I'm sure it's normal to see a dead deer on the side of the road from time to time but lately 100% of them have been headless. One of them wasn't headless in the morning but by afternoon the head was gone.

Are the heads worth something? I can understand wanting the meat but not the head. I can't imagine someone claiming a trophy of a deer they didn't actually harvest themselves.

Was it a buck?

The game commission will take the heads (for the antlers). They may also take it to test for CWD (chronic waste disease)

There are some people who surprisingly will take the head/rack. Hence why the game commission will try to get it first.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
The game commission will take the heads (for the antlers). They may also take it to test for CWD (chronic waste disease)

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks.

The one that I saw the head in the morning that was gone by afternoon wasn't a buck.

I was driving through WI a few years ago, Nov, the buddy spotted a fair sized buck up the ditch a ways, dead. He wanted, I turned around, he knifed the head off for later antler mounting.

Yeah, I guess the proper answer is a permit & all. The body was already along some, no value to any meat.

I’ve seen other deer with no head, assume it’s a buck with head/antlers cut off. To me it’s no biggie.

Rather than assuming "false valor," I'd suspect a profit motive, selling the rack/mount to someone who wants to claim a trophy, or just wants a decoration.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
Rather than assuming "false valor," I'd suspect a profit motive, selling the rack/mount to someone who wants to claim a trophy, or just wants a decoration.

Antlers are incredibly cheap for the most part, and mounts are incredibly expensive.

Ain't much profit to be made but I guess 10$ is 10$

[quote]The game commission will take the heads (for the antlers). They may also take it to test for CWD (chronic waste disease)[/quoteA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If so they need to remove the carcass as well. They have always done it in my area.

I’m not thinking the average 8 point rack has much value, trying to sell.

Of course I’d rather nobody hit the deer in the 1st place, vehicle damage & all.

If not savaging the meat when fresh, which I’ve done before, the next best use is the carcass away from the road some for scavengers. Especially in mid to later Winter, the food is much appreciated by many.

Deer-auto meetings are pretty common and State Farm did a study. My wife has hit one last November and I had one run into the side of my truck. Thinking about getting grill guards installed to prevent $3,500 repairs.

https://patch.com/us/across-am...odds-hitting-animals

One way to prevent collisions is fog lights which shine off to the side of the road.

You would not believe the deer feeding in the median strip along RT 7 from Leesburg to Reston.

I see lots of dead dear on the side of the road here in the Maryland area and I can't remember seeing a single one without a head.

Several years ago I'd been watching a very nice 12 point going across my backyard .
I have bow hunted off my deck for 20+ years.
I was going to get up on Saturday and take him, but my daughters' friend hit him on Friday morning and she called me to let me know at around 10 in the morning. I went home at noon for lunch and he was laying just on the curb and was missing his skull. I had to drag him out in the street and call Cons. Dept. to haul away the carcass and told them about the head.

I’ve only seen that twice in my life, once was in East TN south of the Try-cities, the other was just south of Nashville. Both times I assumed someone wanted a trophy. If it was TWRA I assume they’d have taken the whole carcass.