Odd injury

[fitch270]

Posted on F&S also.

This little button buck has been coming in the back yard this week for apples that fell. The kids had noticed he’s missing his tail, he just came back and we got the binos out for a better look. Sure enough it’s gone, tailbone and all. There’s exposed flesh under what would have been the tail, it doesn’t seem infected but is raw looking. Doesn’t appear to be a birth defect. He also is constantly stepping with his right rear leg and there’s a small black spot high up on his right side rump.


I’m thinking a coyote nipped him when he was smaller or else he got tangled in a fence. Any other ideas?

Sorry for the poor pics, we tried digiscoping with the binos and cell phone. Kind of worked.



E8D95ED5-3AE3-4AC6-80A9-EC1F34EBA3D0.jpeg

1794D096-E810-4731-A25A-C59309E2033E.jpeg

764B50CD-EDC9-4A34-B951-F21B4C9336D0.jpeg

[dewman]

Small spot looks suspiciously like a bullet entry. Maybe the the tail torn bad enough it rotted off.

[fitch270]

Small spot looks suspiciously like a bullet entry. Maybe the the tail torn bad enough it rotted off.

Entry wound maybe? I thought about that but there isn’t any other noticeable damage. If that was the cause it’s possible a bullet might have clipped the tailbone off on exit. We’re going on the third week into bow season, I suppose an arrow could be a culprit as well.

Wish we had a decent camera so I could have posted better pictures. He kept stepping in place with his right rear leg like it was bothering him but it worked fine when he moved. A couple times now he’s run off after we made him nervous looking through the window. Last time he was back about 15 minutes later.

I’ll be trying to keep tabs on him, if it looks like he’s not faring well we have a number of tags we could use. Not really something I’d want to do but not having that tail might cause him problems in cold weather. Makes his backside very visible as well.

[fitch270]

On a more humorous note, quite often you could see he was trying to twitch his tail. The muscle on either side would alternately flex. Our younger Brittany’s tail is docked quite short, it was like watching her rump wiggle when she gets excited.

[FirstBubba]

He was "docked" by Bigfoot. 🤯!

[dewman]

It reminded me of one shot in the mouth some years back. Small black bullet hole behind the jaw on one side, no jaw period on the other, tongue hanging down slapping his neck like a black necktie. Took till the next afternoon to get a warden to come finish him off.
I know this time of year the button bucks are run off by momma so they can get bred. Can't believe a bow hunter missed him by that much as you have to get close and fairly standing still but a white flag bouncing through the woods mixed with some kid squirreling with a rimfire being stupid stupid and voila, crippled game.
Of course I honestly have no earthly clue.
Was sitting on my favorite rock tonight and thought I might never be back so I snapped a quick photo. I've shot or seen and stalked squirrels, turkeys, and deer from here every year since 1985. Cut my hiking staff from a sapling that was growing between them back in '99. Stay safe IMG_2571.PNG

[dewman]

If he lives the flies will play hell with that uncovered anus next summer.

[fitch270]

It reminded me of one shot in the mouth some years back. Small black bullet hole behind the jaw on one side, no jaw period on the other, tongue hanging down slapping his neck like a black necktie. Took till the next afternoon to get a warden to come finish him off.
I know this time of year the button bucks are run off by momma so they can get bred. Can't believe a bow hunter missed him by that much as you have to get close and fairly standing still but a white flag bouncing through the woods mixed with some kid squirreling with a rimfire being stupid stupid and voila, crippled game.
Of course I honestly have no earthly clue.
Was sitting on my favorite rock tonight and thought I might never be back so I snapped a quick photo. I've shot or seen and stalked squirrels, turkeys, and deer from here every year since 1985. Cut my hiking staff from a sapling that was growing between them back in '99. Stay safe IMG_2571.PNG

I can relate to that rock Dewman. There’s one in the back corner of our property I was sitting on when I killed my first and so far biggest buck, another 8pt. two years later, and a bobcat a year or two after that. Spent a lot of time sitting there when I was younger. Most anyone else wouldn’t give it a second look.


You’re right about flies and such playing havoc with him as well. I’m sure animals have managed with worse but that little guy is going to have tough times ahead. We may have to try and get him tagged.