Dead Deer

[Grumpy]

I just received an email picture of a trophy Buck deer some one bagged with a Bow and Arrow. The guy in the picture is holding the head up by the rack and the Deer has its eyes wide open looking right at the camera BUT IT IS DEAD. I am curious about something that no one as yet has been able to explain to me.

Over the years, I have seen many pictures of dead Deer and in every picture I have ever seen THE DEER'S EYES ARE ALWAYS OPEN. i have never seen one with it's eyes closed but every hunter I have ever asked has said that Deer do in fact have eye lids. I have only seen a couple of actual dead deer but that was so long ago I don't remember about the eyes being opened or closed. Every other dead animal I have ever seen pictures of, or in reality, have their eyes closed.

Can any of you hunters out there tell me why Deer keep theire eyes open when they are dead?

Thanks,

Grumpy

[bassin_bug]

I just received an email picture of a trophy Buck deer some one bagged with a Bow and Arrow. The guy in the picture is holding the head up by the rack and the Deer has its eyes wide open looking right at the camera BUT IT IS DEAD. I am curious about something that no one as yet has been able to explain to me.

Over the years, I have seen many pictures of dead Deer and in every picture I have ever seen THE DEER'S EYES ARE ALWAYS OPEN. i have never seen one with it's eyes closed but every hunter I have ever asked has said that Deer do in fact have eye lids. I have only seen a couple of actual dead deer but that was so long ago I don't remember about the eyes being opened or closed. Every other dead animal I have ever seen pictures of, or in reality, have their eyes closed.

Can any of you hunters out there tell me why Deer keep theire eyes open when they are dead?

Thanks,

Grumpy

Ahhhhhh! The better to see you with. I think they do it to freak out the hunter and make him feel guilty for killing it. Wouldn't it be funny to see a big buck head mounted on someone's wall with its eyes closed? lol

No, it's just how animals, and people, are; the eye muscles relax when they die and the eyelid usually will do their own thing. Sometimes the eyelid will fall down without help. My dog was looking straight at me when she was dying and, after she died, I pulled her eyelids down and held them for about a minute so they would stay closed.

I could tell you a couple of funny incidents about open eyes with deceased humans but will hold those for another time.

[Tim_T]

Every deer I have ever killed had it's eyes open and its tounge hanging out. We always tuck the tounge back in for photos, but the eyes stay open. Not sure why it is, but I assume it is a reflex thing. Sort of like when you kill a rattlesnake it still squirms for a while.

[Grumpy]

I grant you I am not a hunter nor a wildlife expert and maybe my memory fails me or is playing tricks on me but I have seen actual dead Bear, Deer, Rabbit, Skunk, Coon, Possum, Woodchuck, Dogs and Cats; however, except for the Deer, I don't remember any of them having their eyes open. I honestly don't remember about the humans I have seen right after they died.

Grumpy

[jollyroger]

I own and operate a deer processing and custom butchering plant in west central IN. and I can tell you all hogs and beef die with their eyes open (why, I don't know) and 99% of the deer I get in also have their eyes open. And here's one for you. I have been told if a deer is shot on the left side his tongue will hang out the left side, if he is shot on the right side his tongue will hang out the right side. I don't know about that either.

[Grumpy]

Thanks, Jollyroger, for more proof that my memory ig failing me andI am getting OLD!! lol

Grumpy

[Tim_T]

I own and operate a deer processing and custom butchering plant in west central IN. and I can tell you all hogs and beef die with their eyes open (why, I don't know) and 99% of the deer I get in also have their eyes open. And here's one for you. I have been told if a deer is shot on the left side his tongue will hang out the left side, if he is shot on the right side his tongue will hang out the right side. I don't know about that either.

Dang jollyroger, now I am going to have to get out one day this week and see if I can't egt me another deer just to test this tongue theory LOL.

[fishin350]

when hunting if you walk up on a shot deer and the eyes are closed beware. I almost got gored while bow hunting.

[stoner]

when hunting if you walk up on a shot deer and the eyes are closed beware. I almost got gored while bow hunting.

That's what I always heard

[Mean Morone]

Well all I know is the one in the dithch across the road from my house has his eyes open. I wonder if he saw the car that hit him. I wish whoever hit him would have taken him to the butcher. Now he's just going to stink up the place. I hope the yotes find him.

[adrian goodman]

yes they are open when they are dead