Posted October 1, 2015 12:08 am by Comments

By Patriot Outdoor News

Check this out what do you think attacked the horse?

Finding a dead horse with puncture wounds in an area where wolves are known to roam might seem like an open and shut case. As The East Oregonian reports, however, a dead horse found in a pasture in Wallowa County, Oregon, was not killed by predatory canines but by an elk. A bull, hopped up on testosterone, felled the unlucky horse, according to biologist Mike Hansen, with the Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife. “It is breeding season for elk,” said Hansen. “Bulls are very aggressive this time of year.”

Michelle Dennehy, ODFW wildlife communication coordinator, said elk are not the usual suspects in livestock killings, but noted that such incidents are not unheard of. “Elk do occasionally kill horses, and we are coming close to their rut season,” said Dennehy. “Getting too close to a bull elk during the breeding season can be very dangerous.”

The dead 12-year-old gelding was discovered by elk hunters on the Grouse Creek Ranch. ODFW officials investigated the kill the day it was reported and found no evidence of a wolf attack, such as tracks or bites on the carcass. Likewise, officials said that scratches and scrapes …read more

Source:: Patriot Outdoor News

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