Graveyard

[Discovery Scout]

When I went up to Indiana this winter I found several caches in a local park. Things were going pretty good until the last cache that I went to. On my way there I started running across bones all over the place. I eventually found some skulls and realized that they were deer bones. There had to be a whole deer family that died there, or something drug the bodies there to die. There were teeth all over the place and antlers. I finally made it to the cache area and saw sheriff's crime scene tape around where I thought the cache was. The tape was covering several areas. I finally found the cache and quickly left the area. When I got home I read that the area was an active crime scene under investigation but that it was ok to still go after the cache. When I saw the tape I started wondering if those really were deer bones! That was an interesting day!

 

Last week I made a website devoted to "adventures" and photography. I am interested in gathering stories like this one on my site. I am also going to be doing some new caching topics. If you have the time please write a story on the discussion forum. I would like to get the website up and running. - www.nationaladventure.com

 

Eric (aka Discovery Scout)

Edited April 16, 2006 by Discovery Scout

[+gluteusmaximus92]

Well, once on the way to a cache I found an intact deer skeleton. It was lying in perfect position, just as you'd expect a dead deer to look. Most of the flesh was gone, and the bones were bleached white. In some places though, their was still some fur. All the teeth were still in the mouth. I'm pretty sure it died of disease or age, for the skeleton was perfect, lying exact;y as a deer would stand, and it didn't have any broken ribs or bones.

[Discovery Scout]

At that same park I once found the bottom half of a deer leg. It was next to a wire fence. I felt bad for the deer because it looked pretty fresh.

[ninorth]

Last fall I was walking in my backyard and found a deer leg that had no fur on it. It was GROSS!!! I have no clue how it got there.

[bogleman]

Could have been a road kill dump site and a cacher was playing with the cachers with the crime tape and the bones.

 

There are several deer dumps in the State Game Lnads in NW Pennsylvania, not a very nice area during the summer months after a recent delivery.

[+paulamur]

This spring my wife and I have been going onto privately owned timberland to cache. This is in Western Oregon were companies like Weyerhaeuser, and Boise own a lot of land.

 

The lands are gated, but it is fine to walk past the gates. At almost every gate we have seen deer skeletons, intact except for the skull. I assume that these deer were shot by hunters and the head was taken for the rack, and the body left for the coyotes and cougars. I'm not sure if giving cougars a free meal closer to people is a good idea.

[+Marcie/Eric]

I'm not sure if giving cougars a free meal closer to people is a good idea.

 

Or killing deer just for the trophy and not the steaks. Thats the worse part.

[Discovery Scout]

I'm not sure if giving cougars a free meal closer to people is a good idea.

 

Or killing deer just for the trophy and not the steaks. Thats the worse part.

 

Yea, it does not seem right to only take a part if you are going to kill them. When I found this "graveyard" I found some large antlers. I picked them up and put them by the road to pick up later. When I went back with my car they were gone! I guess people really collect these things...

[+Firefishe]

I'm not sure if giving cougars a free meal closer to people is a good idea.

 

Or killing deer just for the trophy and not the steaks. Thats the worse part.

 

Yea, it does not seem right to only take a part if you are going to kill them. When I found this "graveyard" I found some large antlers. I picked them up and put them by the road to pick up later. When I went back with my car they were gone! I guess people really collect these things...

 

Agreed! When someone hunts a deer--or any animal--the person doing the hunting should, in my humble opinion, eat the meat and use as much of the animal as possible.

 

If not, let it be!

[+Runaround]

I lived in Wisconsin for a few years in the 90's and it was quite common right after deer season to come across a headless carcass. All of the ethical hunters I spoke with hated the practice. It made them all look bad.

[+Tsmola]

as a deer hunter I can tell you right now, people who kill deer and just cut off the antlers are NOT hunters. Call them what they really are...Poachers. Real hunters are not like that.

 

Although, I would have also taken those antlers, I do collect them. If the animal was poached at least it's beautiful antlers can be admired by others.

 

Most people don't realize it but some poachers kill and cut the antlers off for money, as antlers can be worth a good amount of money to the right person. Just type in antlers in ebay and you'll see what I mean.

[+Renegade Knight]

While caching I found a canyon full of tumble weed and animal bodies all mixed up. Things were probably 50' deep with the mix. We saw deer, dogs, cows and a few other things. Strange to say the least.

[+nfa]

While caching in VT last spring, I found a garbage bag near gz of the cache I was looking for, and opened it thinking it might be a garbage bag wrapped ammo can...it was a dead dog...

 

I come across dead deer and parts all the time in the backcountry of the ADKs.

 

Jamie - NFA

[ModernDayMoses]

i found all types of animal bones in my backyard from time to time. i love looking at them. i've kept a few antlers here and there. maybe i'll make a helmet or something. i found half of a 8-point when walking to a cache once. that was pretty cool.

[ninorth]

I forgot, when I was about 15 I lived in South Dakota. My friends dad's farm had a whole pile of dead cows. I have never seen anything like that it was nasty. My friend would run across the cow heads it was gross.

[+Colorado Cacher]

Found an entire coyote once with red fur. I went back two months later and grabbed the skull, bleached it, clear lacquered it, and it now sits on my bookcase. Along with all the other stuff I have found out cacheing thats ancient or odd.

[+Wandering Bears]

Bear in mind that in many (most?) states, those are not hunters, they are CRIMINALS. It is against the law to "waste game". Most states have a Hunters Helping the Hungry program for those that want to donate deer meat.