philagothon
Sharpshooter
A buddy at work has a farm on highway 44 east of Martinsville. Over the weekend he found the carcass of an 8 point buck near the mouth of a natural spring on his property. He did not find any bullet holes or arrows. He says it looks like it's been there for a couple weeks, so I'm not sure of the state of decomposition and whether bullet holes could still be found. He had heard that there was some illness in the herd and he thinks that is what took it down. His theory is that the buck was feeling sick and sought an area with fresh water to try recovering.
Personally, I'm a little surprised that there was much left with the number of coyotes he reports. Would a coyote turn away from a deer that died from disease? If it was a disease would it present a threat to humans? The farmer has hinted, but not outright asked, that he would like me to take a couple deer off his farm this year. He seemed concerned that I wouldn't want to waste tags on sick deer. Well, he's right, I don't want to waste tags, but I also don't want to pass on a great opportunity to hunt.
Is the herd sick or was it likely something else? Should I hunt the farm if I get the chance or pass and stick with public land?
Personally, I'm a little surprised that there was much left with the number of coyotes he reports. Would a coyote turn away from a deer that died from disease? If it was a disease would it present a threat to humans? The farmer has hinted, but not outright asked, that he would like me to take a couple deer off his farm this year. He seemed concerned that I wouldn't want to waste tags on sick deer. Well, he's right, I don't want to waste tags, but I also don't want to pass on a great opportunity to hunt.
Is the herd sick or was it likely something else? Should I hunt the farm if I get the chance or pass and stick with public land?