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Other Activities => Shed Hunting => Topic started by: kalamasasquatch on July 17, 2011, 12:43:59 AM


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Title: death by rut?
Post by: kalamasasquatch on July 17, 2011, 12:43:59 AM
while scouting last week, I found this dead bull with his pedicle broken from his skull. The spine and other bones were relativly intact making me think that the skull was broken upon death.....what do you guys think?
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: kalamasasquatch on July 17, 2011, 12:47:50 AM
oops....heres the pics....
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: huntnnw on July 17, 2011, 06:10:27 AM
very well could have...odd that it would be busted that way just laying there. cool find tho :)
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: MADMAX on July 17, 2011, 06:26:48 AM
Nice find
lucky
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: 3nails on July 17, 2011, 07:27:24 AM
Bigfoot.
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: YoterHunter on July 17, 2011, 03:51:05 PM
cool find. if the horn broke of like. that very well could have  looks like a mached set of sheds  :chuckle:
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: SemperFidelis97 on July 17, 2011, 10:39:43 PM
Very nice find congrats honestly suprised the antlers are that intact usually the little critters in the woods have them chewed on pretty good by now.
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: Swannytheswan on July 17, 2011, 10:55:02 PM
I've heard of deer killing each other during the rut...I think it was mostly from exhaustion but I guess if they hit hard enough it could have broke like that and killed him :dunno:
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: wsucowboy on July 17, 2011, 11:36:29 PM
could be  :dunno: cool find tho  :tup:
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: PlateauNDN on July 18, 2011, 10:39:09 AM
Bigfoot.

Definitely Bigfoot in that area!
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: C-Money on July 18, 2011, 10:42:29 AM
Your theory sounds very logical. Doubt he tripped, fell and hit his head. Nice find!
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on July 18, 2011, 10:44:03 AM
Very cool find! It's hard to say what might of happened, but your idea is one that would come to mind.
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: Houndhunter on July 18, 2011, 11:29:22 AM
take em home, they count as sheds if they aint attached to the skull lol
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: Alan K on July 18, 2011, 11:33:03 AM
Man that's crazy! Would love to know if it was in fact via fighting or if it was just broke off during the scavenging.  Neat find!
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: Shed Stud on July 19, 2011, 07:50:07 AM
  I would guess the skull was lying antler down and a bear stomped it off while checking it out. Crazy pile of bone there. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: 400out on July 20, 2011, 08:43:20 PM
Bigfoot.
:yeah: must be the blues
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: briancorneal on July 20, 2011, 09:00:34 PM
Looks like that guy tangled up with the wrong bull. 
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: bench beast on July 20, 2011, 09:32:10 PM
nice find
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: TopOfTheFoodChain on July 26, 2011, 02:30:59 PM
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....  :dunno:
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: bow4elk on July 29, 2011, 10:57:23 PM
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!
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: bloodhound on July 29, 2011, 11:06:36 PM
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. 
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: remington300mag on July 29, 2011, 11:11:28 PM
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...... :dunno:
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: bloodhound on July 29, 2011, 11:22:37 PM
skull might have been half buried so the one part got more sun bleaching
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: ELKBURGER on July 30, 2011, 08:26:01 AM
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 :chuckle:
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: mikesenescall on August 30, 2011, 12:30:37 PM
Bigfoot.

Big foot hahahahhahah
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: Woodchuck on August 30, 2011, 12:44:08 PM
I have seen it happen.  :tup:

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,35011.msg410195.html#msg410195 (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,35011.msg410195.html#msg410195)
Title: Re: death by rut?
Post by: BENCHLEG on September 10, 2011, 12:06:18 AM
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.
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