I didn't get skunked this time

[Tsmola]

but....I didn't find my first shed either. I got out and decided to search an area I haven't searched before, when I say I haven't, a few of the areas I looked I've never even set foot in. I had a really good feeling I was gonna find something today, the first thing I found was a box turtle shell, I took that then I found a one year old doe, it had been there almost a year but I had never seen it before. Moving on I was ducking under some thick brush, when I brought my head up from ducking under some low branches it immediately caught my eye! A dead buck, about a 2 1/2 year old 9 point buck laying dead I couldn't believe it, I was also saddened at the same time, it's a shame this buck didn't make it another year, he definitely has some good genes but at least he won't get chewed up by the squirrels. I twisted the skull from the spine and put him in the back of the truck and ran home, this buck actually looks like a buck from one of my game cam photos, I'll check it closer later. I'm gonna try and get someone to skin the rest of the hide off it and get the skull bleached and it should make for a nice European mount. Even though this buck won't be around next year, I'm still very excited though, this is the 3rd buck I've found dead before, only this time I have some photos of it before I even touched him so here's how each one of my finds was found:

first the turtle shell

the young doe skull (I left this as I already have some doe skulls and this one was busted up a little)

and finally the thing that made my day I only took 2 photos before my batteries started running low, and I got too excited to just stand there and not check out the rack closer anymore lol

 

[Tsmola]

I'll have some more pictures in a little bit here that show the rack better

 

[treepigs]

If you boil the skull with baking soda it will come out great- Talk to someone else that has done it though- a taxidermist maybe. I've done it once with great results

 

[Leinie's]

Right on Tsmola! Good looking young buck, will make a fine european mount. I find a painted turtle shell once in a while, but haven't found any box or woodies. Thats cool. Congrats!

 

[Tsmola]

well, you guys will have to wait for more photos my uncle took the rack, he's gonna show it to his buddies at work and find someone to help us get him clean up, he also wants to get him aged and scored just for the heck of it

 

[coyotebandit]

Congrats Tsmola!

It's nice to find something, even if it's not what you were looking for. That skull should clean up pretty well.

 

[Tsmola]

thanks guys, yeah I was glad to come out of the woods with something, strange thing is I had a feeling when I left last night I was gonna find something for sure this time, and I did wish that happened everytime it was great to come out of the woods with something besides empty hands, as you can already guess I'll be out tomorrow and Friday too, I'm pumped after this and ready to find them sheds. I hope this is the only dead buck I find, lets hope if I find any more antler it's not attached to the deer still

 

[Tsmola]

got a couple game cam photos here which I suspect might be this buck, I dunno what do you guys think? This first one isn't the best quality

dang it, I can't find the other photo I think might be this buck right now, I'll do some more looking later

 

[Tsmola]

ahh here it is, not the little buck up close, the one feeding in the background

 

[Tsmola]

dang, why can't shed hunting be box turtle shell finding? lol me and my dad went out for 3 hours today, I found another box turtle shell, and a few old doe skulls and that's it, I'll post a pic of this turtle shell a little later, it's in better shape than the one I found Tuesday.

 

[Tsmola]

more photos, these were taken by my brother with his digital camcorder's still feature so they aren't the best of quality, but they show the rack a lot better.

 

[OhioBowHunter]

Tsmola,

Thats pretty neat finding that Dead deer... I have never found one yet, was it by a road or do you think it was wounded by a hunter? Curious why a younger deer died like that.

I have been finding a ton of Bones,,, not alot, a Bone here and a few together, But spread all over, makes me wonder the History behind them, mainly wheres the rest of them.

Dan

 

[Tsmola]

thanks Ohio, he was quite a ways away from a road so I don't think it was a road kill, I think he might have been winter killed in all the snow we had this year (first real winter in years

) I doubt I'll ever know for sure, I inspected the rest of the carcass better when I was there yesterday, I still couldn't tell for sure, it was too mangled by this point to be able to tell, if we would have found him earlier when his hide was still on his bones I'm sure we'd have some idea

 

[Tsmola]

I have the bottom jaw and spine cut away, I took these photos before I did that, but oh man is he stinky, so much fun, I gotta boil it before some coons or something break into the shed where I'm storing it and tear it apart

 

[deershed]

That's a good one Tsmola!!CONGRATS!!There's always mixed emotions when I find them dead.Sad cause cause it's such a waste and glad cause it was found and the rack will live.I've found a pile this year,but none that nice.
Now find a shed.lol

 

[Tsmola]

lol thanks deershed, I've been trying to find that first shed, but dang it, they are still eluding me, I have to catch up on some of my classes before I do much more shed hunting though, not doing so well in some of them, but I do plan on getting out there this week, most likely Friday since I work Saturday and Sunday from 2-10pm