Contributors to this thread:
Coming off the mountain after a failed morning encounter (with Bowsiters Deertick and KHNC), we came upon this. Scapulas were laid out neatly close to the skull. Long bones were piled adjacently. Skull had clearly been sawed at the atlas. Ivories were still in the jaw.
Definitely killed within the Year. We tried to come up with an explanation...ended up guessing it was a bull, rifle shot mistakenly in the late cow Season, and the hunter didn't want to take a chance on transporting it. So, took the meat off the bone, and bugged out.
Your thoughts?
Definitely fishy. Either way I bet someone plans to come back and “find a dead head” later
My guess the person was coming back later to gather the head - probably with someone that had a tag
Most likely coming back for the head at a later date. Nice bull.
Maybe the person is a “meat” hunter. Not a “trophy” hunter like many on bowsite profess to be.
can't eat the antlers........
I know a guy who doesn't care about elk antlers and leaves the skull and antlers behind although he doesn't saw the skull off of the spine...
In that state (not asking!), can you possess a deadhead? If yes, when he came back, it wouldn't be there..... Just sayin'.....
All the meat hunters I know go out and kill trophy quality animals since their meat is the best....
"can't eat the antlers........"
Then, why bother to saw off the head?
they either couldn't find the antlers again, or something got in the way of them returning for them ....
Can't eat the antlers eh? Ask the Chinese about that.....
In some states you have to have the antlers with the meat with your bull, Colorado is one of the states.
Either way that is a (insert buzzword for large bull elk). Possible someone found it dead and tried to sever the head and gave up from the stench. Then the critters finished the job at some point. I had a shared a camp with a guy that hit a bull in the hips and found it a few days later. That one almost got abandoned halfway through the head severing. He did tag it and kept the horns but I still wonder if it was really worth it. Very very ugly job.
I don't know if there's anything in the regs that requires you to take the antlers, you just have to have proof of sex. The guy I know who leaves the antlers behind hunts Colorado all the time and does it there. I witnessed it...
There is a 4 point restriction for bulls in most of Colorado. If you get checked you have to prove that the bull that you killed meets that requirement. There is also exception for brow tine length. Either way how do you prove that your bull meets that requirement if you don't have the antlers?
Page 33 of the Colorado Regs - bottom right of page
'Head or skull plate, with both antlers attached, must accompany the carcass of bulls in camp or in transit, even when the scrotum or testicles are used as evidence of sex."
^^^ What Brad said. Gotta prove minimum point restrictions requirements here in Co.
The head is the last thing packed out when you are doing it yourself? Maybe our hunter made 3-4 trips with meat and ran out of vacation time had to go back to work, but will be back soon to make one last trip.
although scapulas look well bleached which says to me it has been there a while, longer than hunting season. therefore, killed out of season.
oz
That bull must have migrated out of Colorado - since the 3rds are really weak :) :) :)
“although scapulas look well bleached which says to me it has been there a while, longer than hunting season. therefore, killed out of season.”
I agree with you on the apparent age of the bones.... but if prior to archery season, it would still have been in velvet, no?
So maybe it was from late last year? That, too, seems unlikely if the bones weren’t scattered.
Dang nice bull, though!
Worm hole, perhaps?
Ahh, I guess the guy I know is violating the law...
Is it the same in draw units that do not have an antler restriction?
Mike - Yes, its the same. It is also listed on page 15 under the Evidence of Sex section.
Far easier to cut and dislocate a head than to saw it. Sounds like a poached elk....take the backstraps....hams and return for the head. I doubt "meat hunters" would choose that animal to kill and take meat from.
So if it is in Wyoming in a unit where any bull elk qualifies can't you just leave the antlers? Does seem a little fishy though. Bones look too clean to be from August or September.
Mike, I’ve got that TShirt, never again. As Cnelk stated, you have to bring it out.
You can leave the antlers in WY if your license is for any Bull.
"To satisfy the proof of sex requirement, the regulation states: “in areas where the taking of any big game animal is restricted to a specific sex of animal, either the visible external sex organs, head or antlers shall accompany the animal as a whole or edible portion thereof.”"
