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Buck Mortality
#8543109
02/27/22 09:21 PM
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 775
Double AC
OP
Tracker
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OP
Tracker
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 775 |
Found a dead 3 year old buck this past weekend outside one of the feeder pens. Looked 3-4 days old and 90% eaten. Antlers looked freshly shed and still red/raw looking. Haven’t been able to confirm which buck it was but hadn’t seen any bucks in bad body condition leading up to this. Realize it could have been anything, but what are some of the most common causes of buck mortality this time of year?
Doubt it’s related but found a dead pig and cow that were both fresh (within 24 hours) as well.
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: Double AC]
#8543311
02/28/22 01:07 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Post rut mortality in 3 and 4 yr old bucks can be high on some ranches. With a good number of bucks in all age classes and some mature bucks, the 3 to 4 yr old get pushed off the ranch or spend a lot of time moving around. They get into a lot of fights from moving around and then get really rundown IME. Also with the recent really cold wet/ice temps then really warm temps followed by really damp cold temps again, pneumonia can be a real issue with rundown bucks. Coyotes can really get those post rut bucks also if they have lost their antlers. Can't defend themselves and are really rundown after the rut.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: stxranchman]
#8544080
02/28/22 08:27 PM
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 775
Double AC
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OP
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Posts: 775 |
Post rut mortality in 3 and 4 yr old bucks can be high on some ranches. With a good number of bucks in all age classes and some mature bucks, the 3 to 4 yr old get pushed off the ranch or spend a lot of time moving around. They get into a lot of fights from moving around and then get really rundown IME. Also with the recent really cold wet/ice temps then really warm temps followed by really damp cold temps again, pneumonia can be a real issue with rundown bucks. Coyotes can really get those post rut bucks also if they have lost their antlers. Can't defend themselves and are really rundown after the rut. Makes sense, we definitely see the widest ranges from our middle aged deer. Hadn't thought about pneumonia and the fluctuating temps
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: Double AC]
#8545698
03/02/22 04:15 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 12,821
PMK
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 12,821 |
agree with stx ... also another thought popped into my head, are there any MLD ranches in near proximity? late season tag filling and bad shooting???
"everyone that lives dies but not everyone who dies lived..."
~PMK~
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: PMK]
#8545717
03/02/22 04:30 PM
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 775
Double AC
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OP
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 775 |
agree with stx ... also another thought popped into my head, are there any MLD ranches in near proximity? late season tag filling and bad shooting??? We are the only low fence MLD ranch within a wide radius and all of our neighbors are responsible landowners who wouldn’t shoot out of season. I’m leaning toward weather induced illness as Stx mentioned just becuase we saw some other wildlife casualties this trip
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: Double AC]
#8545782
03/02/22 05:48 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 410
doggit
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 410 |
I've found 2 mature bucks dead so far. they were both 6 plus. Both had already been eaten up but were fresh kills meaning I could still open their jaws. Saw buzzards. One had already shed both horns and the other only had one that just broke off when I tried. I had seen both on the cameras the week before and they looked poor and run down. I'm also thinking coyotes took advantage of their run down state and not having horns to protect themselves. One was in the 190's other was low 200's so that sucked pretty bad. We have been pulling protein in Oct and starting up again in Feb. but this year we started in early January because of no rain. Brush was okay until the 1st freeze in Jan then it looked like a desert. But feed didn't save them so we're rethinking what to do this season. If we don't stop feeding in Oct the mature bucks are impossible to catch in the daytime except for the rut.
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: Double AC]
#8545783
03/02/22 05:49 PM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 905
driedmeat
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 905 |
The deer where I hunt look pretty bad - the worst shape I can remember.. The mature bucks that ran the hardest look the worst. We've had under 1/2 inch of measurable rain in the last 3 months. Just dry cold fronts... everything is long since froze and nothing is growing.
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: Double AC]
#8547423
03/04/22 12:43 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,948
don k
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,948 |
I may be wrong but at least for around here coyotes are becoming a problem for grown WT Deer. My son had a WT doe killed recently as did my sister. A couple of places next to me were recently divided into 20 plus acres parcels. I have not seen a deer in any of those places in months. I had a couple of mouflon lambs killed in the last few weeks. I don't know maybe coyotes are learning that taking down a WT is not that difficult and there is a heck of a lot more eating on it as opposed to a rat or rabbit.
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Re: Buck Mortality
[Re: Double AC]
#8548307
03/05/22 01:29 PM
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 494
fishbait
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 494 |
I think finding fresh dead deer, first thing I would do if I felt I had a problem of some animal taking down deer, I would set up cameras and try to get an answer. However, even a bobcat will eat on carcasses..but might answer some questions. If packs of wolves,coyotes, or cats are taking deer this is serious. Then seeing dead cows with injuries maybe p&w or cattlemen [censored]. might help.
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