Comments on: Mt. Hood Photos: New Ones

By: MBFH

MBFH — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:16:45 +0000

Never seen an Elk (wrong country) but it looks like a horses head to me. Mane over the forehead with the base of the ear at top right.

By: shumway10973

shumway10973 — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 06:19:31 +0000

it is very clear to me that picture “x” is that of the elk getting right up to the camera and nodding up and down rapidly as the camera took the shot. I can clearly make out his left eye about the half way point as well as the beginnings of either his ear or antlers on the same side. I do agree with comment #5, the whole shot has changed with moving the camera.

By: youcantryreachingme

youcantryreachingme — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 03:20:58 +0000

bf_looker (13) wrote “if the photo is of too poor quality to prove anything it really isn’t worth looking at”

I disagree.

Firstly, important information can get overlooked, and only identified at a later date by re-evaluating the image.

Secondly, the significance of specific information may not be realised until an image is re-evaluated after having accumulated other (new) knowledge in the interim.

Thirdly, by continually critiquing a variety of images, your analysis skills are honed.

Fourthly, you wouldn’t know if an image was of “too poor” quality – unless you’d looked at it. In other words, at some point you are in fact making a judgement on the image based on your inspection.

OK. The elk’s “snout” (?) seems to have a near enough colouration (given this is a different day, time and location!).

I update my earlier assessment to say it’s likely either a deer or an elk.

(Ah, the joy of making critical analyses of animal photos when you don’t know the fauna, geography or habitat in a location on a continent you’ve never even visited!)

By: Jeremy_Wells

Jeremy_Wells — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:08:42 +0000

my thoughts are cat scat… but it’s too hard to tell from photo and I honestly don’t have a lot of experience with big cats. Definitely some type of creature with carnivorous habits, from all that hair.
I’ve found similar “poo” before, but much smaller, that we had attributed to foxes. Also reminds me a lot of owl pellets, but if that were the case these would be all hair, bone and insect bits when cut open. How close did they examine this scat?

By: fredfacker

fredfacker — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 18:34:15 +0000

I’d second the vote on cat droppings, but then again, I’ve never seen bear droppings, so who knows? Could be Pope droppings.

By: shadowparks

shadowparks — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 07:11:58 +0000

if you look hard enough, it looks like there is a “blobsquatch” in the 4th picture down, to the right of the animal, in between the two trees. Just goes to show you if you look long enough you are bound to see something.

By: bf looker

bf looker — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 03:15:39 +0000

cameras are great,huh?! but like those above have commented, if the photo is of too poor quality to prove anything it really isn’t worth looking at. hope for better luck in the future.

still to me the last shot looks as if the elk is close, at the left edge of camera, with it’s neck is extended up (sniffing) and the dark hair is from the underside of the neck.

By: stompy

stompy — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 02:16:56 +0000

clearly a Jabberwocky

By: goerman

goerman — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:15:19 +0000

Notice how (relatively) clear the photo of the elk is. Poor lighting and digital format to be sure, but, all in all, not a total loss. Photographs, like documents, contain information. Photo information can be degraded by choice of format, poor exposure, blur caused by subject or camera movement, poor focus, etc.

Evidence comes in (basically) three forms: testimonial (anecdotal)… documentary (digital or film-based photographs, tape recordings, films and videos)… and physical (an object intended to prove a fact based on its demonstrable physical characteristics).

Can we not get cases where all three forms of evidence exist and corroborate one another? Supported by multiple witnesses?

Show me a photo of bigfoot as clear as this elk shot and then you will finally have some raw data worth evaluating.

By: Freelancer

Freelancer — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 22:47:26 +0000

I just had my brother, who has been hunting for about 40 years & has also worked outdoors alot, look at the pic & he says it is definitely scat from a cat.