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We have a few acres in SW Colorado and an adult dead elk showed up on the property. The neck is intact so we think it wasnt killed by a mountain lion (which are in the area).
The carcass would be difficult to get to (because of permission to use an abandoned easement) and I just plan to let nature clean up. Area has mountain lions, coyotes, buzzards and of course flies. Its starting to stink.
I dont believe I have any obligation to get rid of the carcass which would be just an incredibly nasty difficult job at this point. Im in an HOA that has no specific reference to getting rid of dead animals.. but who know.
I have 5.5 acres and the carcass is on my property. Any home is not that close but I would not be surprised if at least one neighbor gets a whiff.. We are used to animals getting harvested by nature here so I dont think any issue..
Maybe alert the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They probably come out to check the carcass and try to determine a cause of death.
For example, it might be old age, which would be the Circle of Life. If it's Chronic Wasting Disease that opens a whole new bag of Oh ****! for them and could impact not only elk but also deer across the entire state.
I doubt they'd make you dispose of the animal although your HOA/municipality might.
I doubt they'd make you dispose of the animal although your HOA/municipality might.
I also doubt any problem alerting anyone about the carcass.. but it would not be a good day if I did alert someone and they were able to force me to move it.
I also doubt any problem alerting anyone about the carcass.. but it would not be a good day if I did alert someone and they were able to force me to move it.
I doubt they would force you to move it. They may move it free if it is in a semi dense neighborhood. It will attract other animals.
My mother in law lived in Estes Park in a development in the rocks and trees above the Stanley hotel. They had all manner of wildlife. If they found a dead deer or elk they reported it and they came out and removed it. Too densely populated to risk bears. Mountain lions not so much- they prefer to kill their own prey unless it's an older cat. Now if it's determined to be a cat kill- that's a whole nother ball of wax.
Thanks for the responses, yep, I think I should be OK to notify game folks and probably should do that.
We dont think it was a mountain lion kill because there is no visible wound on the neck. No visible wounds at all. Carcass might have also been in this spot for a couple weeks, I just didnt notice it until a few days ago. We think it was just an old cow who chose this spot to expire. FYI, adult cows weight around 500 to 600 pounds. Im not real excited to have whatever critter come around and eat it but that seems better than having that 500 to 600 pounds converted to flies.
FYI, we definitely have mountain lions in the area. A neighbor had an Alpaca killed by one and several years ago found the cleaned bones of a buck on our property. We walk down to the the area where we found the buck bones just about every day and never see any trace of lions. Everyone here just lives with them. Keeps you a little cautious however, we carry bear spray.
Maybe alert the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They probably come out to check the carcass and try to determine a cause of death.
For example, it might be old age, which would be the Circle of Life. If it's Chronic Wasting Disease that opens a whole new bag of Oh ****! for them and could impact not only elk but also deer across the entire state.
I doubt they'd make you dispose of the animal although your HOA/municipality might.
Not really. Colorado is Ground Zero for CWD, at a Ft. Collins CSU/Army lab. Most likely when deer in a research facility were transferred into a pen that had been used for sheep with scrapie.
Thanks for the responses, yep, I think I should be OK to notify game folks and probably should do that.
We dont think it was a mountain lion kill because there is no visible wound on the neck. No visible wounds at all. Carcass might have also been in this spot for a couple weeks, I just didnt notice it until a few days ago. We think it was just an old cow who chose this spot to expire. FYI, adult cows weight around 500 to 600 pounds. Im not real excited to have whatever critter come around and eat it but that seems better than having that 500 to 600 pounds converted to flies.
FYI, we definitely have mountain lions in the area. A neighbor had an Alpaca killed by one and several years ago found the cleaned bones of a buck on our property. We walk down to the the area where we found the buck bones just about every day and never see any trace of lions. Everyone here just lives with them. Keeps you a little cautious however, we carry bear spray.
Elk get sick and die like people. And this is the time of year that they often do; winter has left them a little worse for wear and they now exposed to new levels of pathogens as things warm up, grow and hatch right when the elk are in a weakened state.
Not really. Colorado is Ground Zero for CWD, at a Ft. Collins CSU/Army lab. Most likely when deer in a research facility were transferred into a pen that had been used for sheep with scrapie.
I didn't know that, hence why I mentioned CWD. If that's the case it's moved east. We have to watch for it here.
In any event P and W might want to check the carcass. If it was a lion or bear kill that becomes a data point for them. Although if it's been out for a couple weeks it's likely pretty ripe by now.
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