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A Deer Survival Question

A

Allamakee Grand Slam

Life Member
In a conversation last night with a friend he posed a question that I thought I'd pass on here. He was out 4 wheeling/shed looking and ran across several gut piles in his trip. At all of the gut piles he said there were a lot of deer tracks and that the stomachs had been opened up. He asked if deer would open them up and feed on the contents. I personally feel they would, being that they eat shed velvet and have been documented eating small fish on stream banks. Has anyone ran across this?

By the way he found 3 sheds as did another friend of mine this weekend. Have heard of several antlers falling off in 2nd season when they hit the ground. Stay away from the antlers if you're still hunting and have to move them, at least if you live in north Iowa.

AGS
 
I've watched deer go to gut pile from day before.They circle around it as to grieve for a fallen friend.Kinda weird to see.
 
Wow Loren that is weird! I guess I don't see why they wouldn't. Trying to survive with the ice and cold would definitely make them do some crazy things!
 
I've read that predators will rip open the guts of their prey to eat the partialy digested contents of the gut because it is easier for the predator to digest. Could sorta be the same for deer. I don't know how they would access the rumen with out insicors and claws. Hoof it open like they paw through snow for food?

The 'Bonker
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> What the hell? I've never heard of this. Are they that hard up? </div></div>

I haven't seen it either. I don't think they are that hard up. The doe I shot last Sunday was one of the fattest I have ever harvested and none of the deer I have seen while hunting are spending out of normal amounts of time searching food. I'm sure the pheasants might be having a tough time though.
 
Rumen contents are partially digested already and make for a great meal if they can find it. Happens all the time.
 
If they are feeding on corn, the undigested kernels are like candy. Might be more likely now than other times of the year.
 
i guess its an easy meal.....
not for me.... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/sick.gif
 
Sounds a bit..grizzly.

I do have an old busted jaw like doe in my yard every day. Usually she drags around an elk shed and chews on it for awhile before hitting the feed in the garden. Anybody ever see this before either?
 
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