The ranchers were, at the most, about 300 yards from the calf. Less than an hour later, the first calf was discovered completely eviscerated—most muscle and all internal organs were missing. There was no blood, entrails, or apparent disturbance. Some ranchers have disputed the more scientifically mainstream "natural causes hypothesis" on the grounds that the mutilated animals often fall outside of the normal categories of natural deaths by predation. Typically the victims of such attacks are cats, dogs and other family pets, and the actions of humans are usually limited to acts of cruelty such as striking, burning. Several cattle were found mutilated in the area the following day. On October 9, 1975, a motorist on U.S Highway 95 in northern Idaho, in an area of frequent cattle mutilation. A rash of mutilations in the area and across the nearby border in Nebraska.The reports of "helicopter" involvement have been used to explain why some cattle appear to have been dropped.
