Another Cool Find

[SoundToMountains]

Didn't want to hijack Stubaby's "Cool Find" thread, I look forward to reading how it turns out, but it inspired me to post.

After a long day of seeing little sign, I decided to head down into an area I had found shed in the past, hoping for a least an antler to go home with. I didn't imagine I would find this scene within an hour later.

I've debated with myself, did he die in that position or did a bear or lion drag his head into that pose?

New to the forum, appreciate all the insight shared here!

 

[375H&H]

Wow. Is that from a general elk unit or limited entry?

I don't think a lion is going to move a big bull like that, but a bear might. Are there wolves or grizz in that area?

 

[SoundToMountains]

General and there are wolves and Grizz in the area.

 

[375H&H]

Public land? What state? And what time of year did you find it?

Perhaps a pack of wolves took the bull down and while it was struggling died in that position. Then as the snow melted it gradually shifted a bit.

 

[SFC B]

That is an awesome find there....

 

[LuketheDog]

Did the tree fall on it or did something cram it under there? The spine attached to the head looks really bent up...

 

[nettereo16]

Big game CSI...

 

[Poke 'Em]

It looks like those G4s and G5s were jammed into the ground. I'm confident he was killed by a falling tree.

 

[HighDesertSage]

It looks like those G4s and G5s were jammed into the ground. I'm confident he was killed by a falling tree.

That'd be my guess too. I think it would take some force to drive those antlers that far into the ground.

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

wicked cool find, congrats

 

[Stubaby]

sweet

ill trade you "finds" : )

 

[SoundToMountains]

Bummer on your find Stubaby but now you don't have to sit and wonder about it all winter!

I found this guy on Montana public land, second weekend of rifle. Didn't look to me to be more than a few months old, and I was initially thinking it was an Archery kill that was lost. Found him on a little bench where I'm sure he had bedded. My thought was he gave one last effort to stand and fell over backward....I've seen elk and deer expire that way.

I hadn't even thought of a tree taking him out!

 

[375H&H]

I am surprised that you found that in Montana on public land in a general unit. According to a lot of people on here there aren't any elk left on public land in Montana and the sky is falling...

Wait a sec maybe that's how that bull died, the sky fell on him!!

 

[Poke 'Em]

The thing I really wish I knew the answer to is whether the tree killed him instantly, or just pinned him there to die a very unpleasant death.

From the way he's pinned, what I can piece together is that he was standing there, walking away from the camera in the second picture, heard a sound (the tree falling), looked to his left, and the tree caught his rack and pinned him to the ground. Did that break his neck and kill him, or was he simply stuck there unable to escape until a predator, hunger or exhaustion took him out? We may never know.

 

[npaden]

Not sure I buy the death by tree fall. That tree doesn't look big enough to have killed him.

SoundtoMountains - were you able to pick the tree up to get him out or did you have to saw it out?

 

[Murray]

I am surprised that you found that in Montana on public land in a general unit. According to a lot of people on here there aren't any elk left on public land in Montana and the sky is falling...

Wait a sec maybe that's how that bull died, the sky fell on him!!

HAHA that's what I was thinking!

 

[VA5326]

Wow! That's an awesome find!

 

[375H&H]

Not sure I buy the death by tree fall. That tree doesn't look big enough to have killed him.

SoundtoMountains - were you able to pick the tree up to get him out or did you have to saw it out?

I agree. I have a hard time believing that little tree flipped a 700 lb bull teapot over ass. The bigger tree could have, but that's not what hit him.

 

[bonedogg]

I agree. I have a hard time believing that little tree flipped a 700 lb bull teapot over ass. The bigger tree could have, but that's not what hit him.

It kinda looks like the big tree took down the smaller tree perpendicularly and the sum of both would have had the force for sure! crazy cool find, great bull to boot!

 

[npaden]

It kinda looks like the big tree took down the smaller tree perpendicularly and the sum of both would have had the force for sure! crazy cool find, great bull to boot!

The little tree is on top of the bigger tree though?