Dead cow

over the weekend I went to go build a feeder pen and set a feeder. Unfortunately I found a dead cow and 100ish buzzards. 25 yards in front of the blind. Other than digging a hole and pushing it in. What are my options? Lime? Lye? Burn it? Or will nature take care of it? Will it mostly be gone by the end of September? What's y'all experience? Thanks!

Won't be much left other than skin and bones within a week or two.....

Yup. Time for the buzzards to do their job. Bugs will take care of the rest.

Well that's good news! That said. I assume the smell will go away in a month or so?

Most of it, will still get a few whiffs until nov

That's what I wanted to hear. Thanks y'all!

Why are you worried about the smell, aesthetics or because you are worried about it affecting hunting? If the latter, the deer and such won't have a problem with it. They will get used to it. It is part of what happens in nature. Plus, if you want to hunt coyotes and hogs, the carcass may very well attract both.

If you just don't like the smell, then get a tractor and haul the carcass away, but in reality that should not be a significant issue by September...as noted.

We are Setting this spot up for a buddy's son. It's pretty dam close to the blind. Just want the kid be comfortable with out having to stick Vicks up his nose. It hot I don't want to move a stand if I don't have to. Sounds like it will be all good! And we all reddy started calling it "the dead cow blind" pretty sure the name will stick.

Bad news is that cow will likely stink for a few months. Good news is it will likely cover your scent hunting the blind this season.

Man up.

Go stick some tannerite in it I suggest about 5 lbs then shoot it, it will be much easier for animals to eat it in smaller pieces

Cue Josey Wales "Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms."

You won't see nothing but bones by September.

me, I would move it 100yds or so, three or four days, the buzzards will have it down to skin and bones

I assume it is your land and cow, if so bummer on losing the cow and putting up with the stench.

I snared a hog a couple of months ago. In two days, there was only the head, hide, and pelvis. In five days, all I found was one perfectly clean scapula. Coyotes, buzzards, and maggots are the grounds keepers.

Throw a chain around its legs and drag it off a ways. Those saying it will be gone soon are mistaken, IMO. We've had several die and it takes 4EVER for them to rot down. The tannerite idea actually has some merit.

I agree with it taking a along time - My grandfather had a cow die by a pond that was my favorite fishing hole and it would have been impossible to get a tractor in there to burry it or drag it off; I remember the carcass and stench being present for months before it finally turned to bones.

The tannerite could work or create a BIG mess - If its possible, I would pile a lot of cut limbs and brush all over the carcass and throw a couple gallons of diesel on it and light it up, get the fire REALLY HOT by using a leaf blower to feed air to it and keep throwing brush on it..... this will not be a fun task but it should speed up the process.

Agree burn it

Agree it will take months to rot away. Best to drag it off with chain and truck if you can.
Burning it with brush would help as well.

AWW C'mon Tannerite it and video please.

Your cow are the ranchers? Be sure he is aware, just saying.

In a week or two all you'll need to do is cart off the bones.

drag and burn

Bigger question should be what did it die from? Old age or something like Blue Tongue or anthrax?

I feel your pain.. I once had a buzzard hanging out around my feeder all day. The stench was horrible.. too much to bear..

I told her if she came back, I'd divorce her!

R

Sorry to hear this. Diesel and light a match.

I don't know about burning it, maybe a smaller cow and a few acres of brush. I have a friend that had a horse that died. He dumped it on a monster brush pile, added diesel and lit it up. The fire was huge. When it burned down, the next day he had a big oozing clump of half cooked horse. He continued to add more brush and tried to burn the horse to ashes, never happened. He ended up leaving it to rot because the buzzards wouldn't even eat on a cooked horse carcass.

Diesel and a match. Done.

I showed the landowner the cow and location. She leases out the grazing rights. The cow died giving birth along with the calf. Pretty Horrible site for sure. Not a quick process I'm assuming and a tough way to go!

We have talked about putting a tarp over the blind and using the Tannerite method. It will most likely be a couple weeks before anyone goes back out.

Yep....Hard to burn up a carcass.

Leave it.

I don't know if it will be a pile of bones by September, but I would think it would be gone by November.

So the guys when out to the lease on September 1st........ they found 2 rib bones and a leg bone. That's it no hide and no smell. Worked out great for us!

Told ya.....

Yes sir! Some of y'all nailed it.

my experience with dead cows is if they die in childbirth or someone shot a healthy cow, they get eaten pretty quick.

if they die of disease they don't get touched and take a long time.

Nature knows which animals are clean and healthy to eat versus the ones to leave alone.

Glad it worked out for ya!! You should still call it the dead cow blind, just sounds cool

Natural scent cover

Had the same thing happen a few years back.. Smelled for a few weeks but eventually went away.