Redgum Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) Grallocked a fallow doe the other evening and while easing out the stomach contents I found a lumpy sack about the size of a large shoe, the light was going so took this back home for further investigation. My first thoughts were that it was an unborn fawn but the sack contain no fluid. I opened it up and boy did it stink and was full of bones including a small jaw bone, there was no fluid inside the sack nor blood for that matter. The bones didn't look fresh, more the resemblance of cooked bone, I hadn't taken notice while grallocking if this was from stomach or womb tract. Should have taken a photo but it stunk so much it go to disposed of rather rapidly. Could this have been a dead fawn being reabsorbed.? Edited March 13, 2015 by Redgum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Red deer stags, Sika stags, Fallow bucks and Roe bucks have all been observed chewing on cast antlers or the bony carcasses of dead deer. The presumption is that this is an attempt to replace the calcium in their own bodies for the annual growth of antlers. I have never heard of Roe does doing it though. The doe could well have lost it's fawn. Eating it would be a way of recovering some of the nutrition lost in her own body as a result of carrying the fawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Could well be a dead fawn that hadn't been aborted. Whether it would have been absorbed, aborted or eventually killed her is another matter. I would think zero chance she has eaten and swallowed enough to add up to what you have if it includes jaw bones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted March 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 It certainly is a bizarre thing, I have heard of deer chewing bones before, even eating dead pigeons but these bones would have choked the animal to death. The animal was healthy in everyway, no abnormality it lymphatic system, good weight with plenty of fat. Only wish I had paid more attention during the grallock, if I had seen it was part of the reproductive system then it could only be a fawn being reabsorbed ( it was not recognisable as a fawn). If it had been in the stomach tract then I have just saved the world from a man eating fallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 Could well be a dead fawn that hadn't been aborted. Whether it would have been absorbed, aborted or eventually killed her is another matter. I would think zero chance she has eaten and swallowed enough to add up to what you have if it includes jaw bones I would go allong with this. My guess is that it's last years fetus that has mummified after the fulids have been absorbed. It's even possible it may have been an ectopic pregnancy and the feotus had finally developed in the abdominal cavity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted March 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 I would go allong with this. My guess is that it's last years fetus that has mummified after the fulids have been absorbed. It's even possible it may have been an ectopic pregnancy and the feotus had finally developed in the abdominal cavity. Must have been something on these lines, the bones etc were completely contained in a white membrane, almost like it had been vac packed, like a mate of mine once said who worked in a abattoir, '' you would be horrified with some of the things we see in carcasses''. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Was thin the stomach Redgun or was it as you was opening the stomach with your knife you felt the blade hit something and on closer inspection you found last years fawn, just wondering if it was in or against the stomach. Shame to didn't take a photo in the field to add to the library of deer inturnals. Have you still got it now so we can have a photo? ATB Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Could well be a dead fawn that hadn't been aborted. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted March 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Was thin the stomach Redgun or was it as you was opening the stomach with your knife you felt the blade hit something and on closer inspection you found last years fawn, just wondering if it was in or against the stomach. Shame to didn't take a photo in the field to add to the library of deer inturnals. Have you still got it now so we can have a photo? ATB Phil Really wish I had taken a photo, it wasn't in the stomach tract and the guts were good, green bag full and droppins tuther end. It seemed to be separate to everything else, mummified foetus seems to be the order of the day, that's all it could have been. If I had taken a photo it would have been immortalised in many a deer book for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIDES EDGE Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Could well be a dead fawn that hadn't been aborted. Whether it would have been absorbed, aborted or eventually killed her is another matter. I would think zero chance she has eaten and swallowed enough to add up to what you have if it includes jaw bones I would agree with this I found exactly the same in a fallow doe many years ago and it was definatley not in the stomach it to stank and as the grallock was done in day light I am sure it was a dead fawn . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Really wish I had taken a photo, it wasn't in the stomach tract and the guts were good, green bag full and droppins tuther end. It seemed to be separate to everything else, mummified foetus seems to be the order of the day, that's all it could have been. If I had taken a photo it would have been immortalised in many a deer book for sure. Yep, think you have your answer red. Photo would have been nice bit hayho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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