Deer skeletons in trees

Brian DeNeal

I expected to find deer remains at a popular dumping ground on Ledford Road Monday -- the day after the first deer firearm season. But I was not prepared for the sight that greeted me.

On Monday my travels took me to the Sahara Woods property on Ledford Road.

Call me weird, but once or twice a year I drive that stretch of road while eating cheeseburgers for lunch. The site is used too often as a dumping ground. Throughout the year a person can find rotting furniture and occassional bags of garbage. After Christmas there will be Christmas trees and ornaments and tinsel strewn through the yellow grass. After deer season it is common to find bags of guts, hides and carcasses stripped of meat.

I expected to find deer remains dumped there on Monday -- the day after the first deer firearm season. But I was not prepared for the sight that greeted me.

There were two fresh deer skeletons suspended in the branches of small trees. Under them were bags of organs. The smell of decay was pungent.

My question to readers is why were the skeletons in trees?

I have written in the past about the habit of cougars taking their deer kills into trees to save them for later and keep them away from dogs and coyotes. Remains of a deer up in a tree could be strong evidence cougars are in our area feeding on deer. But these trees on the Sahara property are small, spindly trees with tiny branches that could hardly support the weight of a cougar hauling a deer, so I don't think we can count this scene as evidence of cougar activity.

More likely the act was a prank of hunters who had taken the meat they wanted from the deer and decided to hang the rest in the trees just so somebody like me could stumble on it and take note. The crows and jays and vultures probably made quick work of stripping what meat remained down to the bone.

Does anybody else have an idea why there are deer skeletons in the trees? If so, drop me a note at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.