Interesting commute today

[skyrunner]

I saw something I don't normally see on my commute to work today. Kinda makes me wonder what happened? This is in a fairly populated area, although it is next to a small nature park. I don't think this was done by some predatory animal, although I doubt a human would have done this either...

So I bike commute to work along a bike trail (about 3 miles each way) almost every day. Today as I ride along, first I see this:
commute1.jpg

Then I few yards farther I see this:
commute2.jpg

I really kinda hope it wasn't an animal as I frequently ride / run this trail in the dark. Any speculations on what happened here? There was a pile of entrails neatly sitting there near the blood stain so that makes me wonder if it was a human for some unknown reason. But if so, why not take the head with the rest of the carcass? I know hunting in this area would be illegal, so maybe that has something to do with it?

[j2k4]

I saw something I don't normally see on my commute to work today. Kinda makes me wonder what happened? This is in a fairly populated area, although it is next to a small nature park. I don't think this was done by some predatory animal, although I doubt a human would have done this either...

So I bike commute to work along a bike trail (about 3 miles each way) almost every day. Today as I ride along, first I see this:
commute1.jpg

Then I few yards farther I see this:
commute2.jpg

I really kinda hope it wasn't an animal as I frequently ride / run this trail in the dark. Any speculations on what happened here? There was a pile of entrails neatly sitting there near the blood stain so that makes me wonder if it was a human for some unknown reason. But if so, why not take the head with the rest of the carcass? I know hunting in this area would be illegal, so maybe that has something to do with it?

Possibly someone thieved the venison?

Actually, I've seen wolves leave a carcass like that, but that's a lot of meat for one animal, and a pack would have left a bit more of a mess, I think.

Looks like the animal might have been hit, then someone just stripped the hide and did some quick knife-work.

[EZnTn]

looks like a quick, efficient job of field dressing
backstrap for dinner someplace tonight

[skyrunner]

Possibly someone thieved the venison?

Looks like the animal might have been hit, then someone just stripped the hide and did some quick knife-work.

I thought the same, but this is on a bike trail, no where near a road. No motor vehicles allowed but I suppose that could have been ignored. It really isn't big enough for a car, but maybe ATV... I'm hoping it was just some illegal hunting, I don't want that to be the result of some super-freak wolf that will have me in its sites next time I am riding or running at night!

[j2k4]

I thought the same, but this is on a bike trail, no where near a road. No motor vehicles allowed but I suppose that could have been ignored. It really isn't big enough for a car, but maybe ATV... I'm hoping it was just some illegal hunting, I don't want that to be the result of some super-freak wolf that will have me in its sites next time I am riding or running at night!

Then it's a poach or an animal, one.

[thestealth]

I really kinda hope it wasn't an animal as I frequently ride / run this trail in the dark. Any speculations on what happened here?

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x985681...t-by-Iowa-City

[thestealth]

http://sites.google.com/a/storlie.or...f-the-midwest/

Don't get yourself eaten.

[CoopKill]

I would say predator. If it was poached I don't think they would have took the legs. I would think that a predator would leave more fur about though.

So who knows.

Edit: if you look at the first pick closer there is fur strung about in the grass...

[skyrunner]

Yikes! Bobcats, I've seen around here before. Just don't seem as scary because of their size. But a mountain lion!! Woah...

[skyrunner]

Edit: if you look at the first pick closer there is fur strung about in the grass...

Yeah it is hard to make out from the camera pic, but there is a fair amount of fur in the grass. I know nothing about hunting though so I figured maybe some of that fur would just come off when removing the meat or something... Yeah that sounds dumb now that I typed it out, you're probably right. I might be avoiding that trail at night for a bit...