New way to lose a calf

[FlyingLSimmentals]

Hate to here about your loss, I had thought I had lost one recently but thankfully it was just hid. People do all kinds of crazy crap today they can be just so mean and evil. Years ago a neighbor of mine raised white rabbits for meat, someone had stopped by while he was gone killed the rabbits field dressed them and had them laying in some crisscrossed lineup when he came home and found them.

 

[MarkM]

Definitely no other wounds. With everyone's comments and time to consider things, it sure does point to a person killing the calf. If it were an injury while running, the intestines would have been strewn all over the pasture. The incision certainly was not an immediately fatal event.
Creepy and angering. Now, I wonder who is watching me from the woods.
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and observations.

 

[MarkM]

On the other side of the argument. Wouldn't you think the incision would be longer before you pulled the intestines for a field dressing? Not if you are in a hurry, I guess.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Mark this is indeed "creepy".
I wonder if turning loose some hounds would surface someone living out there in the woods. I don't know how remote you are......
I would defiantly file a police report on it.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

First thought I had was "wheres the blood"

Wonder did they strangle him? Because he was dead before he got gutted.

 

[Caustic Burno]

First thought I had was "wheres the blood"

Wonder did they strangle him? Because he was dead before he got gutted.

Lot of ways to take one out. 22 LR is almost impossible to find unless you skin one out.
Rope and a ball peen hammer works as well.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

After reading the cougar thread......wondering if a cougar or black bear could have choked the calf dead and then ripped her open?

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Looking at the pics, it looks like water rushed over the calf? See the white stuff around the back inner thighs of the calf? Could all the blood been washed away with a rush of water? Maybe the calf drowned first? You need to look at the lungs, see if she was sick (died and then something tore her open?). Do the lungs look normal? Full of water?

Just poking around, trying to solve it. One thing I would say for sure, the calf died first, then the guts were split.

 

[Caustic Burno]

After reading the cougar thread......wondering if a cougar or black bear could have choked the calf dead and then ripped her open?

A critter would have pulled those guts out and had them strewn about.
Dogs would have tore it to pieces. If a varmint kills he is eating or dragging it off to eat.
Not typical for coyotes either they are eating after a kill or taking it to the pups this time of year.

 

[Silver]

Definitely not a predator kill. And I agree that that animal was dead before it was opened up. Cougars cut them open like scissors but the cut they make is high up on the ribs. Nothing I have ever seen myself or in the predator verification course I took looked anything like that. In my opinion that was done by a person. That's a bigger problem than a predator kill for sure. Sure hope you figure out who is responsible.

 

[Deepsouth]

Mark could you estimate how long the calf had been dead? Was it stiff? When was the last time you saw the calf alive? I agree with everyone else that this was not done by a predator. It would have been torn up more and they would have eaten some of it unless you run them off before they had time. on the other hand i dont think this was done by a man either. It is possible to kill a calf and not leave any obvious sign of the killing wound. But uoy make a good point here.

On the other side of the argument. Wouldn't you think the incision would be longer before you pulled the intestines for a field dressing? Not if you are in a hurry, I guess.

I've field dressed enough game to know you would have to make a longer incision before you start pulling out the guts. In field dressing you would cut all the way to the rib cage then pull out the intestines and stomach so you can get to the diaphragm. It just don't look right to me to be someone field dressing it. Another thing, the very first thing to do before gutting is ring out the bung hole. Was that done?
I think you were right to begin with. It probably cut itself open on something and the rain washed away the blood. But that injury wouldn't bleed much anyway. Like a gut shot deer don't bleed.
It is possible that the calf died and gas in the abdomen swelled and burst it open and the intestines spilled out then.

 

[bball]

Not to be graphic, but we're any major organs extracted? Sometimes the cult types like to take things like hearts, kidneys, even drain the blood, etc. Any natural predator would have started to consume the calf, especially after opening up its innards. This sure stinks of human involvement...

 

[BRYANT]

On the other side of the argument. Wouldn't you think the incision would be longer before you pulled the intestines for a field dressing? Not if you are in a hurry, I guess.

Sorry for loss
I have killed my share of deer and in my younger days more than my share and when I field dress a deer in the woods, if I am going to have to drag it very far, I cut the smallest hole that I can and still pull out the insides & drain out the blood from chest. keeps meat much more cleaner. not saying it was killed by a person but if I was field dressing it there would not be a very long cut. I always hated to cut up deer full of leaves , sand, and dirt.
Just my :2cents:

 

[MarkM]

Calf was cool, even up inside the cavity. Legs were a little stiff, but spine and neck were very limber. Everything laid on the ground was very fresh. It had to have been during the night Thursday night. My farm guy says he saw the calf Thursday afternoon when he moved them. It rained most of the night.

No organs were removed other than the intestines you see.

My neighbor said it might be lightening. Doesn't seem right to me. Maybe?

 

[bball]

Calf was cool, even up inside the cavity. Legs were a little stiff, but spine and neck were very limber. Everything laid on the ground was very fresh. It had to have been during the night Thursday night. My farm guy says he saw the calf Thursday afternoon when he moved them. It rained most of the night.

No organs were removed other than the intestines you see.

My neighbor said it might be lightening. Doesn't seem right to me. Maybe?

Lightening would have entry and exit wounds. Exit wound would be very near one of the hoofs (presuming calf was standing)

 

[Lucky_P]

Aliens.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Aliens.

That thought had crossed my mind also. :shock:

 

[Supa Dexta]

Yes, I'm sure the goal after a long inter stellar journey is to cut a calfs belly open and leave it for dead. :nod:

 

[Craig Miller]

Aliens.

That has to be right. After all, hes a professional.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Yes, I'm sure the goal after a long inter stellar journey is to cut a calfs belly open and leave it for dead. :nod:

Haven't you seen those programs on "unexplained files"? The theory is, the Aliens are just taking the cattle and doing research on them, then returning them to the same field. Death is caused from being dropped from above. No blood at the site, just missing parts and laser cut openings.