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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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I would go with, "the hunter got all geek-ed up and transmitted an improperly placed bullet theory" Too clean to be a vehicle accident.
I wish someone could go out and cut that tendon. That is horrible, even if it is a game animal. They deserve some Dignity and Respect, while being properly harvested. I'm having a hard time visualizing how a single bullet would cut all the skin. I agree, I would cut the tendon if I could. Season is over, and I doubt that the DNR would look kindly at me if I put it down. I had a doe a couple of years ago with a lower leg that was broke clean off a couple inches below the knee. Over the course of a few months, the skin atrophied back to the joint, and the lower bone fell off at the joint. This happened around this time of year as well. In the Spring I got a pic of her with a fawn, and the next year she had twins. I saw her later that year during shotgun season, but I thought that she was such a survivor, that she should pass those traits on. I haven't seen her this year yet, but a neighbor has seen her. Ric, those are some monsters! Do you know if any of them were taken?
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Dang, those are some monster bucks! Only in my dreams...
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Moderator Lunker
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Scott, that deer looks like it ran into a saw or something sharp. In Texas, coyotes would have it before Spring.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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There's more and more 'yotes around here as well. When looking for the deer that my nephew shot with his bow (and never recovered) I found an adult deer rear leg from the knee down (fresh - about a week old) and two fawn lower jaws (from the Spring) in the same field. It's either 'yotes or dogs that are running loose.
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Here in GA DNR is doing a study curretnly with University of Georgia with fawn recuritment rates of whitetails with and without coyotoe populaitons.
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When I was at Penn State, I helped one of the graduate students who was doing a fawn study with the PGC using radio telemetry equipment. Coyotes took there toll, but black bears were really nasty on fawns. Bobcats took a fair number as well.
I found a fawn during PA's bear season in Nov that had been killed by a bobcat. It was killed right on the edge of one our food plots. On Mon it wasn't there... Tues I was in my stand and see it partially covered by leaves. Right at dark a big bobcat comes up to it, uncovers the leaves and begins feeding on it. I guess it killed it the night before. For their size, bobcats are pretty efficient predators... Too bad PA is so strict about shooting bobcats. They act like they are extremely rare. We got more bobcats than coyotes.
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I can believe the bear study CJ. The elk calves in Chattaloochee were being slaughtered so by bears that it took a major bear trapping & relocation program to turn the tide. The entire elk reestablishment effort was in jeopardy.
Pond Boss Subscriber & Books Owner
If you can read this ... thank a teacher. Since it's in english ... thank our military! Ric
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The bears actually walk a grid pattern searching for bedded fawns. I guess all that walking is worth it for a high protein snack. And elk calf would be even better yet! I wonder why PA's elk herd hasn't been affected by bears? Where the PA elk herd is located has some very high bear numbers.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Momma Elk might give a harder hoof stomp than a whitetail......
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400 pound stomp vs. 125 pound stomp. Hmmm... Maybe! HAHA
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Yep worked on Kiawiah Island one summer helping with study on predators. The bobcat helped big time keep deer numbers somewhat in check in unhunted population.
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That's interesting. I have never thought of bobcats being much of a deer predator.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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The elk adapt CJ. The rangers said the trapping program was discontinued after the cows learned how to cope with the bears. The normal routine is for a cow to feed her calf no more than 2 times a day & the calf is left alone with the cow a couple hundred yards away the rest of the day. But they said there was at least one cow that stayed with her calf & beat the snot out of any bear that ventured near. .. I would love to see that!
Pond Boss Subscriber & Books Owner
If you can read this ... thank a teacher. Since it's in english ... thank our military! Ric
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That's interesting. I have never thought of bobcats being much of a deer predator. I suspect the bobcats in TX may not reach the size they do in PA. Might be why they are less likely to prey on deer in TX?
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Maybe so Travis. The average bobcat here isn't all that large, is solitary, and I can't see it whipping a doe. I did see one HUGE bobcat on my land about 7 or 8 years ago but only a couple of times.
I can see how a couple of coyotes could keep a doe busy enough to snatch a fawn.
We have enough deer recruitment that I don't worry about fawn predation. It's just part of the predator/prey relationship. I really enjoy watching the predators and always stop what I'm doing when the coyotes start singing. I put roaming and feral dogs in a whole different category.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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They primarily kill them soon after birth.
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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I really doubt the bobcats even bigger ones take many deer after they lose their spots. The fawn doe I found on the edge of our food plot was small for that time of year. I suspect the bobcats eat a lot of rabbits, grouse and turkeys, but few deer...
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I have only seen one bobcat on our farm - a few years back while bow hunting. It went right under my stand stalking. I saw what it was stalking when it followed a ground squirrel up a tree about 10 yards from me. The cat was hugging the tree circling while batting its paws. The squirrel kept between the cats paws and after maybe 30 seconds the cat went back down the tree without dinner. It was amazing just at how at home bobcats are in trees. I have not seen one since. I did hear cat yowling during mating season one other time, but this was before I saw the bobcat, and I could not identify the sound. It was what I imagined a mountain lion would sound like. Bobcats have been sighted in every county in Indiana, and I am looking forward to their recovery. Maybe fewer prey numbers, but healthier individuals.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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He's still around (I think it's a he!) Remember that guy? Well, I found him today when I walked around the pond. It looks like he died last night. It's a small buck, really, really thin. The stump started to heal over, but I guess the winter was too rough for him. I'll detach the leg at the knee tomorrow and see what the bone looks like.
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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It would be interesting to find out what caused the damage.
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Joined: Dec 2009
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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I may want to get a couple game cameras for out back. I have a security cam that I don't use, but I may just hook it up.
Reason being, is the possibility of a resident Cougar. One was videoed last hunting season a few miles from here. My nephew, who really knows his stuff, documented tracks-stride... not a small animal, just up the Muskegon River.
And me, Not wanting to sound like I have witnessed GSF shaped craft beaming down little jhap's with tin foil hats! The tracks out by my garden raised my heart beat a bit this past January thaw. Luna is a 82 lb Lab and these prints were a good 2-1/2 size her's. The deer were quite heavy back that way in January and they finished off what was left in my garden. Coyotes that held that ground about the same time are all gone. Not sure what to make of it. Dog won't sleep inside at night because it is not below zero, but she sure would pick a fight with an sob like that.
Last edited by JKB; 03/10/10 08:31 PM.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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JKB:
The large tracks that you saw, was there visible toenails like a dog leaves, or no toenails like a cat's paw print?
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Joined: Dec 2009
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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JKB:
The large tracks that you saw, was there visible toenails like a dog leaves, or no toenails like a cat's paw print? Four toes and no claws what I remember. They were a good 4.5-5" wide in hardly any snow.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Sounds like a big kitty to me!
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Joined: Dec 2009
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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Hall of Fame 2015 Lunker
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Sounds like a big kitty to me! Question is, What kind of kitty? I think I should get a couple game cams and set them up out back. Sure would be neat to get some pic's. But I sure as heck don't want to encourage it to hang around. I understand they may just pass through unless there is plentiful food. Were screwed, we got lot's of deer, plus feral hogs. Not to mention a major wetland area right out back (north) and to the east. Plus the Muskegon River is about 1/2 mile south and 6 foot dia Oak Trees all over. If I was a Cougar, I would think I was in the promise land
Last edited by JKB; 03/10/10 09:05 PM.
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