Horse Kill Determined to be Bull Elk

Horse Kill Determined to be Bull Elk

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has made a determination on the horse that was killed recently near Imnaha in Northeastern Oregon. Field Reporter Greg Martin shares the summary of the investigation report that the ODFW provided to me.
Martin: “ODFW examined the dead horse and found evidence that the horse had died of internal blood loss resulting from a single wound caused by a large object that had stabbed into the groin area on the left side of the horse and ruptured a major blood vessel. Scrape marks on the animal’s side above the groin wound and elk tracks found at the site suggested that the horse had been gored by a bull elk. The horse had been fed on only by scavenging birds.”
Thanks, Greg. According to what I heard from witnesses what was missing from the report was the fact that wolves had been heard howling the previous evening — yet on the report it lists that there had been no evidence of wolf presence near the time of the animal’s death. Also absence from the report is the second horse that was completely spooked even the next day.
In an email following up my reaction as to this being very unusual — the ODFW official shared that a bull elk had gored a heifer in Southern Oregon in the past. So what do you think? Have you ever heard of a bull elk killing or even attacking a horse?

 

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