The Tax Man Cometh

[Sheltowee]

Shot a healthy whitetail doe this morning just before 8am. Morning was chilly and, even though she bounced into an overgrown cutover, I knew she wouldn’t go far so I stayed in the stand. Got down and recovered her just after 10. When I got to her, a rectangular slab was missing out of her shoulder. The opening looks too clean to be a coyote or other mammal. I noticed vultures circling overhead as I recovered her but never saw one land anywhere near. I also noticed a hawk hanging out in my field about an hour after I shot her.

Any theories on which tax man took a cut from this doe, aside from the obvious: a chupacabra?

Post your pictures in this thread of visits yall might have had from the tax man in the field or on the water.

 

[SAJ-99]

Coyote, probably. But Wolverine would be the cool answer.

 

[TrapperJ]

According to ever old timer thats what your deer will look like now days when you shoot them with a AR15 and not a 30.06 or 30-30

 

[Addicting]

You used a Berger out of a Creedmoor didn’t you.

 

[Butcher]

Wow that looks really cleanly done for an animal to do. Was there a bunch of fur on the ground? Could it if been done previously to being shot?

 

[WildWill]

Shoulder first not abdominal cavity or eyes/orifice first says cat to me not coyote or birds. My votes bobcat and also by far a cooler story then yotes. No pictures but I remember a lion killed cow 20 years ago I got to checkout. Only meat eaten was about a half basketball worth on the shoulder.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I'd say cat

 

[Sheltowee]

You used a Berger out of a Creedmoor didn’t you.

Worse, a Hammer out of a PRC.

Wow that looks really cleanly done for an animal to do. Was there a bunch of fur on the ground? Could it if been done previously to being shot?

Completely clean around the carcass. She was moving perfectly fine when I shot her, so I don’t think it occurred while she was still alive. For what it is worth, that is the same area in which the bullet exited.

Shoulder first not abdominal cavity or eyes/orifice first says cat to me not coyote or birds. My votes bobcat and also by far a cooler story then yotes. No pictures but I remember a lion killed cow 20 years ago I got to checkout. Only meat eaten was about a half basketball worth on the shoulder.

We saw a bobcat on camera the day before that would’ve whipped Mufasa. Will they feed on something they didn’t kill though? Agreed bobcat is the much cooler story. I’m seriously leaning hawk, mostly because of the rotund red shoulder that hung out in the field with me most of the morning.

 

[rjthehunter]

Did you shoot her with a howitzer?!

That is interestingly clean. It looks like someone came along and just cut a patch of hair & meat out of her shoulder. It almost looks like something bit and pulled. But there's no teeth marks I can see.

 

[Sheltowee]

Did you shoot her with a howitzer?!

That is interestingly clean. It looks like someone came along and just cut a patch of hair & meat out of her shoulder. It almost looks like something bit and pulled. But there's no teeth marks I can see.

95gr. Hammer HHT out of a 25PRC at about 250 yards. Made a mess out of the inside of the chest cavity but not *that* big of a mess.

 

[Nick87]

Shoulder first not abdominal cavity or eyes/orifice first says cat to me not coyote or birds.

I always thought that. A buddy killed a small buck a week ago. He wasn't positive on his shot so he gave the deer 2 hours. Coyotes got to it but instead of starting at the ass end they started at the exit right behind the shoulder. First time I'd seen that.

 

[Dave N]

I always thought that. A buddy killed a small buck a week ago. He wasn't positive on his shot so he gave the deer 2 hours. Coyotes got to it but instead of starting at the ass end they started at the exit right behind the shoulder. First time I'd seen that.

Fresh blood.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Coyotes would have made a bigger mess- hair scattered around, more ripping/tearing. Or started at the butt. I feel like it’s unlikely a cat would have found it in that short of time. Birds would have started at the exit wound, and they don’t lick/pull out mouthfuls of hair and spit it all over like a dog. My vote is birds.

 

[ccc23454]

That's birds, start at bullet hole and peel it back

 

[Sheltowee]

Coyotes would have made a bigger mess- hair scattered around, more ripping/tearing. Or started at the butt. I feel like it’s unlikely a cat would have found it in that short of time. Birds would have started at the exit wound, and they don’t lick/pull out mouthfuls of hair and spit it all over like a dog. My vote is birds.

That's birds, start at bullet hole and peel it back

Agreed. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the wound was almost sliced rather than bitten. The meat at the top was more pulled into long fibers rather than chunks torn out.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Agreed. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the wound was almost sliced rather than bitten. The meat at the top was more pulled into long fibers rather than chunks torn out.

That’s birds in my opinion

 

[Goodfish]

That’s birds in my opinion

I had it happen and lost some of a front quarter and a back strap on a buck while I made a 45 minute round trip to the truck for a cart. There were probably 25 magpies and crows in the trees around the site and they did a ton of damage quickly. Won’t happen again.