Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: aorams on June 07, 2014, 08:54:03 AM

Title: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: aorams on June 07, 2014, 08:54:03 AM: Hey all,

I found this today while looking for a new place to hang my camera. Can anyone tell me if there is a lesson here? What are the odds that this buck was shot by a hunter then lost vs eaten by a predator vs a natural causes death? Anyway to know how long it's been dead? Does it tell me anything about whether I'm in their core range? I found most of the skeleton with it but I couldn't tell anything in particular from it. This was among a handful of deer beds. Thank you all again!(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.tapatalk.com%2Fd%2F14%2F06%2F07%2Fa5ubyme7.jpg&hash=442a67b77f1f11521c2428370e7f68735b9752cb)

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Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: bobcat on June 07, 2014, 09:05:23 AM: Close to a road? The closer to a road, the more chance it was shot, and lost. Other than that, I don't know. Could have died of natural causes, but it doesn't appear to be a very old buck. Could have been a cougar kill.
Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: aorams on June 07, 2014, 09:16:14 AM: Pretty close to the road. I also found a set of four deer legs with the hide on near this a few weeks back.

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Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: billythekidrock on June 07, 2014, 10:01:19 AM: What kind of road? A gravel logging road? Gated? Rural highway?
Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: aorams on June 07, 2014, 10:32:00 AM: Tree farm road

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Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: deerhunter_98520 on June 08, 2014, 10:14:42 AM: It would be hard to tell what killed it....predator could have ambushed it in its bed, someone could have put a bad shot on it but fatally wounded it and it made its way to its bed and not left a blood trail, hit by a vehicle and wandered off....lots of things could have happened
Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: aorams on June 09, 2014, 01:14:37 PM: Quote from: Sundance on June 08, 2014, 08:32:32 PM
Aging the skull off the tooth could give you an idea to the genetic potential to the area. If that were a 2.5 year-old buck that's some good genetics. If it were a 3.5 year-old buck then I would say it's so-so. Pretty hard to judge an area off one buck but I like the bladed look to it.

How do I age it? I left everything in the woods as I am under the impression that it's illegal to keep stuff like that. Can I knock a tooth out and send it to a "lab"? Thanks!

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Title: Re: More Blacktail Questions
Post by: grizzlyadams on June 09, 2014, 02:33:27 PM: Nice