Frontiersman, In my humble opinion, a cougar doesn't need a stump to get "a better grip", considering their strength. An average cougar can haul off a deer in it's mouth and hop it over a six foot fence or higher, all without the use of a handy stump. Could be anything from a deer as you mentioned, a bear with a fresh wound (they are hungry, and on the move looking for food now...) maybe a bird tangle with a bobcat, and finally sitting up high before exit flight? Who knows... In my experience, most all blood sign coagulates and dries quickly, although this is slowed by humidity. Fog and /or rain slow the process it seems to me...

Sure get's your mind thinking, doesn't it?

You bet it gets me thinking. I wondered if a cougar could just readjust a deer in the mouth in mid air with a head jerk. Whatever it was it was fresh!
Thank you,
Frontiersman

if there was fresh deer tracks and the blood was on top of them or in the same direction my insticnt would tell you it was the deer bleeding out but to tell you why is beyond me coulda been nature coulda been a hunter coulda been almost anything. Thats the thing you never do know unless you watch it happen.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am a true believer in the one shot one kill method.