We go to this area by Blackfalds shed hunting and always find these weird antlers, and now a skull. Some strange genetics in this area, maybe because there's a gully with a small stream running thru it that probably has some kind of toxins in it from all the farm runoff maybe?
We don't know what it was, but we've always found whitetail sheds there. Three days ago we found another skull of a mature buck with antlers sticking straight up, no spread at all
Pretty cool skullcap. I'm sure we all would like to see some more pictures of these skulls and sheds.
It is hard to judge scale from that picture, but it is definitely from an Antlered animal, not a goat or a buffalo.
Are there any moose in the area?
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Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
Those puny eye sockets are from no antlered animal I've ever seen.
Those "eye sockets" are the supraorbital foramen, a space allowing passage of a nerve, artery and vein.
Only the upper portion of the real eye sockets remain, to the exterior of the skullcap from each tiny eye.
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Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
Fairly certain it's a moose (maybe elk), occasionally see pics of animals with 'drop' antlers. A buddy of mine has taken several elk and multiple sheds from an area where one side drops like that, it's obviously in the genetics.
What is very strange is multiple species in the same area with odd configurations. I suppose it has to happen somewhere, you just happened to find it.
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“Nothing is more persistent than a liberal with a dumb idea” - Ebrand
Yes there are, seen an absolute massive bull there 5 years ago, largest I've ever seen in my life. Lately though the moose sign hasn't been good, just old piles of droppings, nothing like we used to see
You found where all the game farm experimental rejects get dumped.
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Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
You found where all the game farm experimental rejects get dumped.
Ha! Maybe...but I think it has something to do with the little stream that runs in the gully. Plus there's an oil well there as well as a train track. I can honestly say that I think it is runoff going into the water. It seems like a perfect beaver area, yet none are there. My husband thinks there is just some buck or doe that lives there with some bad DNA. One of those skulls shows a detached antler too if you zoom in on it. Looks like it just peeled away from where it was supposed to be fused to the skull
Ha! Maybe...but I think it has something to do with the little stream that runs in the gully. Plus there's an oil well there as well as a train track. I can honestly say that I think it is runoff going into the water. It seems like a perfect beaver area, yet none are there. My husband thinks there is just some buck or doe that lives there with some bad DNA. One of those skulls shows a detached antler too if you zoom in on it. Looks like it just peeled away from where it was supposed to be fused to the skull
Having had knowledge of what trains carry as far as chemicals go, I definitely would pass your findings on to local bio, and f&w for further investigation.