I was looking back through the BIG DEER archives, and ran across this most unusual shed hunt we have ever posted. Man, you never know what you’re going to find in the woods:
About 20 years ago, some Missouri guys had been shed hunting all day to no avail when they decided to check a 2-acre thicket around an old homestead. Walking around the crumbled stone foundation, one fellow found an old well. He kneeled, looked down and saw the remains of this buck down in it.
The hunters first thought that maybe someone had poached the deer the previous season and stuffed it in there. But when they pulled the deer out, there were no bullet holes in the body that they could see. The only marks were scratches on its front legs. They concluded the unfortunate buck had fallen into the well and couldn’t get out.
Well, I have always told people when they ask me where the deer are during tough parts of the season that they don’t crawl in holes….they are out there somewhere. Guess I better rethink my strategies!
yes, I have said that too!
About 10-15 years ago on recently purchased rural acreage, in the middle of winter and by myself, I was using a chainsaw with my attention directed to the low hanging tree branches, I literally stumbled upon an old cistern that was about 4′-5′ deep. Thank goodness I did not tumble down in it with a running chainsaw. The seller never communicated to me there was a very old home site on the acreage. Be careful out there.
I’ve stumbled across a few old homestead wells like that while hiking–a couple times I was close to dying in the bottom like that buck. Those should definitely be covered and capped, especially when on public land!