I was working along highway Right Of Way yesterday and found this bone stuck in the DOT fence. Strange.

I found this one on game lands. I have meant to go back and see if it is still there????

It is not near a trail or where hikers would be around? I had shot a deer past it and didn’t go back to investigate.

^^^

It may not look it, but that bone is over 15” longand good size round. No cows near there either?? Too big for deer femur. Maybe bear or lost elk????

fawn foot went through, you can see the distal end of the femur is not fused

When I trapped TX, Bones were found quite often. Sometime just the bone, sometime with the deer attached still in the fence. Some were found alive, some were dead. When they jump mthe fence, their hoof soimetime gets caught in the top wire and wraps around.

x2

lot of deer bones stuck in highway fences around here when they didnt quite clear the fence

Don’t know if either is fence related, but got me thinking of these.

First is a pair of leg bones from a fawn skeleton that I found. One of the legs had been broken and healed up with the bones not lined up right.

Second is the skull from an elk I got a few years ago. One of the antler bases had been broken and healed at an awkward angle.

Reminders of the challenges and hardships that wild animals face.

That's what I was thinking. It probably wouldn't have made it across the interstate even if it had cleared the fence. It's a parade of vehicles every day--going too fast

The antler deformation is likely the result of an abscess. There is a significant pit where bone is missing.

Austin Passedamonkey ?

I saw a dead coyote stuffed in a tree.

Found this coyoted pup skeleton hanging just like this one year turkey hunting. I assume a hawk or eagle dropped it.

Hadn’t thought of that. You think the abscess weakened the antler base enough that it eventually broke and shifted?
I’ve often wondered what trauma could have caused that without killing the elk. Hit by auto, bullet, fight, or a fall is what I could come up with. But man, imagine the force (and concussion) that would go along with those.

I found a dead Labrador Retriever stuck in a fence the same way once.

A lot of deer get hung by a back leg around here too.

I found a doe that broke its neck on a fence we just hung the day before. I once called the Sheriff's department for a buck that got its antlers stuck in a fence, that was still alive. I found the skeleton of a deer wedged in the fork of a tree, that probably got caught there.

Keith