Went out for a hike today

[fracguy]

Needed some mountain therapy so went out on an 8 mile hike. Saw these 2 fellas from about a mile and half away and stalked within 70 yards of them. Didn't want to risk jumping them so stayed put. I know there is at least 1 set of antlers somewhere around lol. The skull is kinda saddening, there was a fire last year and think he got stuck in it. I found it right outside the burned area, I got no other explanation for the reason the antlers are like that. Any guesses on what may have happened? Just wanted to share some pics, while waiting for September to get here

 

[IrkedCitizen]

If this was Colorado, you cannot pick up antlers until May 1st which includes dead heads.

That dropped bull is likely going to be a stud. Big body on him

 

[fracguy]

If this was Colorado, you cannot pick up antlers until May 1st which includes dead heads.

That dropped bull is likely going to be a stud. Big body on him

Nope not Colorado. Yeah he' has a big body on him. Ive sent in 3years for this area, hopefully this will be the year. Its close to home so always out and about

 

[Fullfan]

Looks like the antlers have been sawed off.

 

[NortheastOutdoors]

Can't wait to do some hiking out there this fall

 

[fracguy]

Can't wait to do some hiking out there this fall

It's awesome man, there is something about being in the mountains, I lived in Vermont for 20 years and it's not the same. I think this is by far the best picture I have taken. I was about 30 yards from him and the wind swirled around, he was looking at me like you're busted

 

[fracguy]

This guy is probably one of the biggest I have seen. He was a long ways away so picture quality sucks

 

[fracguy]

Looks like the antlers have been sawed off.

It's possible, I'll take a picture when my kid wakes up, mice could have eaten on them I suppose. It's pretty odd though if I was gonna cut them off I would have cut them off the bases not there.

 

[highcountrymuley]

X2 on sawed-off. Way too clean of a line to be broken

 

[fracguy]

 

[mhammond86]

Definitely not sawed. Thats pretty odd for both to be broken like that.

 

[justinspicher]

Finding sheds and deadheads is always oddly satisfying.

 

[fracguy]

Definitely not sawed. Thats pretty odd for both to be broken like that.

Right, the only thing I could think of was it was burned, was in the vicinity of where it burned up

 

[fracguy]

Finding sheds and deadheads is always oddly satisfying.

I love finding cool stuff, main reason I go out hiking all the time. Found a few deer heads last year, only found 2 bull heads and neither had antlers. Guy I met last year deer hunting found a good size bull

 

[Npike4040]

Looks like a possible shed at the bottom of the photo of the shed bull

 

[fracguy]

Looks like a possible shed at the bottom of the photo of the shed bull

Good eye, not a shed though, pretty sure that's a rock shed. Hiked almost half a mile in opposite direction I was going because of one of those elusive stick sheds, sure looked like a shed poking up through the sage brush

 

[fracguy]

Definitely not sawed. Thats pretty odd for both to be broken like that.

So I posted it on Reddit and a guy suggested that it died while antlers were growing, just nubs in velvet. That theory makes sense to me. I've never found a deadhead where they died in velvet, so I'd be curious as to what the ends would look like