Anyone good at analyzing foot prints to identify predators?

[microchick]

Here, owls and hawks will leave a circle of feathers in the grass in our pasture when they make a kill that is a wild bird. No bones or blood. Just feathers.

But I was looking at the pics again and there are definitely drag marks in the one pic. I've seen birds of prey leave wing tip drag marks where they have swooped in on a rabbit. We will find fur left behind but almost always we will find scraps of flesh and blood in the snow.

I'd really like to see some close up pics of those prints. Still betting yote or large fox.

 

[bernie131]

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I have spent alot of time with my soul survivor after losing her family. We have gotten to know each other very well. She is very alert to every sound and possible predator (I have a cat and dog). Roxy used to lower his head and go after them and I tried to discourage the behavior because he was bringing a butter knife to a gun fight. The only defense nature/God provided is their keen senses and the ability to fly. And I clipped his wings and took that away and now I kick myself in my own butt. He wouldn't leave his Momma that hatched him and feeds him, bathes him plays, with him raised him I enjoyed seeing them fly I was proud of them and all I could think of when they took him was he would fly back home if he could if I didn't clip his wings Imagine seeing and hearing something coming to kill and you know IT and there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT BACK,..HENCE LIKE SITTING DUCKS,..AWFUL I hate thinking how they felt,..And my beautiful Pekin, I went every day for 6 years to feed her at the junior college and when she and her nest got attacked by a dog (I was advised by BYC ) SO I brought her home to be safe and this happens, the 1st snow we get,..kept them inside on my back porch but bought the best and biggest chicken coop online , right before dusk don't know how much more my heart can take,..Winnie has been swimming in the bathtub but today a put a 5ft fence around her pool and changed the water and she is sleeping right against my leg and if I get up, she will goes with me,..she doesn't have a big appetite which worries me, she does not like any feed,..seed and meal worms,..and she tries to sneak cat food when we are in the kitchen,. we are grieving,..

 

[microchick]

That is so sad.Hugs to all of you.

Please don't blame yourself. You had no way of knowing something like this would happen and if you did you would have done what needed to be done to prevent it.

Wild predators for the most part will kill to live. Granted, some will kill for sport but coyotes, fox etc will kill to feed their young or themselves. They don't know how much we love our feathered family members. All they see is an easy meal that will let them live another day, or feed their young.

Two years ago we had a female fox decimate the local poultry in order to feed her kits. A neighbor across the road from us who has vacation property found her burrow and den under his cabin. He said there were piles of chicken bones under his porch. I know the neighbor next door lost his whole flock. We found guinea feathers and white chicken feathers by our pond. We have neither. We were lucky. Didn't loose a bird. But our coop and run has both belt and suspenders. Metal clad, chain link, hot wire. We found fox prints all shapes and sizes around our run but nothing got in.

That fox was just doing what foxes do and did it very well.

We can only do the best we can to protect our flocks but sometimes it just isn't enough, and nothing can prevent the worst from happening.

 

[equustears]

I was thinking fox ( I think that’s what everyone was saying cat tracks) and where it was moving back and forth was when the duck was aware and it was herding her before getting her pinned either in deep snow or where she couldn’t get away fast. I’m sorry . I have 6 khaki ducks and 4 geese. If the snow is deeper than 1 in they are confined to their fenced yard and pools your other duck was in pool because that’s where they think they’re safe. Even my geese will pile into the kiddy pool if I’m late getting them in at dusk. And they are right it will be back ASAP for the other duck . I would try to find it a partner or even a couple . They watch over each other .
Again I’m so sorry.

 

[equustears]

I have spent alot of time with my soul survivor after losing her family. We have gotten to know each other very well. She is very alert to every sound and possible predator (I have a cat and dog). Roxy used to lower his head and go after them and I tried to discourage the behavior because he was bringing a butter knife to a gun fight. The only defense nature/God provided is their keen senses and the ability to fly. And I clipped his wings and took that away and now I kick myself in my own butt. He wouldn't leave his Momma that hatched him and feeds him, bathes him plays, with him raised him I enjoyed seeing them fly I was proud of them and all I could think of when they took him was he would fly back home if he could if I didn't clip his wings Imagine seeing and hearing something coming to kill and you know IT and there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT BACK,..HENCE LIKE SITTING DUCKS,..AWFUL I hate thinking how they felt,..And my beautiful Pekin, I went every day for 6 years to feed her at the junior college and when she and her nest got attacked by a dog (I was advised by BYC ) SO I brought her home to be safe and this happens, the 1st snow we get,..kept them inside on my back porch but bought the best and biggest chicken coop online , right before dusk don't know how much more my heart can take,..Winnie has been swimming in the bathtub but today a put a 5ft fence around her pool and changed the water and she is sleeping right against my leg and if I get up, she will goes with me,..she doesn't have a big appetite which worries me, she does not like any feed,..seed and meal worms,..and she tries to sneak cat food when we are in the kitchen,. we are grieving,..

 

[equustears]

I’m sooo sorry . She is terrified. She saw and heard it all. I wouldn’t leave her alone. They do make duck diapers if you feel she makes a mess but unless you find her a partner or two I wouldn’t put her back out alone. It will be back to get her for easy dinner.
The cat food or dog food won’t hurt her but make sure she has a bucket /bowl of water deep enough to clean her nostrils and bill in or she’ll get sticky eye. If she’s in TSC sells a boot tray for $3 that catches water and snow melt . It works great under the water dish and food dish to contain the mess be aware it will come after your cat as well !!!! Be it fox or coon

 

[Hidrainja4]

You can not kill every predator out there. You can make an area predator proof or build away for your animals can escape. If you put your duck outside you will lose your only duck to predators. Keep inside until you can build a predator proof pen. It is tough to lose your birds . I know

 

[Sea Wolf]

These photos are from all over the property. Which ones are from around the coop? For identification, your pictures are useless. Take a picture closeup of the track itself. Aim straight down at it so you are showing the footprint from around a foot away. Find fresh footprints that show detail and take the ones from around your coop. Predators interested in your birds will be scoping them out. A rabbit or other animal from the other side of the property isn't going to be helpful to you. There are also some good sites that show animal tracks and how to identify them. You can Google that.

 

[bernie131]

These photos are from all over the property. Which ones are from around the coop? For identification, your pictures are useless. Take a picture closeup of the track itself. Aim straight down at it so you are showing the footprint from around a foot away. Find fresh footprints that show detail and take the ones from around your coop. Predators interested in your birds will be scoping them out. A rabbit or other animal from the other side of the property isn't going to be helpful to you. There are also some good sites that show animal tracks and how to identify them. You can Google that.

There are 2 pictures with blood and a few prints of mine where I picked her up , and the prints that lead up to the pool.

 

[bernie131]