Predatory behaviour

Brutus

Brutus

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West of most places....and in Alberta
I am curious about a spot I found in the forest where a bear or a cougar deposits numerous bones from its prey.
I don't believe it's wolves because I have seen thier voracious eating habits further north at the recent sites of moose kills.

So I wonder if someone more educated than myself could point out the most likely predator responsible.
Was near the top of a rise mostly in a stand of hardwood trees. Facing east south east. Bones of calf moose deer etc.

Just curious.
 
That's a new one for me but I'm thinking it's likely a bear. Not many animals will drag a carcass all the way back to their den. Did you scout around to see if there was a cave or den nearby? If you have pics post them, it would be interesting to see the extent of this. Any idea just how many skeletons were in the pile?
 
LOL i wanted to say bigfoot but if he found the den he likely wouldn't be making this post since he would be lunch by now.
 
It was last spring and I have not been back since. Only reason I discovered it I followed a trickle of water uphill that must be derived from a small spring or just runoff. Definitely three ungulates and smaller bones of animals that I did not examine. Next time I get up there I will take some pics. So it has water kind of lee side of hill overlooks the rural road.
Never seen this was wondering possibly a wolverine or maybe a fisher does this??
About half mile from secondary highway and one mile from tiny community about eight homes around a large pond.
Could feral dogs do this?
I will probably wait until spring for better photos of the bones. Without more info I am leaning towards a black bear and possible den site. But are bears as destructive or less destructive as wolves regards thier prey?
 
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Story for you.

We had an overnight tracking job on a bear due to a bullet exploding on a neck hit. Sometimes things don't go according to plan; and this one of those times. He had lost the use of his hind legs, and was dragging himself with his fronts. We didn't know that until the next day though.

Eventually the found/recovered trail headed out into the tall grasses and willows of a river bottom and we caught up and shot him again. The bear had obviously made some use of the place before; there were many beds where he had sprawled out in the soaking soil. More interesting to the thread is there were beaver skulls and ribs all over; lots of moose hair, deer skulls and backbones and three bear skulls. There was also an otter skull that I took home and cleaned. I don't think that much more than bacteria would eat an otter, but remember when the prick stole it from me. ;)

Much of what was there was almost certainly stolen from our bait barrels, but if we'd wondered where he dragged stuff off to eat it in peace we knew now. We decided to call it a "lair", mostly because we didn't know what else to call it.

I do know that if you got the urge to stroll around in wet, rough, thick, untouched stuff like that perhaps for the sheer joy of feeling water squirt between your toes, you might stumble onto a 7' plus blackey picking his teeth on a beaver rib. I wouldn't bet on anyone finding you.
 
Dogleg said:
Story for you.

We had an overnight tracking job on a bear due to a bullet exploding on a neck hit. Sometimes things don't go according to plan; and this one of those times. He had lost the use of his hind legs, and was dragging himself with his fronts. We didn't know that until the next day though.

Eventually the found/recovered trail headed out into the tall grasses and willows of a river bottom and we caught up and shot him again. The bear had obviously made some use of the place before; there were many beds where he had sprawled out in the soaking soil. More interesting to the thread is there were beaver skulls and ribs all over; lots of moose hair, deer skulls and backbones and three bear skulls. There was also an otter skull that I took home and cleaned. I don't think that much more than bacteria would eat an otter, but remember when the prick stole it from me. ;)

Much of what was there was almost certainly stolen from our bait barrels, but if we'd wondered where he dragged stuff off to eat it in peace we knew now. We decided to call it a "lair", mostly because we didn't know what else to call it.

I do know that if you got the urge to stroll around in wet, rough, thick, untouched stuff like that perhaps for the sheer joy of feeling water squirt between your toes, you might stumble onto a 7' plus blackey picking his teeth on a beaver rib. I wouldn't bet on anyone finding you.
Click to expand...

That's very interesting friend.
I don't plan on going back there without a bear tag in my.pocket and an adequate firearm.
Reminds me there's a nice 35 Remington lever gun on the EE.
 
found the same thing on our property on top of south facing hill, looking around we found a couple of coyote dens nearby. bones and skulls scatered everywhere . you can call it a den or lair.. the 2 lions of tsavo were eventually backtracked into a cave that had bones piled up..almost like a trophy room where the ate.. yah i would go there loaded ready for bear.
 
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