No, it is not a dead animal! It is freshly shed, frost fringed velvet from the antlers of a bull Caribou. I photographed it where the bull dropped it. Hopefully it made you stop and look, just as it did me!

CaribouBull CaribouDenali Old TownValdez CreekValdez Creek Mine RoadDenali HighwayAlaskaBarrenground CaribouRangifer tarandus grantiMammalFall FoliageNelchina HerdBullVelvetClearwater Mountains