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How long does it take for an elk to completly decompose? If I found an elk the other day and it still had it's skin and some flesh, the ribcage was exposed, but the face and neck were still in tact, how long would you say it has been dead?
The reason I ask, is because I found a dead cow up on the Wasatch front . I think this elk was shot from the road on the other side of the canyon and left to rot. I talked to another person that found another dead cow in the same area. I have already contacted the DWR and I'm taking an officer up there on Wednesday to check it out.
Just wanted to see what you guys think about this? And what you have seen in your hunting travels.
Thanks,
Matt
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Temperature will play a huge role in the rate of decomp. It has been quite warm lately, and I have seen the odd fly around, so maggots might have also helped out a bit. With how warm it has been, I wouldn't be surprised if it was no more than a few weeks out...maybe a little less. Let us know what the officer thinks.
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I agree with Brandon. A few weeks to a month. The weather has also allowed for the roads to stay open to travel also.
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Maybe I should have checked it out when you mentioned it. Did seem kinda strange for the area. Was the guy we talked to the one that found the other cow?
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During my Spike hunt on top of soldier summit, a friend found a dead 5x6 bull, when I went to see it I would say it was dead for about 3-4 weeks. All the muscle in the rump was gone down to the bone and moving. There was a hole in the upper back halfway down the ribs and the maggots where just spilling out.. The whole elk under the skin was maggots. Stunk so bad...... kinda got in your hunting clothes just standing next to it..... The guy that found the elk has also told another hunter and he got ahold of DWR and showed them where it was.....
Today, one of the guys I work with lives in Stockton and he mentioned he was going up behind stockton in the hills and found a gut pile and elk hide and the legs cut-off beside the road... He could not tell what kind of elk the hoofs were. When I was up there hunting buck deer this year, just before where he found the gut pile there is a house and small field fenced in and there were 4 big bull elk in there that morning. I know lots of big bulls come down all the time and even cross the road by the church in stockton. We used to see them all the time going to and from work in the morning/evenings. My friend still has his cow tag for the hardscrabble area and this thursday we are taking off work and see if we can connect with his cow.... I am going along to help drag or pack out..........
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No it was a guy at work that I talked to today. He found the same one I did and another one up the hill from it.
He also has been chasing that big buck around for the last week.
Oh well, he should be safe for another year unless the poachers get him.
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One thing I have observed was that Magpies can eat a ton of meat from a dead elk - A few years back on a cow hunt we took two cows and hauled one out the first day and then when back in the next day for the other cow. I had gutted her and the freaking magpies had eat'in two huge areas out of the lower rear quarter.
The decomposition rate could be related to the scavengers.
So if I have to leave any animal overnight I cover it with snow or rocks or whatevers available.
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Turns out that the elk was about 2 months old. It was a mature cow and had no broken bones or injuries.
Most likely it was poached (Gut Shot) and left to die. We couldn't find the other elk, but i'm sure they are related. Too bad somebody had to poach these animals, especially in a place where there are very few elk.
Dumb Utards! [sly]
Thanks to the officer who took the time to check it out, hopefully we can find the other elk later this week and maybe figure something out.
If anybody has any information about two dead elk in the NORTH OGDEN DIVIDE area, please get a hold of me and I will give you the number of the CO that I'm working with.
Thanks,
Matt
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Wow, sometime in early October then. That's really odd considering the location and how warm it still was 2 months ago. Bet it was pretty ripe though.
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A fellow BFTer (SwitchbackXT) just notified me that there is a cow elk hunt that starts in October and covers all of the ogden area. It's possible that somebody gut shot it during the cow hunt and never found it. As for the other cow that got shot, who knows? There are plenty of scenarios to think about, but either way it sucks that they went to waste.
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