Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

mule deer remains

Odocoileus hemionus

Photo by textless
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

37.7661, -108.906

Field Notes

Description:

I was hiking down a tiny canyon with my dad when we found this unfortunate fellow… I wanted to stick around and take pictures, but there were very fresh big cat tracks in the sand around the bones, so we kept walking.

Habitat:

High desert canyon.

Notes:

Happy Halloween!

Reference Links:

Mule deer

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (15)
EmilyMarino
Please consider adding this picture to the "Identifying Animals Through Osteology" Mission! http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/8475425
textless
Thanks Fiana and Carol... it was a very odd thing to find. There was almost no flesh left on the bones, but the joints in the neck and spine were still flexible. So it was very fresh.
FianaShapiro
Oh wow, it's weird how the whole skeleton is so intact.
textless
It does kind of look like a deer-headed caterpillar now that you mention it. :)
Ismael Chaves
First picture looks like a caterpillar with a deer head
textless
Thanks Alice... I was really excited about it even though I felt bad for the poor deer.
alicelongmartin
I finally got back to look at the footprints, those look pretty big to me. Good work!
textless
Thanks CorduneauVlad and Longmustache. I'm pretty confident about the tracks based on others I've seen... These were definitely at least 3.5 inches long. Here's a pretty good comparison of bobcat and mountain lion tracks, with coyote thrown in for good measure: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12145_43573-146656--,00.html :)
CorduneanuVlad
Nice shot of the cat tracks. I'm no expert but by the looks of it, I would suggest bob cat tracks. I think cougar tracks should be larger.
textless
Hi Alice, and thanks for the nice comment! Pictures 3 and 5 are of the cat tracks... the first with my hand for scale and the second with money. :)
alicelongmartin
A Big Find for Signs of Wildlife! Thanks. Perhaps you should have taken a picture of the big cat tracks also.
textless
Thanks Karen... I thought it was really spooky!
KarenL
Great spot - & very appropriate for halloween!

Spotted for Missions

Mission
2011 Best Wildlife Photo
Mission
Signs of Wildlife

Tags

Photographed
PublishedOctober 31, 2011

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies