Kill Site Help

[groove]

I have a parcel of land in 5-1 (Bridge Lake). While hiking around the back part this weekend I came across a kill site. Young moose, very little left except for the hide, an ear and a couple of legs from the knee down. The immediate area was really heavily trampled down basically to mud, about a 20 foot circle.
I know we have bear, cougar, wolf, and apparantley a wolverine in the area (have not 'seen' him, though). Any thoughts on how I could ID the animal responible. I would really like to know. Couldn't get a good print, as the ground was really trampled like I said. Any ideas from your experiances?

cheers

[Steeleco]

Foot prints would be the first clue, but my guess is that with all that traffic, it had to be more than one animal. Hence I'd say wolves??

[hillclimber]

like steeleco said is there any footprints around the area. maybe set up a trail cam to see if something will come back, just a thought.

was up at our cabin on sheridan lake in august and didn't even see a bear or moose for that fact. didn't have much time up there this summer though.

[bsa30-06]

i would agree with steeleco, my guess would be wolves brought it down.

[Caveman]

After the time you've described has passed, every scavenger or animal looking for an easy meal from bear, coyote to bald eagle have visited that sight. You'll probably never now the cause, unless of course you find a bullet hole in the skull or something.

if nothing obvious I'd have to guess wolves or maybe a cougar, the latter less likely

[Ddog]

there is no possible way of knowing what killed the animal, sure you can tell whats been to the kill site by the tracks that are around, but to ID an animal as the killer would be ignorant.
the fact is without seeing this particular kill you can only make assumptions.
unless like caveman said you find a bullet or bullet hole in the animal somewhere.

[835]

bears will dig up the surrounding area to hide the kill, wolves will trample it down. but yup you need to see some tracks to confirm it

[f350ps]

Sounds like a job for Mantracker! K

[groove]

thanks guys. as the area was really trampled down, I will say wolves. Hopefull to get up again in a few weeks and will take another look for a positive print. then call Mantracker!

[elkdom]

I have a parcel of land in 5-1 (Bridge Lake). While hiking around the back part this weekend I came across a kill site. Young moose, very little left except for the hide, an ear and a couple of legs from the knee down. The immediate area was really heavily trampled down basically to mud, about a 20 foot circle.
I know we have bear, cougar, wolf, and apparantley a wolverine in the area (have not 'seen' him, though). Any thoughts on how I could ID the animal responible. I would really like to know. Couldn't get a good print, as the ground was really trampled like I said. Any ideas from your experiances?

cheers

if you have barbed wire fences surrounding the property area near the kill site, check for hair/fur along the lower strands of wire, also look for scat , whatever ate an entire moose probably had take a crap at least once!, near the kill, if your land is near a road the moose may have been injured by auto collision, then wandered off and lay down,never to get up,,

[groove]

only the back side is fenced, so access is good for anything. Closest road is about 500m. Lookedto be a really small moose, like deer size or less. Only saw 1 bear scat full of berries in the area...doesnt mean there isnt any more though!