Marmot Head Found on Mount Shavano

[painless4u2]

Can't imagine the outrage if some of you saw the end result of a good day at dove hunting before leaving for home...you wouldn't like the visuals (bird heads aren't good to eat). Oh, and as far as LNT, there usually isn't any sign of cleaning the dove the next day, say for a few feathers.

[Bombay2Boulder]

This thread has potential.

[RyGuy]

Man, y'all would lose your minds if you witness what animals actually do to each other in nature. I bet if you guys could you would try to pass a law that outlaws wolves from eating elk calves in yellowstone cause it's emotionally damaging to you sensibilities. Or keep hawks from plucking marmots eyeballs out. God forbid a person hunts one and eats it.

s**t dies. This marmot may not even been hunted, but it probably was.

Now, lets not go putting marmot head on stakes on trails, this is quite bad form if that's actually what someone did. But good grief people get a hold of your sensibilities.

LURE- I don't think you read my original post correctly or didn't seem to understand it correctly. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and see if I can re-explain it for you.

It is marmot hunting season. Assuming it was taken by someone with a small game license and all regulations are followed, all good. I never said it was illegal. Littering is accurate since you are leaving something behind in a public area, however the OP has since noted this was NOT on the main trail, and not likely to be found by anyone. Obviously that changes things as it was originally implied that the severed head was sitting next to the main trail for anyone to see.

As someone who has hunted before and has friends that do, I fully understand and know you can leave parts of the animal that aren't being used. However, whatever is left should not be just left out anywhere where it's likely to be seen by people. That's common courtesy at minimum. Good hunters wouldn't leave a carcass out in a well traveled area and this sort of behavior makes all hunters look bad. As a similar example, the hunter who killed a Moose at Brainard Lake in front of onlookers a few years back. The hunter was 100% legal to kill the Moose, yes. But very vulgar and foolish given how many people were there watching. Nobody who was there (aside from the hunter) wanted to see the Moose get killed, but they got to anyway. Same thing with a marmot head or animal carcass. Most people don't want to see it, and that's fine. This was why I made the comment about the Quandary goats. Assuming the marmot was hunted legally, quite different. However, it is similar in that nobody wants to see a animal carcass on or next to a hiking trail. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation.

Now, if a predator kills another animal on the trail...well, that's just life in the animal world. I've seen it quite a few times before, and I am sure I will see it again. It is what it is.

[jrs1965]

Picked clean. Weasel.

[XPLSV]

if the picture of that fish head shows up on here. For crying out loud people

You take pictures of fish heads? Sicko.

I was just thinking of that song when I read Lure's posting!

[ultimategully]

Man, y'all would lose your minds if you witness what animals actually do to each other in nature. I bet if you guys could you would try to pass a law that outlaws wolves from eating elk calves in yellowstone cause it's emotionally damaging to you sensibilities. Or keep hawks from plucking marmots eyeballs out. God forbid a person hunts one and eats it.

s**t dies. This marmot may not even been hunted, but it probably was.

Now, lets not go putting marmot head on stakes on trails, this is quite bad form if that's actually what someone did. But good grief people get a hold of your sensibilities.

As someone who has hunted before and has friends that do, I fully understand and know you can leave parts of the animal that aren't being used. However, whatever is left should not be just left out anywhere where it's likely to be seen by people. That's common courtesy at minimum. Good hunters wouldn't leave a carcass out in a well traveled area and this sort of behavior makes all hunters look bad. As a similar example, the hunter who killed a Moose at Brainard Lake in front of onlookers a few years back. The hunter was 100% legal to kill the Moose, yes. But very vulgar and foolish given how many people were there watching. Nobody who was there (aside from the hunter) wanted to see the Moose get killed, but they got to anyway. Same thing with a marmot head or animal carcass. Most people don't want to see it, and that's fine. This was why I made the comment about the Quandary goats. Assuming the marmot was hunted legally, quite different. However, it is similar in that nobody wants to see a animal carcass on or next to a hiking trail. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation.

Now, if a predator kills another animal on the trail...well, that's just life in the animal world. I've seen it quite a few times before, and I am sure I will see it again. It is what it is.

I second this. As a deer hunter I have always cleaned them where they fall, but can honestly say I have never left the deer's head on a pike for other's to stumble upon. Maybe that makes me "sensitive" like some of the people here seem to be implying.

[XPLSV]

I second this. As a deer hunter I have always cleaned them where they fall, but can honestly say I have never left the deer's head on a pike for other's to stumble upon. Maybe that makes me "sensitive" like some of the people here seem to be implying.

Growing up in Wisconsin, I remember all the neighbors coming back during deer hunting season with a deer strapped across the front hood of the car. Today, that is pretty much a covered topic in any Hunter's Education class--don't do that as it may shock people and that isn't being a good hunting ambassador.

Of course, lots of trucks and SUVs today that were not prevalent in the 70s. Plus, today's hoods would not support a deer. Now, a marmot, maybe...

[Conor]

Man, y'all would lose your minds if you witness what animals actually do to each other in nature. I bet if you guys could you would try to pass a law that outlaws wolves from eating elk calves in yellowstone cause it's emotionally damaging to you sensibilities. Or keep hawks from plucking marmots eyeballs out. God forbid a person hunts one and eats it.

s**t dies. This marmot may not even been hunted, but it probably was.

Now, lets not go putting marmot head on stakes on trails, this is quite bad form if that's actually what someone did. But good grief people get a hold of your sensibilities.

LURE- I don't think you read my original post correctly or didn't seem to understand it correctly. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and see if I can re-explain it for you.

It is marmot hunting season. Assuming it was taken by someone with a small game license and all regulations are followed, all good. I never said it was illegal. Littering is accurate since you are leaving something behind in a public area, however the OP has since noted this was NOT on the main trail, and not likely to be found by anyone. Obviously that changes things as it was originally implied that the severed head was sitting next to the main trail for anyone to see.

As someone who has hunted before and has friends that do, I fully understand and know you can leave parts of the animal that aren't being used. However, whatever is left should not be just left out anywhere where it's likely to be seen by people. That's common courtesy at minimum. Good hunters wouldn't leave a carcass out in a well traveled area and this sort of behavior makes all hunters look bad. As a similar example, the hunter who killed a Moose at Brainard Lake in front of onlookers a few years back. The hunter was 100% legal to kill the Moose, yes. But very vulgar and foolish given how many people were there watching. Nobody who was there (aside from the hunter) wanted to see the Moose get killed, but they got to anyway. Same thing with a marmot head or animal carcass. Most people don't want to see it, and that's fine. This was why I made the comment about the Quandary goats. Assuming the marmot was hunted legally, quite different. However, it is similar in that nobody wants to see a animal carcass on or next to a hiking trail. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation.

Now, if a predator kills another animal on the trail...well, that's just life in the animal world. I've seen it quite a few times before, and I am sure I will see it again. It is what it is.

Your first post actually compared it to the illegal poaching of the goats on quandary. It was a bit dramatic for my taste.

[Trotter]

Despite being within hunting season, I find this pretty despicable.

I grew up hunting, and certainly don't object to it...when it's done properly.
Leaving any part of an animal like this in a public area is littering at the very least and I would go as far as to say irresponsible and insensitive.

Frankly, it's not much different than the goats who were killed on Quandary a few weeks back.

Let me clarify...this wasn't on the main trail. I tried to skirt the eastern edge of Shavano through the boulder field to avoid going all the way back up as the weather was turning (hint: did not save any time). When I was working my way back towards the actual trail, I came across this. I find it highly unlikely it would be found by anyone...I just happened to stumble across this small furry round object that I initially thought might have been a piece of clothing. I rolled it over and saw it was a marmot head--was not on a pike, was not out for display, just down between the rocks. May have been hunting, may have been an animal predator. Now, as far as hunting goes, if somebody took this guy without a small game license, then it would be illegal, similar to the goats...although I can assure you, an animal like a goat would be prosecuted with much more vigor!

Why let the truth stand in the way of a bunch of knee jerk reactions against hunters?

[Above_Treeline]

Why on earth would anyone kill a marmot?

I can't imagine they're good eating.

Disgusting

[highpilgrim]

I can't imagine they're good eating

Tastes just like chikin. Eat more chikin.

[Above_Treeline]

Disgusted by the people that think killing marmots is ok. Really enjoyed seeing marmots at altitude.

People kill everything.

And no, it's not the greatest comparison, comparing natural predation with human slaughter. For one thing, I've heard only 10% of red tails make it to adulthood.