Ram Skull Finds - Pentland Hills Regional Park

[THOaken]

Hello, Bushcraft UK. I recently went to the Pentland Hills Regional Park with my friends. We decided to do a quick hike up this ridge far from view and came across several ram skulls. I assume they're ram skulls as there are no other animals in the Pentlands. I also assume that these skulls belong to animals who climbed up the ridge to die in the winter. They must've been lying there for a long time. There were several jaw bones and I saw a tibia, I think. The finds suggest that they were scattered and knocked around due to the recent harsh weather conditions. Certainly no ranger dumped them there. The utmost of care was taken in finding and transporting them. Whatever other remains we found were placed under trees in small nooks and crannies. I assume taking the skull of a dead animal isn't illegal. We've used disinfectant on them and cleaned them, of course.

All that aside, can anyone tell me a bit about these skulls, please?

 

[Elen Sentier]

They look like ram's skulls to me, or possibly any horned sheep. We found this one in Horner Woods on Exmoor a couple of years ago, someone had placed it in the fork of a tree which we liked

 

[Bushwhacker]

They're not rams, they'd be ewes and most likely to be the Blackface breed.

 

[THOaken]

They're not rams, they'd be ewes and most likely to be the Blackface breed.

Ah, I see. That shows my ignorance. Yes, they were Blackfaced if I recall.

Thanks, Bushwacker.

Can anyone tell me how they think they might've died up on the ridge?

 

[Bushwhacker]

Ah, I see. That shows my ignorance. Yes, they were Blackfaced if I recall.

Thanks, Bushwacker.

Can anyone tell me how they think they might've died up on the ridge?

Sheep have a habit of dying for no reason whatsoever. They drop down dead for fun sometimes.

 

[British Red]

Sheep are the only domesticated animal that spend their time thinking up new ways to die. Seriously - they just do - if a sheep is trapped on its back for two hours, it cannot remember the right way up and you have to wedge it upwards. They break legs, starve, freeze, die of stress, get killed by dogs - all sorts. Stupid creatures.

By the way - don't bleach the skulls - it destroys the bone eventually. If you want them white use hydrogen peroxide.

 

[British Red]

Sheep have a habit of dying for no reason whatsoever. They drop down dead for fun sometimes.

Chuckle - more succinct than me

 

[THOaken]

Sheep are the only domesticated animal that spend their time thinking up new ways to die. Seriously - they just do - if a sheep is trapped on its back for two hours, it cannot remember the right way up and you have to wedge it upwards. They break legs, starve, freeze, die of stress, get killed by dogs - all sorts. Stupid creatures.

By the way - don't bleach the skulls - it destroys the bone eventually. If you want them white use hydrogen peroxide.

Heh. Alright, fair enough.

I didn't know that, but luckily I haven't bleached mine yet as I prefer the weathered look. My friend probably has... Oh dear.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Chuckle - more succinct than me

Haha! We were both reading off the same hymn sheet there!

 

[TurboGirl]

They're beautiful finds No fleece remnants around to help ID? In which case, as fleece can last a fair while despite being great nesting material, I wonder if they were poaching victims if most of the rest of the corpses are missing?

 

[THOaken]

They're beautiful finds No fleece remnants around to help ID? In which case, as fleece can last a fair while despite being great nesting material, I wonder if they were poaching victims if most of the rest of the corpses are missing?

As we were climbing the ridge we saw several patches of fleece lying around. White, obviously. Bone and fleece, and some droppings, were just scattered around. I doubt it was poachers because the ridge we climbed was actually straight above the main walking path. It wasn't so concealed as I might've previously gave the impression.

 

[Bushwhacker]

They're beautiful finds No fleece remnants around to help ID? In which case, as fleece can last a fair while despite being great nesting material, I wonder if they were poaching victims if most of the rest of the corpses are missing?

They're no good dead to anyone. They're adult ewes for breeding.

 

[TurboGirl]

It doesnt seem to matter around here- people have even been stealing wee lambs out of fields that are only a few weeks old but I guess that wasn't the case with bones strewn around by scavengers! Interesting natural postmortum though, beats CSI any day

 

[Bushwhacker]

Interesting natural postmortum though, beats CSI any day

Absolutely, I just can't understand why more people aren't in to it.

 

[spiritwalker]

wow nice find i would have snaffled the skulls too i love collecting animal bones and to have the horns is very lucky.

 

[greensurfingbear]

wow nice find i would have snaffled the skulls too i love collecting animal bones and to have the horns is very lucky.

Not lucky for the animal lol



Orric