Went scouting over the weekend-- lots of pics..


Squirrelhunter91

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Alright, mods I have no idea where to put this because it has a little bit of everything in it.

My dad and I decided that we were going Turkey Scouting this past weekend. So we leave the house at about 9:30 AM to get up there for about 10:30-11:00 AM. I forgot when we arrived at camp but it was earlier then expected. So I unload the the truck while my dad goes out for a ride on the quad around to the areas of the property where we found coyote kills and stuff like that, just making sure the path is clear etc... When my dad came back he had two skulls with him. One was of a button buck and the other of a doe. Both of the deer were coyote kills from the winter. We didn't want to take the skulls back then becuase they still had meat on them. Here are pics of the skulls:

The button buck:

buttonbuck.jpg

The doe:

skull1.jpg

Yes that is her jawbone in the pic.

Ok so after I finish unloading the truck, I get ready to go for a ride on the quad. I pocket my turkey call and I am on my way. I ride around and get to a spot where the locals say they have been seeing bird the last few weeks. Sure enough, I round the turn and there is 7 Toms feeding on the trail. I shut the quad off and watch them. They start walking away, while they were doing this, I put my turkey call in my mouth and putt. All of them stopped in their tracks looking for the bird that just putted. Then I purred and they went on. While watching them as they stopped, I picked the one that I am going to shoot this season. Sorry no pics of the birds. I didn't have the camera with me. So I rode around until I got hungry and got back to camp. After lunch, me and my dad went out for a ride. I took him to the spot where I saw the birds. He wanted to drive around in the brush looking for shed antlers. We ended up finding a predator skull. We don't know if it is a coyote or a fox. There was no lower jaw bone, just the skull. It is the one closest to you in the first pic and the one on the left in the second pic.

skull2.jpg

skull3.jpg

Then we headed back to camp and then went to our buddies house and had a bbq. That was only Saturday.

Sunday Morning I woke up around 8:00 AM and got dressed into full camo and went for a walk. I found these turkey tracks:

turkeytracks.jpg

turkeytracks2.jpg

So then I thought, this turkey had to walk by either earlier this morning or just after me and my dad left the woods on the quad.

I could have shot a bunch of crows while walking up the mountain, but they are out of season and I didn't have my gun.

I got back to camp at about 9:40 AM and ate breakfast. Then we went out for a ride at about 10:30 AM. The same time I went yesterday and found the birds... smirk.gifsmirk.gifwink.gif Yep.... you guessed it. We saw a flock of 8 hens and 2 jakes. The jakes were strutting for the hens, but the hens had no interest in my yelping. Once I started yelping, the jake stopped walking away from us and was listening to my love talk. If he wasn't all henned up then he would have gobbled... crazy.gif

Saw a bunch of deer. I'd say that I know where I am going on opening day. LOL

Here are more pics of the skulls we found...

skullline.jpg

jaw1.jpg

jaw2.jpg

teeth.jpg

BTW how old do you think the deer is in the above pic?

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Re: Went scouting over the weekend-- lots of pics..

[ QUOTE ]

We ended up finding a predator skull. We don't know if it is a coyote or a fox. There was no lower jaw bone, just the skull. It is the one closest to you in the first pic and the one on the left in the second pic.

skull2.jpg

skull3.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

After looking at many skulls in classes I've had in college, I would say that is not a coyote. It doesn't have a prominent sagittal crest consistent with coyote skulls. Also it looks like the canine teeth don't curve as much as those in coyotes. It doesn't have the elongated nose of coyotes either. It's possible that it is a very young coyote that isn't fully developed, but I'm not sold on that thought.

In my opinion, that is a fox skull. Probably a young gray one that hasn't fully developed all the bone characteristics of older ones.

I feel around 80-90% confident in my analysis, but I could be completely wrong. So there ya go, take it for what it's worth. smirk.gif

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Re: Went scouting over the weekend-- lots of pics..

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

We ended up finding a predator skull. We don't know if it is a coyote or a fox. There was no lower jaw bone, just the skull. It is the one closest to you in the first pic and the one on the left in the second pic.

skull2.jpg

skull3.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

After looking at many skulls in classes I've had in college, I would say that is not a coyote. It doesn't have a prominent sagittal crest consistent with coyote skulls. Also it looks like the canine teeth don't curve as much as those in coyotes. It doesn't have the elongated nose of coyotes either. It's possible that it is a very young coyote that isn't fully developed, but I'm not sold on that thought.

In my opinion, that is a fox skull. Probably a young gray one that hasn't fully developed all the bone characteristics of older ones.

I feel around 80-90% confident in my analysis, but I could be completely wrong. So there ya go, take it for what it's worth. smirk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Im not up on skulls so can't realy comment there...but one question...the railing they are sitting on...is it 2x6 or what...that may give a size reference for those that do know to base their guesses on...

Just a thought grin.gif

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