Male White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) shed their antlers during the winter and start to grow a new set in early spring. When I first spotted the pointed white tips of deer antlers while exploring Prince William Forest Park this past Wednesday, I assumed that they were shed antlers. As I got closer, I was shocked to see that they were still attached to the skull of the now dead deer.
We have an overpopulation of White-tailed Deer in our area, in part because there are not many natural predators. I couldn’t help wondering how this large buck met his demise. Was it a coyote or fox? Was it disease, starvation, or old age? Whatever the cause of death, scavengers had done their part and the only other body parts that I spotted in the immediate area were several small spinal sections.
Later that day, I spotted a second set of antlers with the skull still attached. These antlers, shown in the second photo below, showed more damage and it is hard to tell how large they may have initially been. As was the case with the first deer, there were few parts of the deer carcass in the surrounding area—the only parts I saw in the surrounding area were the lower jaw bones.
I spend a good deal of time out in nature, but see only a small part of what really takes place in the areas that I visit. Spring often makes us think of new life as baby birds and animals are born and trees and flowers emerge with new growth. These antlers, however, are a sober reminder that death is also a part of the cycle of life for the wildlife that I enjoy observing and photographing.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
One of my prize possessions is a moose shed I found in Maine. It’s just hanging around. I am not a hunter nor a trophy collector so it’s not mounted on a wall.
That said, it is sad to find the skull attached, rather than the outcome of just dropping them in the seasonal course of change. The death may have been natural or a kill of some sort. At least finding the skull and other bones indicate a more likely natural occurrence than the result of human hunting and the more ecologically normal passage of things.
Very interesting Mike! Even around here in a heavy populated NJ you see them in some parks.
It’s always a little sad to be reminded of that arc of the circle, Mike. But, live (in general) goes on.
It is part of the circle of life. I can’t imagine that a single fox or coyote could bring down a deer that large.
That was my thought, too, though those animals might have taken advantage of the situation if the deer died of natural causes. The only other big predators that are sometimes seen in the park are black bears, but I don’t think they eat deer.
That was an impressive rack. One always wonders how these creatures met their end. The great circle of life… Are there coyotes at the reserve? As the deer population increases, there is a need for a corresponding increase in predators to keep balance. Packs around here make short work of a carcass and little is wasted.
I wouldn’t be surprised if dogs didn’t take down the deer. Dogs will pack, and are capable of taking down sheep, goats, and deer. They’re an occasional problem for friends in the country. The dogs do the killing, and then other critters finish it off. They’ll chase deer, too.
If this were in a well-populated area, it might have been dogs, but I was alongside a creek in a pretty remote area, miles away from human habitations. It is still somewhat of a mystery to me.
I used to wonder why I never saw shed antlers on our walks in Seneca Creek State Park. Then someone told me that they are very nutritious, and many animals eat them. For example: https://www.inverse.com/article/12372-deer-shed-antlers-this-time-every-year-why-aren-t-deer-antlers-everywhere
You are right. Finding animal bones reminds us that all life ends. Something people don’t like to think about, but there it is.