Potential predator ID help -likes venison.

[Sarahal88]

My first chicken flock is 8 weeks old and have been outdoors for about a week. So far I have not lost any chickens to predators. They have a pretty secure coop, but I know their run could be more airtight.

Today I was walking with the dog and she found a very deep looking den behind the old defunct barn at the back of the property. It looks like it has seen recent activity/ digging.

She then found a pile of what I assume are deer bones in front of the barn, and a partial deer leg inside the barn.

I am sure the bones are from carcass leftovers left by hunters in the area, but I am wondering what are the kinds of predators that would bring this into the yard, and together with the den, does this suggest a fox? Something else? All of this is pretty close to the house, not particularly remote.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

My first chicken flock is 8 weeks old and have been outdoors for about a week. So far I have not lost any chickens to predators. They have a pretty secure coop, but I know their run could be more airtight.

Today I was walking with the dog and she found a very deep looking den behind the old defunct barn at the back of the property. It looks like it has seen recent activity/ digging.

She then found a pile of what I assume are deer bones in front of the barn, and a partial deer leg inside the barn.

I am sure the bones are from carcass leftovers left by hunters in the area, but I am wondering what are the kinds of predators that would bring this into the yard, and together with the den, does this suggest a fox? Something else? All of this is pretty close to the house, not particularly remote.

From your avatar I suspect that you live in the West. Coyote, fox, badger, are my best guesses with wolf, and wolverine coming in second. Other than that there is too little data to compute.

 

[Sarahal88]

From your avatar I suspect that you live in the West.  Coyote, fox, badger, are my best guesses with wolf, and wolverine coming in second.  Other than that there is too little data to compute.

That picture is decieving - I live in the appalachian mountains of Virginia. I figured it would be tough to ID the hole. Also, I noticed a few little flies buzzing around it, which also mad mee think it is an active den of somehting that eats meat.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

That picture is decieving - I live in the appalachian mountains of Virginia. I figured it would be tough to ID the hole. Also, I noticed a few little flies buzzing around it, which also mad mee think it is an active den of somehting that eats meat.

Other meat eating vermin that din in the ground are skunks, raccoons, etc. But the flies and smell suggest to me that your dealing with a member of the K9 tribe. Both foxes and coyotes should be feeding young at the den by now.

 

[Sarahal88]

The burrow and the deer leg found not far away. Obviosuly the bone there was cut, probably the animal scavenged this from a carcass left by hunters. My property backs up to heavily hunted woods.