Guest FuriousGeorge Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I know nothing about hackberries. Would you say the pit of the hackberry fruit is crunchy and/or loaded with nutrients? If yes, I wonder if bf is supplied with molars that would make short work of a nutrient rich source and not just pass them through. I have no idea, I'm just wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Hackberry seeds are quite hard. You can break a tooth on them. According to some sources (see below) they were pulverized into a sweet paste by early Americans. The fruit itself is supposedly quite sweet. I have found conflicting information on the nutritional content of these berries. Some sources stating they are high in vitamin c and protein, while other sources say the nutritional content is minimal. They are listed as edible (for human foraging) in Terese Marone's Wild Berries and Fruit Field Guide. Garden wise, they are a fast growing tree but are susceptible to storm damage and rot. Some berries will stay on the tree over winter providing food sources fore birds. Many people consider the tree a "trash tree" due to their messy habits. From what I have read, they are a good tree for shade and for attracting wildlife, but I wouldn't plant them where they could cause damage. Daves Garden Wild edibles of Texas 100 most common american trees Considerations when planting Hackberry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiefoot Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) As I posted earlier, what finally tipped the scale for me was after being examined in the field and looking closely at the photographs, it became apparent that what ever ate the berries did so in a way as to get only berries. Whether they were picked up off the ground or picked off the tree, a large volume of human sized and human looking scat was made up of berries and berries alone. There are no bears in this area, none have ever been reported here since records have been kept. The nearest herd of feral pigs is about forty miles away as the crow flies and that is pretty small. They met death from the skies in a hunt a few years ago. Edited June 10, 2011 by indiefoot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I have seen coyote scat loaded with berries and only berries. It seems you have pretty much decided what dropped this scat, so why ask for assistance in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiefoot Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Please show us a photo of that coyote scat or any scat for that matter that is the size and shape of a human that is all hackberries. The first photo shows a 9-10 incher. Not many critters can pull that off. I am sharing some possible evidence. I am open to any plausible explanations. So far I haven't heard anything that is more plausible that a BF or a human. If I don't accept your opinions does that make me wrong somehow? I don't make claims unless they are thoroughly documented. The photographic support is such that people can make up their own mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Coyote or Feral Dog Immature hackberry trees are close to the ground as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiefoot Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Do immature Celtis occidentalis produce the amount of fruit these pictures document? Has anyone ever seen coyote scat that size, really? Has anyone seen a dog scat with a 9-10 inch turd, really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I wasn't stating that it was coyote. Merely pointing out that I have seen coyote scat that consists of almost all berries. So there is precedent for animal scat that consists primarily of berries. Identifying feral hog sign American Wild Boar Favored vegetation is acorns, any fruits, seeds or nuts, mushrooms, roots, bark, and although they are not grazers, they will eat some grasses. Wild Hog Scat The appearance of hog scat or feces can vary greatly depending upon the hogs diet. In many cases it can look very similar to human excrement. Feral hog sign in Oklahoma I had trouble attaching the file, but at the above link, there is a photo of scat from a small feral hog that has been eating corn. The scat isn't as large as the scat in the image you posted, however, it shows how the diet of this animal affects it's scat and the shape is similar, but as the links above mention, the scat from feral hogs is not consistent and can look very similar to human feces. Logically, a large feral hog dining on fallen hackberries could very well have left the pile of scat you photographed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiefoot Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Redwolf, We aren't talking mostly berries or primarily berries, we are talking all berries and no indication however small that anything else was consumed. The size and length are different. All of your examples show a mixture of products in a much smaller stool. I don't see a valid comparison. Let alone that there is no report of feral hog activity within 40 miles. You have said two conflicting things here. I have seen coyote scat loaded with berries and only berries. Merely pointing out that I have seen coyote scat that consists of almost all berries. So there is precedent for animal scat that consists primarily of berries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) Yes, I did make conflicting statements. I did mean that there was so much berry material in the feces, that little else was noticeable. Much like the image you posted. However! You know what? You are absolutely right. There is no point even considering further. The scat in your photo was obviously made by a sasquatch! Silly me for thinking otherwise. Have a nice day. Edited June 10, 2011 by Redwolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiefoot Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 I argue my beliefs and opinions and try not to get personally caught up in the discussion. I try to back up my points with photos or links and let people make up their own mind. I've made myself clear, if someone shows me some plausible explanation for this scat having the charateristics it does, I'll certainly look at it. Someone show me a sizable scat with only hackberries in it, they are one of the most common hardwoods in the North. In the meantime it looks to me like whatever left this was able to distinguish the berries as they were eaten. That suggests a thumb and forefinger to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BitterMonk Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Would you accept a photo of a large scat with just holly berries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiefoot Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 If you have a plausible explanation for what happened here in Kansas I'll be glad to listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooRisky Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) Would you accept a photo of a large scat with just holly berries? yes I would... I want to see this as I am unaware of many animals that consider them food besides birds... Yes a Big Holly Berry filled scat would be very educational... Edited June 10, 2011 by TooRisky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BitterMonk Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) If you have a plausible explanation for what happened here in Kansas I'll be glad to listen. I absolutely have a plausible explanation. A feral hog found a hackberry tree that had dropped fruit due to damage/wind/time of year and gorged itself on said berries. Because it is a pig it inhaled the fruit versus delicately chewing each bite, resulting in a deuce that was chock full of hackberries. It looks like hog scat. There are hogs in the general vicinity. Hogs will certainly eat hackberries if available. ETA - Quote. Edited June 10, 2011 by BitterMonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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