Did you happen to look at the hooves on the carcasses you found? The reason I ask is deer that have had ehd and got over it sometimes have broken or missing or otherwise messed up feet which can cause them to get run down especially during their travels during the rut. I’m asking because I also hunt in Jackson county and saw my buddy kill one during bow season with hooves that looked like the where peeling and was told that’s a sign the deer had ehd and had gotten over it. Saw another somewhat mature deer killed late January and his feet were so bad I don’t know how he was walking. I’m no biological expert by any stretch but if they had had ehd and gotten over it but had bad feet then the rut stress could have made them vulnerable to coyotes or other things. Just a guess on my part

Maybe age them and see if they may have died from old age after being worn down from the rut.

They might check them for CWD

Way I understand it the hooves will look like that after they survive it. The next year they'll be long and hollowed out. Way it was here few years back

Damn that sucks

I shot big doe w bow that had feet/hoves curving up like slippers - recovered from ehd

Natural rut related mortality is way higher than some folks realize.

^^^
I agree

Yeah it does.... But....... Its also cool as heck you and little man stumbling around bumping into em and getting them either way....But man demp thanks for posting those pics...... as much as I hate it for them I appreciate em for what they were....If that makes any sense to ya.....Im sure it does.....In those rough mountains during the rut they'll roll up and down them big bluffs and rocks fighting.....No telling how they went down but I cant wait to see how you display them.....

Got a friend of mine that killed his biggest in Bama around 6 yrs ago 150 inch 11 pointer.....running late that morning dropping his 83 yr old dad off and walking him in...then walking his FL in and got him settled....Blistering hot that morning for the rut that yr too.......anyway he was almost to his tree and heard splashing coming down the creek straight towards him......said he heard the deer coming a good ways off and watched him for 2 or 3 hundred yds just splashing and grunting and cooling off dipping down in deep spots panting...couldnt pull a shot off due to the deer jumping out of the creek dead away in some thick stuff and chased a doe off and up and down and around them ridges for another hour...lol.....He got so hot again went to the creek to cool off..........He shouldnt have done that my buddy got him that time then lol.....

Definitely no easy explanation for 3 really nice deer all dead within the same 20 acre area. I do know the 9 point went hard from 11/25 to mid January chasing does. I’ve never had a deer on cam as much as him during daylight and not killed. He just had my number. However he was dead in the area i knew he bedded in. The busted up 9, I had one picture of, he was within his bedding range I would guess as well as we found him pretty close to where I thought he bedded and close to where my son almost shot him. I only have 1 picture of the big 8 and he was probably 1/2 mile off from where I found him so I know he was doing some serious traveling in those mountains.

My son and I plan on trying to come up with a cool display for them if I ever get time to clean the skulls up. Pretty cool experience overall finding all them, almost smoked a turkey in the process but he decided the bench above us was better than the one we were on.

I hate that for you... I hate it for anyone that hunts hard and passes up immature bucks! There are some people; a few with very big presence on social media (Facebook administrator with an Alabama Facebook page) that preaches that you need to have WAAAAY more does than bucks and I just don't think that's good advice biologically. In a more balanced sex ratio, bucks breed all the does and then they can get back to surviving, sleeping and eating. When the sex ratio is off, bucks will forgo food, water and sleep to chase does for days... really, for months!!!!

I don't know why those bucks died of course, but I sure hate that for you!! Rut fatigue? I can't figure out another reason why those bucks died.

Also, those bucks dying is an example that nothing is guaranteed. If you're passing up a 4.5 yr or a 5.5 yr old, that buck may not make it to the next year. And no, I don't apply that consideration to a 3.5 yr old as I'd never shoot a known 3.5 yr old and don't like to shoot 4.5 yr olds. But anyway, thanks for sharing and I hope you're able to display those bucks in a way they deserve!!! You're a good sportsman!!!

MBrock mentioned it here the other day and I agree - I think more deer die from fighting than u think. I got coyotes every jan and Feb that start hammering this one traditional scrape keeping eye on it - I think some deer that get decently wounded may get finished off by the dogs - mine are hunting hurt deer I believe. I hd 2 studs on this lease my first year here - 120-125 range - never saw them again - no telling what happened to them - often wonder if they did each other in

I have no idea why they died but I’d be hunting that 20 acres this year.