Anyone come across this… blind deer

[Stringstalker]

Yesterday my son and I were elk hunting in Idaho. He made a great 359 yard shot with a 7mm-08. Lots to talk about there but I'll get to it. Driving out there was a deer in the middle of the road. Couldn't see. I pulled the binos out and he was completely missing his left eye. And his right was bulging out of his head. First I thought mountain lion. However zero evidence on the back of the neck or body. I'll be interested to hear thoughts on this one. I called the game warden. He went out to dispatch the animal.
It looks like a buck to me that lost its horns already.

 

[eshell]

A friend killed a whitetail here in MD that was blind in one eye. We teased him incessantly about finally finding a deer he could get close enough to hit.

 

[Barehandlineman11]

Looks shot with the eye bulging out. Or from fighting

 

[Ol' Red]

Could have lost antlers and eyes in a rut battle. I have never seen this before. He certainly wouldn't last long in that condition.

 

[moses42ak]

I can't say that I've seen anything like it before but the aforementioned explanation of a fight seems plausible. What's the story with the elk?

 

[bluedog69]

We get a lot of one eyed bucks due to fighting in MO. Two eyes gone probably lets them get eaten pretty quick.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Fight or flight into a fence or trees.
To be honest, I would have taken the photos for evidence, called the Warden, then dispatched the deer myself. No need to let that go on any longer.

Ear is torn up bad too. Could have been a "head shot" that missed enough to survive...for a little while at least.

What a shame. Looks like it was a younger buck.

 

[snookntarpon]

I bet it broke both antlers fighting and then continued picking fights until both eyes were gone.
SnT