Need Help In Central Texas.........

[Guest Cervelo]

Man you find the good stuff!!!

Thx for sharing

[Bigtex]

Hey Cervelo.....a whole lot different hiking up there in the PNW......wish I had a flashlight to check out the caves for sure.

I had my worst back episode ever, and have been pretty much immobile since a week ago Tuesday, no hiking for almost 2 weeks.

Will hopefully get out there this weekend and find something of interest.

Picture of Lucy & Duncan......best pals!

[Guest]

It's been awhile since I checked in with you Bigtex...are you still IN Texas, or have you permanently relocated to the PNW?

You talked earlier about "Mr Banana Foot" as if you'd been following this particular critter for years...if you're in the PNW woudn't he be back in Texas?

BTW, from what I've read, you got lucky with that deer...in rut they can go from zero to killer in a heartbeat.

[Guest Cervelo]

Sorry to hear about your back, know the feeling.

It sucks getting old!!!

Great pic of the dogs havin a blast.

Hoping you get well soon!

[Guest wudewasa]

Bigtex,

Thanks for the pics of the skull. They tell me a lot!

Your frontal pic-

A wolf skull frontal pic from http://www.mnh.si.edu/lewisandclark/popup.cfm?id=773

1) The upper and lower canines seem similar, however, the other missing teeth aren't available for comparison. The lack of teeth make the canines look larger.

2) The lower jaw in your picture doesn't appear to be as robust as the museum specimen.

Here is your lateral skull pic-

Here is a wolf skull lateral image from http://www.mnh.si.edu/lewisandclark/popup.cfm?id=767

1) Wolves have sagittal crests, not all dogs do. I can't tell if your skull has a prominent sagittal crest.

2) Both skulls have enlarged frontal bones, indicating a dog or wolf.

3) The teeth on your skull look smaller than the wolf skull.

4) Your skull doesn't seem to be as robust as the wolf skull.

So, I believe that you found the carcass of a dog. However, that dog may be wolfdog, having a recent lineage from a wolf and dog pairing. Here are my thoughts behind this idea, based on past experiences:

Wolfdogs are popular with many people, but unfortunately, many owners have a romantic notion that their pets will resemble wolves but behave like dogs. These animals vary extensively in behaviors and appearance, and all require husbandry that is different from many other dog breeds. No two are alike!

So, when/if the animal becomes problematic, it is released, the owner mistakenly believing that it can fend for itself due to its wolf heritage. This path is a long cruel death for the animal, unless it is killed by a vehicle or shot by someone. Wolfdogs need to have specific enclosures built for them, and often escape from inferior structures built to house them.

Regardless of the origins, it seems a pet got loose, died possibly from drowning, and you found the remains. Thanks for the story, and for letting me help sort it out.

[Guest]

but this Scapula pictured looks larger than the Deer Scapula's that I usually find......can any of you hunters identify the species, or do you think it's just a large Deer?

Looks highly similar to sheep to me, i.e. you'd normally find it in the butchers wrapped in "shoulder of mutton"

[Sunflower]

Check out Skulls Unlimited in Oklahoma. I think they have a shop in a suburb of OKC. I just checked and they are still in business. It's a regular treasure trove of information.

[Guest]

On the subject of wolf vs dog skulls...how can you tell the difference between a wolf skull and that of the larger wolf-like dogs (sheppards, huskies, etc)?

[JanV]

Hi Big Tex,

I sure hope you feel better soon. It looks like your "pack" is keeping an eye on you and providing a bit of entertainment at the same time!

[Guest wudewasa]

On the subject of wolf vs dog skulls...how can you tell the difference between a wolf skull and that of the larger wolf-like dogs (sheppards, huskies, etc)?

Dogs have shorter snouts, broader, smaller heads, and smaller teeth than wolves.

http://anthropology.net/2008/10/18/a-possible-domestication-of-dogs-during-the-aurignacian-31700-years-ago/

http://motherboard.vice.com/2012/1/24/prehistoric-siberian-skull-suggests-dogs-are-man-s-oldest-friend--2

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/dogs-that-changed-the-world/photo-essay-from-wolf-to-dog/1278/attachment/gal22/

[Guest]

^TY

[Bigtex]

Hey Mulder......still in Texas, only visit the PNW once or twice a year. My Deer buddy was pretty cool, and I made his job very easy since the female herd basically hung-out in my back yard, and he appreciated the round up of available 'dates', this is no joke......he really did:) I've spent a lot of time socializing with Deer, male & female, no two have the same personality, and they are quite smart. Their society is very complex too. We humans always think we are so much smarter than everything else, but this is not always the case. To me......it's all about timing, or what I refer to as 'time-life'. In other words, we all start out with a full glass of water, and the rate in which this glass is consumed is our life........most animals drink fast.

Animals 'live' at an accelerated rate compared to us; we think (react), move, and live very SLOW compared to most animals, and they get bored with us.......really, and this is often perceived by us as 'dumb'.

Thanks for the kind words JanV......I have to get back out there this week sometime, even if I have to crawl!

Thanks for the posts wudewusa.........very informative!

[kbhunter]

Wow, more good stuff! Thanks Bigtex, In hope your back is better soon! I definitely can relate as I have back problems often!

KB

[indiefoot]

You could get one of these for the times your back is acting up.

[Guest]

I just snagged one of these off the used table at a bazaar at the weekend...

http://www.getback2life.com/index.php

I'll let you know if it's any good.