Ok, I've always thought these are bot fly larvae,
at least that's what I've always called them.

But have never seen more than 1 or 2 in any critter.

Was prepping a deer skull for a young man, and saw one deep inside the sinuses.
Then another, and another, and another...

Was about 2 dozen in total, deer looked good otherwise, although almost no fat on it, but to.be expected this time of year.

Bait!!! It is ice fishing time.....jk

Exactly !! Channel's and crappie would enjoy that

Don't forget the Ghillies!

Those are nasal botfly larvae. Farley Mowat writes about caribou having their sinus cavities completely filled by those. The eskimos he lived with ate them and apparently really like them. I have a few of Farley Mowat's books.

Keith

I've been hungry a time or two, but never THAT hungry!

Just seems odd this late in the year.
Guess they'd overwinter up the old snozz and get sneezed out come spring?

Nasal bot-fly larvae as KeithC stated.

I've killed 5 deer this year and all of em had 1 to 3.

Common parasites in deer. Some years more common than others.

No human implications other than they look nasty.

Snot maggots. What's not to like about them?

"In Chapter 16 ("The Feeding of the Deer"), in "People of the Deer" Mowat recounts a hunting scene where a young Inuit man named Ootek kills a caribou bull infested with Cephenemyia (warble or bot fly) larvae. These maggots burrow into the caribou's nasal passages and sinuses, causing the animal visible discomfort (e.g., the bull is described as "running with his nose pressed against his chest" to dislodge them). After the kill, Ootek extracts the larvae:
"Ootek reached into the bull's nostrils and drew out a fat, wriggling thing which was as long as a man's finger and as thick as his thumb. It was a bot-fly larva, and Ootek popped it into his mouth and ate it with evident relish. The others followed suit, and in a moment the bull's nose was empty of its unwelcome guests."
Mowat notes that the larvae were "white and plump" and considered a delicacy by the hunters—tender, mildly sweet, and rich in fat content, providing quick energy in the subzero climate."

Keith