Do Predators Return the Carcass?

[swampducks]

Well, what was left of my 3 month old muscovy drake was by the pond this morning. Very little left of this one, of course, whatever did it had 3 days to eat at its leisure. Earlier this summer one of my other vanished ducks reappeared in the same area, but there was more left to her.

Plus a female scovy was gone this morning.

There are coyotes, raccoons, bobcats (never seen one of those) and theoretically mountain lions (never seen one of those either.) The 3 ducks had roosted on the raft in the pond last night.

I know my younger dog could have brought back the remains both times (I also know she is not the culprit), but I was wondering if anyone has heard of a predator bringing the kill back?

 

[redoak]

I've never heard of a predator bringing back a kill. I know they will stash uneaten portions of a carcass to hide it from other predators. Maybe something else found the carcass and felt safer eating out in the open or near water.

 

[swampducks]

I spoke to my neighbor and he says raccoons wash their food, or need water to eat it? so probably dragged it back, then found better pickings and grabbed another duck.

DH returns tonight, I'm wondering if I can talk him into waiting on the deck with me and a couple of shot guns.

 

[chickenfanatic]

hmmm this is a curious happening for sure maybe something like the twilight zone hmmmmmmmm. good luck figuring it out

 

[crtrlovr]

could be a raccoon needed to eat near a water source, or perhaps a dog or something else found the carcass and brought it to its present location.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
If your scovy was roosting on a raft in the pond & it was gone this morning then perhaps a mink that swims? A raccoon isn't going to swim out I don't think. I actually have a book some where here that says what each different preditor does I'll see if I can look it up & if that would shed any light on it.

 

[panner123]

Check for snapping turtles. They will take a duck in a second.

 

[swampducks]

Quote:
We already did. DH built a nifty trap and we baited it with all sorts of meaty tidbits. No snappers in there. He then took it to his ponds on our other property and in the 3rd pond caught a 14" snapper. He has plans for me cooking it next week.

Last night he set up his wildlife camera and it snapped 2 photos. One of my lab sniffing the ground and one of the ducks this morning. Apparently, the coon wasn't hungry yet.

I am now looking at spring traps on-line.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
We already did. DH built a nifty trap and we baited it with all sorts of meaty tidbits. No snappers in there. He then took it to his ponds on our other property and in the 3rd pond caught a 14" snapper. He has plans for me cooking it next week.

Last night he set up his wildlife camera and it snapped 2 photos. One of my lab sniffing the ground and one of the ducks this morning. Apparently, the coon wasn't hungry yet.

I am now looking at spring traps on-line.

ok so now bear with me because this book is on chickens but I imagine it would be the same for ducks when it comes to "Determining who Done it". pg. 45 of "Hobby Farms Chickens" by Sue Weaver.

"You can figure out the identity of your midnight raider by discovering what was taken and what was left. Opossums, skunks and raccoons savor chicken eggs. They may raid your coop without killing a bird. A dead bird, however, doesn't rule them out. They might dine on meat and eggs during the same visit.

When opossums have a hankering for chicken, they'll usually kill a single bird per visit; typically only the abdomen will be eaten. Raccoons visit a coop infrequently, once a week or so. They prefer heads and crops; more than one chicken may be killed. If skunks invade your chicken house, they're also likely chew off one or more chickens' heads; worse, a lingering aroma of eau de phew will generally give them away. A neat stack of dead chickens--with necks eaten and heads missing--suggests the culprits are probably minks or weasels. Foxes usually are blamed for most chicken coop predation, but if you find dead chickens, foxes likely aren't involved.

They carry their prey away with them--as do bobcats, coyotes, and predatory birds--usually without leaving a trace. "

She goes on to say how to trap them & what to use as bait. I'd have to question if it ins't the mink since it's so close to water & something swam out to the floating thing.