Watimberghost]

My guess is cougar. I've seen a lot of burried kills from cats, so my vote might be a little lopsided

[sako223]

It could be either, a few years ago we tagged a couple bucks and took care of them by the shop. there were both bear & cougar in the area with a bear bedding about 100 yds beyond the shop. Next morning a bear had carried most parts including legs about 50 yds out then buried them, coming back each night for several days.