Fox droppings?

[Toadflax]

After a tracking session with Rod at the Bucks New Year Meet in January and another one with Rhoda and Nightwalker (and someone whose name I can't remember!) at the Moot, I asked for and got a copy of Animal Tracks and Signs for my recent birthday and I set one of my tasks for my weekend walk to be to make a start at learning some tracking myself.

The wood was so well covered with fallen leaves and fairly hard ground that it didn't seem good for a beginner looking for prints, but I found this dropping in the middle of a hard dirt path.

I think it is fox...but I'm happy for a correction. The pieces were closer together but I pulled the light coloured one apart with a couple of twigs to see what was inside it.

The size seems to correspond with that for a fox, though it didn't seem to be very twisted in the way it is described in the book. I wondered about a small dog, apart from the fact that the piece I pulled apart had a lot of hair in it and I thought that a domestic dog would be unlikely to have much hair in its droppings.

It also had what may have been small bone fragments but, significantly, there was a very obvious claw - not dissimilar to the size of a cat's claw so could well be rabbit sized. I had seen rabbits in the wood.

It didn't seem to smell that strong, but its placement in the middle of a path might point to fox. The fallen oak leaves should give some idea of size.

Any thoughts?


Geoff

 

[Bernie Garland]

I was just about to have my tea, thanks

Bernie

 

[Toadflax]

I was just about to have my tea, thanks

Bernie

Not sausages I hope!


Geoff

 

[Bernie Garland]

Not sausages I hope!


Geoff

No corn beef hash and very similar in content

Bernie

 

[Toadflax]

No corn beef hash and very similar in content

Bernie

Completely off the subject of the thread, but my daughter has just gone off to university in Bristol and cooked herself corned beef hash for dinner one night. The others in her flat had never heard of it and thought it was some sort of posh Oxfordshire dish!


Geoff

 

[Shewie]

I`ll go with fox looking at the hair content, looks like rabbit fur to me. Quite a big fox I`d say given the size of it.

 

[spiritofold]

Did you taste it?

 

[Bernie Garland]

I was about ready for a fork full when Geoff started the thread

Bernie

 

[spiritofold]

Sausages Bernie?

 

[Bernie Garland]

No corn beef hash and very similar in content

Bernie

Bernie

 

[Rhoda]

I can never be completely sure with photos but I would say more than likely fox, given the hair content. Strange that it didn't smell much. I guess if it was dog poo you would have recognised the smell straight away though. Great to see that you are out and about learning tracking. Practice makes perfect as they say!!

 

[woodstock]

It looks a little blunt for fox I would think dog but would have to see some prints or have a sniff

 

[amott69]

i would think it was fox but without seeing and smelling it for myself its hard to say for sure. fox scat normally smells quit strong, when your not sure its some times best to get your gloves on a break the scat up and look in side it. fox scat will normally contain bits of bone bits of beetle, fur and some seeds from berries. Some dog scat will contain a fair bit of fur from grooming but from your pictures it does point to what looks like rabbit fur. I always try to take a photo or draw a picture of what i find as it is, then pull the scat a part as sometimes its a job for me to remember how it was be for i disturbed the scat.

 

[Toadflax]

i would think it was fox but without seeing and smelling it for myself its hard to say for sure. fox scat normally smells quit strong, when your not sure its some times best to get your gloves on a break the scat up and look in side it. fox scat will normally contain bits of bone bits of beetle, fur and some seeds from berries. Some dog scat will contain a fair bit of fur from grooming but from your pictures it does point to what looks like rabbit fur. I always try to take a photo or draw a picture of what i find as it is, then pull the scat a part as sometimes its a job for me to remember how it was be for i disturbed the scat.

Well, seeing you are fairly local, if you want to go over to Jarn Mound on Boar's Hill in Oxford, it might still be there!

But seriously, thanks for the comments.


Geoff

 

[amott69]

Well, seeing you are fairly local, if you want to go over to Jarn Mound on Boar's Hill in Oxford, it might still be there!

But seriously, thanks for the comments.


Geoff

I do get over that way with the dog so you never know

 

[Joonsy]

could it have been pellets regurgitated from an owl or bird of prey/buzzard, was there a tree directly overhead where bird may have perched to regurgitate with maybe droppings beneath if a regular perch. Regurgitated pellets are full of hair/small bones.

 

[tommy the cat]

Looks like a turd to me!
Sorry I just wanted to say the word turd .....its funny....... I'll get my coat.

 

[jungle_re]

I would doubt that to be be fox if it didnt smell much and its massive. But still it always could be. I could lend you my jack russel if it rolls in it then its fox scat

 

[Toadflax]

could it have been pellets regurgitated from an owl or bird of prey/buzzard, was there a tree directly overhead where bird may have perched to regurgitate with maybe droppings beneath if a regular perch. Regurgitated pellets are full of hair/small bones.

A good thought (which I must remember for next time), though the original close positioning of the three 'pieces' made it more likely to have been dropped from a low level.

Dog seems to me unlikely because of the presence of a claw - unless the dog had eaten one of the local cats!

Regarding smell, it was a cold, early morning which I think tends to subdue smells.

Some useful feedback and tips here - so thanks. But I think Tommy's is the most accurate description.


Geoff

 

[Bernie Garland]

A good thought (which I must remember for next time), though the original close positioning of the three 'pieces' made it more likely to have been dropped from a low level.

Dog seems to me unlikely because of the presence of a claw - unless the dog had eaten one of the local cats!

Regarding smell, it was a cold, early morning which I think tends to subdue smells.

Some useful feedback and tips here - so thanks. But I think Tommy's is the most accurate description.


Geoff

I can fully appreciate what you saying now,iv'e had me tea and its settled.

Bernie