Cat or Owl----- Killed Ducks?? warning: Pics

[Cockadoodlezoo]

My two-cents says Owl. You would have seen footprints if it were a raccoon or cat.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
yes, looks like a rat.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
yes, looks like a rat.

I think it's a duck head. Looked like a rat to me first as well, but I think it's a head and neck of one of the birds.

Spectrum, examine the truck for tracks. If you don't find any tracks, chances are the predator flew onto the truck, which means it's an owl or other raptor.

-Kim

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
That is the head of the pintail! They are a mallard and a pintail.

I think it was racoon(s). They are expert climbers and due to the number killed..... and the way taken apart.

I should have added that--- the missing is probably over several days, not all in one night.

Our ducks and geese have free range of the ranch, with a few hunderd, It's hard to do role call each day.​

 

[spectrumranch]

Well I got the answer this morning.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I don't think it's an owl, everytime we have ever lost a bird to an owl they eat the head/neck right down to the shoulders. If it happened last night it wouldn't be hawk either.

Isn't that a paw print beside the gut pile? on the bottom pick.

I would say coon myself. About 2 years ago we lost 5 or 6 Buff Orpingtons in one night from our back pen. It went into the chicken house and pulled them out one by one during the night. Eaten wise they went from just the legs left down to one with just the breast eaten. We figured as it filled up it ate less and less of each bird. There was no opening for it to crawl under the fence so it climbed over. It came back and I got it in a trap the next night.

Steve in NC

 

[Wolf-Kim]

What did you use to bait the trap? The duck carcasses?

I guess I just find it strange you caught an owl with a live trap. LOL

-Kim

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Well what do you know.

I was thinking with the number missing it wouldn't be an owl but if was coming back to feed every nite for a couple days that would explain the missing.

But now you have another problem...... or the owl does.

Steve

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
Please see the photo, above your post. I'm still going with owl.

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
I put the dead ducks in the live trap- and put 2 live ducks (thought it would be to cruel to put one by itself) in a cage next to the live trap.

This is not the first time I have caught owls in live traps.