Wow thats bad...I'm assuming massive tick load? We get some really ugly moose around here due to ticks, even have a few die each winter because of them.
There is no shortage of ticks in this area. Pretty easy to get 15-20 in a few minutes of wading through the brush. The rest of the 20 or so elk in the herd were in varying stages of hair loss on their necks, but I think this guy was the worst.
I showed my fiance the photo of the bull and the only thing she could say was "No wonder it's not mating season." Made me laugh. I hope to have a shot like this come archery season, hopefully just a little more "filled out".