I remember reading about deer living near a lake and eating dead washed up fish.

Seems like Michgan D&R did a study of stomach contents of road killed deer and found a small percentage of meat was present in some deer. I don't think they ever explained it

Alewives are a fatty baitfish common to Lake Michigan. Mass die offs are common, usually due to rapid changes to the water temperature. Deer along Lake Michigan shorelines have been known to eat the dead alewives that wash ashore.

I know a wildlife biologist who says that all animals would be carnivores, if they could. Just didn’t evolve that way.

I’ve seen deer nip the heads off young pheasant and crunch them down. Squirrels raiding garbage cans for KFC. The Mad Cow disease problems wasn’t a result of them feeding reconfigured protein from dead sheep. It was from them feeding reconfigured protein from DISEASED dead sheep.

Lots of so-called herbivores will eat meat. Ground squirrels and prairie dogs are known cannibals, for example. There is possibly a "protein deficiency" trigger in some herbivores that signals they need protein.

Or calcium.

Ive seen deer gnawing on old cattle bones and one i snuck up on and arrowed was busy gnawing on an old deer antler along Independence Creek a few miles from its confluence with the Pecos River in SW Texas canyon country.

The 4 pt buck was focused on its business but, aswith the others ive seen, never lifted the bone off the ground.

I remember reading somewhere that many pioneers preferred a mule because they would eat buffalo meat if they didn't have anything else, but a horse would starve.

Years ago (like many) I drove out to our local state park where deer would come up to cars for handouts. I fed them deer sausage thinking those fugks are canibals lol.

Watching cute fuzzy little cottontail bunny rabbits cannibalize their dead comrades was unexpected but the evil look on their cute fuzzy faces when they looked up at me with blood dripping off their faces is an image I’ll never forget!

I’ve heard of deer eating a dead squirrel or chipmunk so I’m not terribly surprised that they’d eat a snake. As mentioned previously, a deficiency of certain compounds could be what compels them to eat meat not unlike seeing a deer gnaw on dropped antlers for the calcium.

I’ve heard of white tails in Pennsylvania doing this. We picture them as pure herbivores, but the fact is that a lot of wild critters are sorta opportunistic when it comes to supper!
Not that I’d replace corn or peanut butter with a dead carcass!
7mm