firefly 0 Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hi All, I was dissapointed today to find a decomposed Roe carcass in a bit of woodland I stalk. I thought the skull looked a bit odd. It seems to have half the nose missing. I was wondering if someone had shot it in the nose but not sure. All legs were ok so probably not an RTC. Also found a badger and fox cub suffering the same degree of decomposition within a few hundred yards, so wonder if someone has been out and about after dark. Attached is photo of skull. I would appreciate others views. Do you think this has nose missing ? Could it have been shot off ? Many Thanks, Firefly. Quote Link to post
Lab 10,979 Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hi All, I was dissapointed today to find a decomposed Roe carcass in a bit of woodland I stalk. I thought the skull looked a bit odd. It seems to have half the nose missing. I was wondering if someone had shot it in the nose but not sure. All legs were ok so probably not an RTC. Also found a badger and fox cub suffering the same degree of decomposition within a few hundred yards, so wonder if someone has been out and about after dark. Attached is photo of skull. I would appreciate others views. Do you think this has nose missing ? Could it have been shot off ? Many Thanks, Firefly. Or could just of died and the wildlife have been eating it..... Quote Link to post
crazycanuck 3 Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 The nose is definatley missing and i've never seen predators or scavengers eat noses before so it might have been shot. There is no way of telling for sure though. It could have just been a bad hit and the stalker couldn't find the deer. Could have been shot in the face on purpose and left to rot. I guess we'll never really know but i'd keep an eye open in the area and if you start to find more carcasses in the same condition it might be pointing to a poacher problem. Quote Link to post
Exbomz 0 Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 I found a carcass on the South Downs. Scavengers (foxes) had stripped the carcass of meat but the only bit on the head they had was the nose and lips, much like the photo (in this case the carcass was much fresher). Maybe it is regarded in the fox world as a delicacy, being nice and soft and the bones underneath are pretty thin? Quote Link to post
Richie10 345 Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 The nose is definatley missing and i've never seen predators or scavengers eat noses before so it might have been shot. There is no way of telling for sure though. It could have just been a bad hit and the stalker couldn't find the deer. Could have been shot in the face on purpose and left to rot. I guess we'll never really know but i'd keep an eye open in the area and if you start to find more carcasses in the same condition it might be pointing to a poacher problem. If there is a full carcass it doesn't really point to poachers as they take the carcass. Animals die without the intervention of man and usually more so than people think. It's died and something has chewed the bones as animals do. 1 Quote Link to post
JR Yipp 111 Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 rats will often eat the nose and ears of a carcass before much else. Quote Link to post
monynut 2 Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 I have seen badgers do this before Quote Link to post
midnight 657 Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 i agree i think its a badger . Quote Link to post
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