[carcolpar]

Deer carcasses are everywhere right now, Its much worse than I have ever seen during the Fall when they are rutting. This past weekend we drove up U.S. 63 from Columbia to Macon and in that 60 mile stretch we counted 52 dead deer along the road. What is causing this at this time of the year?

 

[Mailman]

Gotta be CWD making them commit suicide by car to avoid the pain involved in the slow death from CWD.

 

[henry]

I believe it's accumulation of carcasses because of the winter we had. We had extended periods of snow and ice cover that kept the carcasses buried along roadways from snow plowing. Normal removal and scavenging didn't take place. 02

 

[Wibb]

I've noticed the same. Very interesting to say the least, but there are carcasses everywhere on 61 North towards Hannibal.

 

[Cedar Thicket]

Thought the same thing a few weeks ago. Places there's 3 in a 20 foot area.

Id bet most are the same I saw on the way up during alternative season.

 

[Mailman]

Thinking budget cut backs limit road kill recovery being done by MODOT. We should all let oneshot know where these are located so he and the Big Grin can come pick them up before the buzzards get the good parts.

 

[thwackaddict]

It has been a very hard winter. We have seen more deer out in daylight hours this year than ever before. Herds out in stalk fields at 2:00 in the afternoon. They are hungry and traveling more than most springs.

 

[killmode]

Early Rut

 

[20']

I don't believe the Winter has anything to do with it in the least bit, this happens every year . Ya'll are getting old and can't remember 365 days ago!

 

[thwackaddict]

I don't believe the Winter has anything to do with it in the least bit, this happens every year . Ya'll are getting old and can't remember 365 days ago!

If you are a cattle farmer you have a better understanding of how rough a winter is. When the ice hits 2' thick on the pond and you are chopping ice all winter you know it sucks out.
When you are feeding in deep snow all winter you know it sucks out. I had intentions of baling 105 acres of corn stalks. It was too muddy and too much snow to ever get to it. Lots of farmers in this same predicament.
This is the 1st year that I couldn't get cows to come into the lot for corn. It was so muddy that there were 18" cow tracks all over it. Then it froze and made it like concrete with deep holes. They refused to walk on it. The cold wet ground also takes a toll on cattle and deer. Every where they lay down is wet, and it takes more energy to keep warm.

 

[oneshot 1]

Thinking budget cut backs limit road kill recovery being done by MODOT. We should all let oneshot know where these are located so he and the Big Grin can come pick them up before the buzzards get the good parts.

Around here if they are called in and fresh the MDC calls me. Seems some around here want to wait until they start stinking before calling them in.

oneshot

It don't matter if they are stinking to the Big Grin.

 

[rat]

They probably should move those deer crossing signs

 

[20']

If you are a cattle farmer you have a better understanding of how rough a winter is. When the ice hits 2' thick on the pond and you are chopping ice all winter you know it sucks out.
When you are feeding in deep snow all winter you know it sucks out. I had intentions of baling 105 acres of corn stalks. It was too muddy and too much snow to ever get to it. Lots of farmers in this same predicament.
This is the 1st year that I couldn't get cows to come into the lot for corn. It was so muddy that there were 18" cow tracks all over it. Then it froze and made it like concrete with deep holes. They refused to walk on it. The cold wet ground also takes a toll on cattle and deer. Every where they lay down is wet, and it takes more energy to keep warm.

or, maybe the last bunch of WInters were super mild and you got soft yes, we finally had some extended Winter weather this year, but the dispersal happens following mild or actual WInter seasons. Maybe the deer weren't hit by cars, they just died on the side of the road from starving to death....not enough energy left to cross

 

[421sd]

Around here if they are called in and fresh the MDC calls me. Seems some around here want to wait until they start stinking before calling them in.

oneshot

It don't matter if they are stinking to the Big Grin.

Sounds like you don't need to hunt. That would amount to a lot of deer to eat over a year's time.

 

[Refuze2falo]

. What is causing this at this time of the year?

The extended cwd kill off. People go out and shoot them then just leave them near a road for the Mdc to pick up and test

 

[techteacher]

Thinking budget cut backs limit road kill recovery being done by MODOT. We should all let oneshot know where these are located so he and the Big Grin can come pick them up before the buzzards get the good parts.

I think mo dot is looking for work a lot of days in the winter this year trucks were ran enough they aren't looking for more work.

 

[rat]

If MODOT changed their policy, that was a dumb thing to do. Now that there are so many, they will have a heckuva time picking up all those deer.

 

[thwackaddict]

or, maybe the last bunch of WInters were super mild and you got soft yes, we finally had some extended Winter weather this year, but the dispersal happens following mild or actual WInter seasons. Maybe the deer weren't hit by cars, they just died on the side of the road from starving to death....not enough energy left to cross

Something that did happen that hasn't happened for many years is that this winter produced way above average precipitation. This kept all the carcasses covered in deep snow for months. So instead of a deer getting hit and being cleaned up by coyotes it was buried under 4 feet of plowed snow/drifts. Now that it has all melted there appears to be a lot more carcasses than normal.

 

[oneshot 1]

Sounds like you don't need to hunt. That would amount to a lot of deer to eat over a year's time.

Don't think my wife hasn't brought this up.

oneshot

The Big Grins Mom is smart.

 

[20']

Something that did happen that hasn't happened for many years is that this winter produced way above average precipitation. This kept all the carcasses covered in deep snow for months. So instead of a deer getting hit and being cleaned up by coyotes it was buried under 4 feet of plowed snow/drifts. Now that it has all melted there appears to be a lot more carcasses than normal.

that is far more plausible than there are higher kill rates due to dispersal or eating salt from the roadside.