Predator Question

cornfed

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I was helping a friend pull some tree stands and I found a dead deer that was partially eaten but covered with leaves grass ect.It was a fresh carcass of a yearling whitetail doe.It appeared that it had been burried before and then drug a little farther and then burried again.What would do this?I've heard that bears bury their kills or is it mountain lions that bury their kills?I don't believe that coyotes would do this or am I wrong about that.Wish I had a camera to put on the kill to find out but I'm going to have to rely on the experts on this forum.I've seen lots of dead deer but never on that was mostly eaten and buried.Thanks for your replys.
 
I've heard of both bears and lions burying their kills/finds.
Do you have lions in the area?
 
They are not to common in Iowa but they do exist.We are not supposed to have elk either but my hunting buddy saw a calf under his tree stand at 15 yards while hunting deer.It would not surprize me if it was a lion but would like to have more info to back it up.
 
Probably a bobcat...possibly a mountain lion. Black bears dont cover up their kills. Grizzly bears do.

Cats kill ungulates by squeezing the windpipe shut and hanging on until the prey is dead...if you skin back the throat area you will find hemoraging under the skin along with distinct tooth marks, usually four, top and bottom incisers. I've necropsied hundreds of kills caused by coyotes, wolves,lions and both species of bears....the throat is the first place to look to determine what caused it and how.
 
thanks for the response.Would either a bobcat or a mountain lion chew the rib bones up?I've never seen the rib bones eaten by a coyote just had the meat picked of off them.
 
All three will chew the ribs...usually only after the meat has been slicked up. Rib bones on a fawn are a lot softer than on an older animal...maybe thats whats going on.

I've seen coyotes chew cattle rib bones down to the spine when theres nothing else to eat...
 
bobcats and mt lions both cover...and coyotes might be using the kill eating soft ribs.
what part of Iowa?...my farm is south of you, Chillicothe area in north Missouri...we're not supposed to have mt lions either...but they have been seen by farmers, caught on trail cams and kills/tracks found...sounds very similar to what you've found.
 
[bQUOTE=duckhead59;what part of Iowa.[/QUOTE]

I'm about 2-1/2 hours north and slightly east of you.Wish I would of took some pictures but I left the camera in the truck.
 
I agree with BR, sounds like a classic feline kill. given your local, I'd say bobcat. People don't think Bob's can kill deer, but they are very efficient predators, especially on young deer.
 
I might add, for future reference. besides looking for the signs that BR mentioned, and other obvious signs such as scat and tracks, a lion will often end its kill by crushing down on the snout of a deer, breaking bone in the nose and jaw (along with the puncture marks in the neck mentioned by BR).

From what I've seen its not likely that a bobcat will do this, given their small mouth.

That is personal observation, there may be a study that contradicts my finding tho.
 

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