Over the years, I’ve witnessed some wild and crazy things while sitting high up in the treetops or easing through the open hardwoods country. In fact, nature has a mysterious way of making the bizarre look somewhat normal at times. For example, I once watched a giant long tined 10-point buck play with its sworn enemy for at least an hour just out of bow range. Honestly, a full grown coyote and buck took turns chasing each other in short circles and erratic zigzag patterns. Right about now, you’re probably thinking that I am either full of crap or had one too many drinks during that hunt. However, not even a writer with an inventive imagination could make up something that good. If you think that story is strange, then you better hang on tightly to your seats, because things are about to get even weirder. Our good friend Charlie Elk on the BBZ just sent us some video that clearly shows a spike buck actually eating a live bird.
In the past, I’ve heard stories about does dropping fawns and eating the afterbirth. Many believe does take part in this unusual ritual to prevent predators like coyotes from learning that a fawn is close by, but others say it’s simply a fast way for the new moms to regain some much needed protein. Some of you on the BBZ have even posted comments about watching bucks eat their velvet after rubbing it off during the fall of the year. Personally, I’ve never seen whitetails participate in either activity, but countless other hunters have told me about their strange experiences. With that being said, I would like to know if anyone on the BBZ has ever witnessed anything close to what played out on the deer and bird video? Watching a whitetail turn carnivore for no particular reason kind of makes you think just a little. As a hunter, I know it would definitely be scary walking to the stand before daylight, if deer suddenly start developing a taste for meat. Charlie Elk suggested that we should all stop spending money on expensive food plots and start setting out bird seed to attract top-heavy bucks this season!