I found something cool!

[FleetFish]

I'm visiting my family in my (very country) hometown this weekend. There is a series of fields that I walk my bestdogfriend through, and sometimes we come across the coolest, strangest things. Some fields are owned by the high school, some are part of a state park and lake basin, and some are owned by... I don't even know. But the trails meander seemingly forever. Most I have reached the 'end' of, but others I haven't. When I leave my dad's house, I don't even have a plan as to where I am going. Sometimes we go into the city, or just to the boat ramp.

Today my meandering ways brought me to a remote section of the cowfields, and I saw something whiteish in the grass on the other side of the barbed wire fence. I thought it was either a mushroom or a weird rock, but I couldn't tell because of the grass. I went around the corner to the other side of the field to see if there was an opening, but there wasn't. However, there was a dip in the ground, and I could fairly easily crawl under the fence. I debated, but curiosity got the best of me.



It was a skull! I came across the jawbone before I got to the "whiteish thing" (that was the actual skull), and part of the lower skull is broken off. There was probably the entire skeleton, throughout the surrounding bushes. I found part of the spine, and what looked like a hip bone, and a few ribs. This was a very remote corner, with trees and series of thickets and bushes. It was really fun but sort of spooky, wandering through the bushes and looking at the bones. But it was super fun. Teako (dog buddy) loves exploring the fields with me, and he had a total blast.



Sometimes I miss living in the country. I miss the adventures Teak and I had, exploring the fields. (But then I remember how cruddy the people here tend to be, and I'm ready to go back to the city!)

I *think* the skull is a horse skull, though a small one (perhaps a young horse or a pony). It has upper teeth, which I don't think cows have? This particular field, I have only seen cows in, but I'm not there often. The field next to it (school's field) has horses, so perhaps one got across the fence? I don't know. I wonder how long ago s/he died, and what happened. So mysterious and cool!

Anyway, I wanted to share.

[Mercy]

so cool

[MommaFrog]

yeah.... glad u found something cool while ur in town

[Mister Gaga]

It's cool, wish I could go with my dogs to fields like this like in the good old times :'(

[Zontar]

You'll see one of those in fields. I took a picture of some animal skeleton in the large field across from me, however, I'm not sure if I have it anymore...

[Emberstone]

one time, while walking in my town, I discovered a Artic Circle hamburger store... I had thought all of them closed down!!! So I ordered a burger...

...and learned why most of them went out of buisness.

but it was still fairly cool.

[BluestBlue]

^ Horse skull, possibly, but the jaw shape is really off.



^ cow jaw bone, much similar but the teeth don't match. The cow's molars are a different shape.. maybe something else in the bovine family!



^ I present Buffalo! A bit shorter than a cow jaw with smaller teeth. Matches near perfect to your jaw, Except your animal has appeared to have died really quite old looking at the teeth growth and wear, in the picture above the teeth haven't fully grown yet suggesting it was young.

I like bones. I think yours is a buffalo Cool find.
xx

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OH! And that hole near the front end! That's specific to the buffalo skull and not the cow Mystery solved?

[FleetFish]

Originally Posted by BluestBlue

Mystery solved?

I'm not really sure! On another forum, I have someone suggesting sheep. I kind of feel like it is too big to be a sheep, and I've never seen or heard of anyone having sheep around here. It seems too small to be a fully grown buffalo, but again, I really don't know!

I took some better pics to perhaps shed some light on its identity:

Size reference. Pictured is a quart of oil.


Pretty pretty skull!


Close-up of jaw:


Underside of skull:


If any other angles or close-ups would be helpful, feel free to request them. I am happy to take more pics.

I'm still thrilled by my finding.

[mAOz]

Wierd! I live in a country place surrounded by fields I hope I find something cool

[Bedroom Hymns]

Yeah I love finding the remains of living things.

[BluestBlue]

sheeps jaw bone ^

(random lady)

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now my only issue is the lack of horns as male and female buffalo have them, but your skull doesn't. Unless this picture is actually correct in size and anatomy...... Hmm.

[hustburg012]

Could it be from a deer, maybe?

[BluestBlue]

Deer to thin maybe?