Found a few kill sites: cougar or bear?

[seanps]

Hello. Went for a few hikes in the Squamish Valley with the dog and a friend yesterday.

My lab found a couple spots on a steep hillside where a predator had dragged some prey under some low-hanging branches and rock piles. When we made it up the hill, we found a pile of bones, a deer jaw and lots of white/grey hair. Our best guess is that it was a kill from the winter, and the hair has since lost its color.

In another spot, the only bone left was a fawn's toe.

Just wondering: Any guesses as to whether this would be the work of a bear, cougar, wolf or coyote?

On one hillside there were a few different bone piles -- all sheltered by rocks, or low-hanging branches -- so it looks like it would have taken a lot of work to drag it up or down.


http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6820/imagelew.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/824/imagelew.jpg/)

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9879/imagevmm.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/imagevmm.jpg/)




http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/3103/imageoaj.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/848/imageoaj.jpg/)

[luckynuts]

If it was dragged I would say cat as wolves eat it where they pin it down dead or alive.

W.

[sparkes3]

im thinking cougar

[The Dude]

The deer probably cougar, the fawn, maybe a bear got it. Bones N All. Of course, after the Alpha preds are done, everything else moves in, so it's often hard to tell. Like a cat could kill the fawn and eats what it wants, then a hungry pack of wolves come in and crack the bones for the marrow. Stuff like that there. The fresher the kill, the easier it is to tell.

[steepNdeep]

The Dude's got it. I'd say almost impossible to tell with those. On a fresh kill site you may be able to tell by the clues ie: broken neck or buried probably cougar, etc. Once a kill is old every scavenger around will have had their turn on a carcass & dragged bits all around. Cool to see those around - nice finds!

[boxhitch]

Good chance it is a bear too.
generally they don't get the credit they deserve as the killers of ungulates. Lots of areas have more bears than cougars and they take down lots of game.

[hunter1947]

My guess is a cat..