My mother, Carol, who is visiting me from Missouri, and I were driving at a speedy clip down Highway 117, I think, when I saw chicken-sized ravens making merry on the remains of a large mammal. I wondered if I should stop to take a look, but passed on.
I commented to Carol, "
Did you see that animal the ravens were eating"?
"
No," she said.
I asked, "
Do you want me to turn around"?
"
Yes. We stop for carcasses," she replied.
So I turned around.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIDG61UPO-cMDnJT1oUHlKUffo18iWWYpA_xpTh01oYiT5DwjgLDSwavE7rP0WzYscNQVOss1eDKOA7Kj-slABImdr3BC3wtfrC5NrZYJ3nFfPGlGlQl_nSIeAtP0rjPKOQsNBjJ0-D_6/s400/Dead+elk+near+El+Malpais.JPG) |
Dead elk, Highway 117, New Mexico |
Earlier in Carol's visit, we'd stopped for this fallen elk on Highway 70 between Tularosa and Mescalero.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq17yq48zySkzKAGFyKhPtIN7dxAbvliiBeJtZCfdab9pdn8fbotw8pEJtnfUUaZ3vz-LG_etrQCdi5pcQHtbA3NZXGtDOMI3vgg5qJ5vd0KJjYXm1Q_t29sb9HQ-ScT3rWG4cvJjTTV3/s400/Dead+elk+near+Mescalero,+NM.JPG) |
Dead elk, Highway 70, New Mexico |
As Carol was framing her shot, a car pulled up behind us. A man emerged and walked toward us. What? Ah, he was a tourist from Nebraska. He had his camera out, too.
A few years ago, on another trip to New Mexico with my mother, I stopped for a wilderpee along Highway 152, only to almost stumble on this dead dog.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0maj_dQrk9kfTpEGrYI-8Q9JdP1HlBqrrBE3tbUuKubWcoFEZXkudJeNhRe_NJcVpszVOiea51uTzuLETujNXxS29bUPYsgVh1tVlqeumU-1k246ZVEIttc4xosEPVQ-MWBVVSHWlbHGV/s400/Disintegrating+dog+encountered+on+Highway+152,+NM.JPG) |
Dead dog, Highway 152, New Mexico |
Speaking of almost stumbling on carrion while finding a good place to relieve oneself, here's a shot of a dead deer in Carson National Forest, also in New Mexico, on yet another past trip. I got all artistic on this shot.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGG4BIVerpv3sf-kBj-HTz8pZbPfWJvhMpjylLIJLfQbubjcElKgLxy00vnIlgdx7X1Qqik7trzrfGH2HsLdjg-dL_XQIIYDVrUaCH03yPs1gKZiXPVIaY1Gu0VvDRCCOK2zHKDA1gsNB/s400/Carson+National+Forest+picnic+area+-+dead+deer+3.JPG) |
Dead deer, Carson National Forest, New Mexico |
There has been no lack of carrion in Missouri, either:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H0CfVm2Ens3hyCXdBl1Tagt2R7DWDd4_7M_8WZK037KCioW_esqEDIhmaPdq_gvm4DKcqC8U688mmt8Q0t8G1yIWNqxvJRqQ11whpabWsNrXiGC5RFHQE7Ac0c3MM07q6Y30goqFqlJ7/s400/Dead+armadillo+-+Hwy+21+outside+Washington+State+Park,+MO.JPG) |
Dead armadillo, Highway 21, Missouri |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yPC7zxyXpf3_dyY1uk_IsvAec0Ke5AQgXq4fzZe4pIy6yn7FSeZF6Qq4RFEfDsDMr0BO_1lST0LTaCyl7tKyw0T_cBaYtrX-zvDTgcscoanzLK6KAd0AXAIK-GJeajlzTQG6goQWJM3i/s400/Dead+frog.JPG) |
Dead frog, Missouri |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTwhRxIEIXq0ZpbqA6t950rHNDLev2ZekQKPnrAU5UAPhovnB8_5nQVh3rd5j6VlCPRCvEOqJ-S-m5HZ66sedxM-a9dmLT0tEtxWaZiHoaLxCqyZsJvMCUqzRgFgdsKoiwd2Fnlw9DIuN/s400/Dead+snake.JPG) |
Dead snake, Missouri |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgUBBKtKUUXUMec-bYD5JE7gv7hCnbqlZxVF73e-LmYQv3iCrqkeykLyL5YwTR4WA7Yf28pCynyc3W1ZAwVdoqemV0kVp2o5iwJEkRV_fOEPOh3YLueaBZQ5bkbc_YKI3exiYdC6kT-Mq/s320/Skeleton+-+Hwy+21+outside+Washington+State+Park,+MO.JPG) |
Dead something, Highway 21, Missouri |
Then there was the
horse in Nazret, Ethiopia:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaWyUjLhmm_Mbb-GTTQmgX5aY3dE7j3rIRE8wDDXc8LsrZjJxNWrI1DP8iPsZHgkxMXYwNVRvAJA_HiEst37Yw9TmPhPieAMqSQ8G_FIMC7IS-WdO6u4JUAuJ396w4s7HWD1zcPgmXSUC/s400/Dead+horse+in+Nazret.jpg) |
Dead horse, Nazret, Ethiopia |
... and the one in Monument Valley:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTCak-Z0PwPUVnOwpNtVPtuEM13vXhPaqAqbIxdaBlkXRZx6CDPXEpRX7GUPDOcVp3gUkTmL_x7JBzJgyPaLVNYzSUKvDH1jUYiUoMsa1DQF40xD8-jgt8oJxz6zFgJPpCpfesdwn3uyK/s400/Monument+Valley+-+dead+horse+roadside+2.JPG) |
Dead horse, Monument Valley |
This
poor bird got caught in some branches in Arkansas:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8137H0dWpOk1cUaJ0Qw7UyuURdVcgRs_5dGhJFsNHyUBL-XQS8NVjnx4TN4uRrODrcKXXpaMcZoOtp-zKfdvVjmAI19KWGNlNZUHocS5TRWje3SEKLxOHpjG_yu9Ivyf48AwvGg2dMhY/s400/Arkansas+-+Caught+duck.JPG) |
Dead duck, Arkansas |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqF-KdwR54gW_MdtXzGAbPOvEF07vumEZ7glTx8mTYCsd6Yt_pQ-tcUFNGsuRqQ6YYH7aiEwTdCRkL2lRR2oWqAVPBaTCKvOdwylqf41Jstki36jXsO1b53jp1-LWUJtQABK_4UbV_pj-c/s400/Dove+left+by+hawk.JPG) |
Remains of dove killed by hawk, which later return for leftovers. Alamogordo, NM |
We stop for carcasses.
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