Goose vanished

[Solomonscoupons]

Hello! We have two geese and yesterday, when we put the ducks and geese away for the night, there was only one goose. No signs of a struggle anywhere, no feathers, nothing. We’ve searched everywhere. Our LGDs didn’t alert, the ducks don’t seem scared, nothing seems amiss, but the goose has been missing all day today. We’ve got a good size predator load, so I’m trying to figure out if she was taken by a predator, or if she decided to go broody (in October at about 6 months old?) and is hiding in the forest.
If it is a predator, I’m thinking it would have to be a bird or prey. We’ve got eagles, Hawks, owls, and there’s been a strangely persistent raven around all day. Can a raven take a full grown goose?!
Any ideas?

 

[sourland]

sorry for the circumstances. At 6 months old, it is very unlikely that she is setting on eggs. Perhaps an eagle might be large enough to carry off a goose, but no other raptors can. My gut instinct is that she was taken by a 'snatch and grab' predator like a bobcat or coyote. Keep an eye on the rest of your flock.

 

[McChooky]

If the dogs were distracted it would only take a second

 

[McChooky]

Hello! We have two geese and yesterday, when we put the ducks and geese away for the night, there was only one goose. No signs of a struggle anywhere, no feathers, nothing. We’ve searched everywhere. Our LGDs didn’t alert, the ducks don’t seem scared, nothing seems amiss, but the goose has been missing all day today. We’ve got a good size predator load, so I’m trying to figure out if she was taken by a predator, or if she decided to go broody (in October at about 6 months old?) and is hiding in the forest.
If it is a predator, I’m thinking it would have to be a bird or prey. We’ve got eagles, Hawks, owls, and there’s been a strangely persistent raven around all day. Can a raven take a full grown goose?!
Any ideas?

The raven is an unlikely culprit but they have a sharp bill and talons

 

[JedJackson]

Great horned owls and Eagles can take a wild goose, but a heavier domestic goose, probably not. I agree with sourland that it was probably a bobcat or coyote. But I'd keep up the search, just in case.

 

[McChooky]

My neighbors got a young LGD pup but it wasn't trained and killed chickens and turkeys. How old are your dogs?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

IME a dog would leave a trail of feathers, particularly a young, inexperienced dog. Agree a wild predator. Sorry for your loss.

 

[McChooky]

Do a search around the perimeter of your property with the dogs and see what you find

 

[nao57]

So... I have to raise a few points here. I'm still flexible and I still could be wrong...

I have experienced both bird of prey predators AND dogs in the neighborhood being culprits. When it was dogs that attacked my birds, there was always remains, blood, viscera around right where they were grabbed every single time. Every dog attack this was constant. A dog is 'more likely' (but not guaranteed to) also start 'dismantling' right there.

But with the bird of prey 'incidents' there was no sign of anything at all. No blood on the ground. Nothing to track. Birds of prey tend to carry it off somewhere safe away from the ground before they start eating.

...

 

[Solomonscoupons]

My neighbors got a young LGD pup but it wasn't trained and killed chickens and turkeys. How old are your dogs?

Almost two and they’ve been trained to guard the poultry. They are not able to get in with them, but protect around their enclosure.