2nd kill, carcass 20 feet up tree

[Cod]

Hello,
My neighbors have pullets, 2 of which have been killed in the last two days, and both have been dragged up a tree. Here's what I can tell you:

• Last night, something got in their coop around 7pm and busted up the roost area.
• The carcass is wedged into the crotch of a tree trunk, about 20+ feet up.
• The head, neck and large portion of the body have been eaten.
• A full leg and lower part of carcass is stuck.
• A wing and pile of feathers at the bottom of tree.
• Earlier, I found a leg from the previous kill. It was stripped at the bone as if someone took a scalpel to it.
• There are no prints that we can see.

If it really was around 7pm, their dog was barking for a while and I was sitting in a chair within about 100' and heard nothing.

Any ideas? I think maybe owl or raccoon, maybe bobcat or fisher.
Thank you

 

[Lazy Farmer]

raccoon

bingo. May I suggest a live trap from TSC? They are less then $20.

​

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Cats bring their food up a tree to save it for later. That’s what I would think is doing it. It will also come back until no chickens are left.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Cats bring their food up a tree to save it for later. That’s what I would think is doing it. It will also come back until no chickens are left.

What kind of cat exhibits this type of behavior?

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

What kind of cat exhibits this type of behavior?

Leopards and such are known for it but a mountain lion or bobcat is capable.

 

[Beer can]

TSC has a two pack, medium and a small live trap for $30 Countryline brand, the two is cheaper than one Havaheart.

 

[Cod]

Thank you, I will do exactly this. Going to TSC now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A raccoon CAN carry a chicken into a tree to eat (possibly due to the proximity to the dog) However, in my life I've probably had a hundred chickens taken by raccoons and never had one take a bird into the tree. They either eat it right where they kill it or carry it a little way into the brush to finish it off. I've even had them go into a tree to kill a chicken but still eat it on the ground.

An owl is possible but they usually will push the chicken off the roost and eat it on the ground. Plus, they have a hard time getting into a closed coop.

Neither will really bust up the coop. Describe the damage.

Depending on where you live, I suspect a bobcat, mountain lion or possible fisher.

 

[BreanneRN]

Sounds like a cat to me. If you noticed that the body cavity is emptied of organs and the muscle meat is left, you probably have a cat of some kind. Fact that it is up a tree makes me think cat too... Be careful, if a mountain lion, nothing is safe, not even you. More likely a bobcat or lynx maybe... If mountain lion, you will not contain it in a TSC trap...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd like to add that the trap needs to be sized appropriately for the target animal. A cheap trap can be torn apart by a big raccoon. (I've had it happen) Raccoons are also smart enough not to enter a trap. I've had box traps 20 feet from a leg trap both baited with the same bait. I would catch a raccoon in the leg trap nightly and never a single one in the box trap.