Incredible/Bittersweet find w/ pictures

jb3

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Feb 23, 2009
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Burns, TN
I remember reading Outdoor Life or Field and Stream probably 30 years ago that had an article about crazy ways that animals died in the wild. This would have been one of the top stories. Awesome find.
 

LenS

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Nov 19, 2008
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Montgomery County, TN, USA
Just to echo, that is an amazing find and such a cruel way to die. The older I get, plus the more time I spend with my dogs, being able to quickly and ethically kill an animal matters more and more. I hate to see them suffer. Wonder how long it took these bucks to pass? I'm assuming several days unless a neck was snapped.
 

TheLBLman

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Jun 12, 2002
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Knoxville-Dover-Union City, TN
That thought definitely crossed my mind while I was down in there. Didn't want to join them.
I would speculate several exploring frontiersmen met a similar fate during the 1700's & 1800's.

Have also heard of hunters, especially coon hunters, including their dogs, walking off cliffs, etc., when in unfamiliar territory, or in case such as these deer, maybe just didn't notice the crevice between the rocks.
 

Knothead

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Aug 11, 2003
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Middle TN
Wow! Amazing find for sure. What's more amazing is how you got down in the crevice to retrieve the antlers. Curious exactly how you managed to do that safely??
Congrats on the find and the unfortunate closure.
 

Antler Daddy

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That is a truly amazing find. I would write a story and submit to a deer mag.

The thought of me or my kids falling into something like that makes me cringe. I used to hunt a WMA in the Boone National Forest in KY and George Washington NF in VA and some other places that had lots of rock outcroppings and other dangers. There is plenty of danger out there if you look for it.
 

atnvol

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Aug 6, 2017
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East Tennessee
Thank you for the fascinating story and documentation Tennessee24V. Nature can be extremely harsh and cruel. Those Euro racks and pictures will make one awesome display. Thank you again for taking the time to relate this incredible turn of events to the membership.

Regards, Mike
 

Tennessee24v

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May 15, 2019
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Wow! Amazing find for sure. What's more amazing is how you got down in the crevice to retrieve the antlers. Curious exactly how you managed to do that safely??
Congrats on the find and the unfortunate closure.
Thanks Knothead. I knew I had found something unique but didn't realize how uncommon these kinds of finds were until I shared it here. I can't honestly say I did it safely, but I didn't feel too uncomfortable with the situation. My wife on the other hand was not to happy with my decision. This may fit one of those "why women live longer" memes perfectly.
 
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