death by rut?

[400out]

Bigfoot.

must be the blues

[briancorneal]

Looks like that guy tangled up with the wrong bull. 

[bench beast]

nice find

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

Buddy saw a couple bulls fighting in the Manastash during muzzy season three years ago. Said one was running downhill full tilt and the other running up hill when they locked up. Looked like a couple of rams on the first hit! He said the sound when they first hit was incredible. Nothing broke in that fight but one could imagine it happening.... 

[bow4elk]

Back when I did a lot of field work with elk biologists, I learned this does happen from time to time.  Bulls will get locked up and break a pedicle while trying to separate.  The forces they exert during a sparring match are all forward and down but as they realize they are stuck they panic and try to pull away while twisting and bucking.  It's clear from the photo that in this case, the skull broke below the pedicle, which would have caused certain death.  In any case, it's an interesting find for sure.   Thanks for sharing!

[bloodhound]

im more so noticing the pumice ground and wondering where you are at around mt st helens.

as for the rack i would think it probably happened after death. either predators or another animal stepped on it under snow, or while trying to drag it. 

[remington300mag]

Here is my question....Why is the area where the antler attaches to the head a lot brighter white on the antler that is broke off than the antler still attached to the head? Almost like it has been off the skull longer or decomposed before the rest of the skull did......

[bloodhound]

skull might have been half buried so the one part got more sun bleaching

[ELKBURGER]

looks like Mt. St. Helens area to me too. I've found dead heads before that were split or broke and it probably due to bear or other elk trampling in the snow. But so much happens out there we dont get a chance to see. Maybe sasquatch needed a back scratcher

[mikesenescall]

Bigfoot.

Big foot hahahahhahah

[Woodchuck]

I have seen it happen. 

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,35011.msg410195.html#msg410195

[BENCHLEG]

well i have seen the rack, it sits in bobs sporting goods in longview, just as you come in the door to the right. sweet find keep up the good work and good luck on your hunt.