Monster Buck skull

[carparcher]

Hey guys.  Check out this skull I found yesterday.  A buddy and I were doing some scouting for hogs near my home town when I found this near a pond.  The entire skeleton was there.  I know that deer sometimes go to water when wounded, so it makes me wonder if this buck had been shot and then not recovered by the hunter/poacher.  Deer season has been closed for a long time, but it appeared that the buck had been dead for a long time as well.  Check out all the holes in the antlers.  Pretty cool.  That's a 28" arrow in the picture! The skull (what's left of it) is boiling right now as I type this.  

[Paul Mattson]

Now that's a GREAT find.  WoW..

[Kip]

WOW!!!!!

[d. ward]

Thats a trip..nice buck...bowdoc

[Biff]

Around my area, they have found that the deer with Blue tounge are dying close to water. Biff

[mmgrode]

What a beast!  I sure do like those nontypical racks.  Glad to hear you found it and will appreciate it for what it is rather than have it get eaten by the critters.  Cheers, Matt

[T.J.]

Congrats! That's a really nice find

[Richie Nell]

Here us one I found in Alabama a few years ago.

[Herdbull]

There have been a lot of deer found dead near water in souther Illinois and else where due to EHD this past year. Looks to be significant decomposition, so it could have been dead in early September which is when most of these types of deaths occur. Often you will hear about multiple incidence, not just one like in this case. Those foramins look like fly infestations in the growing antler. Cool.

[Chris Surtees]

Pretty cool!

[pete p]

Carparcher, nice find. mckienzee taxidermy sells fake skulls you can attach antlers to just in case it doesnt make it throught the boil process

[imskippy]

Awesome buck. Did you check the rest of the skeleton like the ribs for any damage?

[carparcher]

imskippy,
  Didn't think about that.  I will be back there to check our hog traps and will let you know.

- Timothy

[Keefer]

Mike I once asked a fella years ago about those holes/ pockets that you see in the antlers and he has said the same thing...Said flys would lay eggs and as the antler grows it will grow around the larvy and form the hole as we see it...Glad to hear you noticed it also....Also just poking  your ribbs a little when I say this but over where you posted your pic of yourself I first thought you looked like a giant string puff...Now I know where the      Instant Graemlin pic come from...    I am glad I didn't have a mouth full of coffee when I first saw that pic with your hat off...

[drewsbow]

wow , that thing is huge :0)

[Mark Baker]

Great find!

[Arwin]

Very nice!

[highpoint forge]

funny how you just HAPPENED to find it........

[highpoint forge]

just kidding.

there is so much poaching going on around our farm it's ridiculous. we find new skulls weekly.

[carparcher]

I don't even hunt on the property where I found it.  Might have to see if I can change that!  We trapped a bunch of hogs (37) off of there last year, so I am in good w/ the land owner.