[graphic photos] What would leave this?

[PrettyCoolChicks]

Hi folks,

Found this kill in my back40, I assume what's left of a wild mallard or at least some sort of wild duck (seen many fly away recently when we walk by), close enough that I probably should worry about my own flock. Can anyone tell what would leave something like this behind? Guts, a foot with a leg bone cleaned off, and three piles of feathers about a meter apart from each other. Wooded area at the edge of a tiny lake/swamp.

There's a number of possible predators in the area: wolves, foxes, mink/marten, cougar, black and grizzly bears (probably still too early), birds like owls or bald eagles, or possibly even a dog (though I assume a dog would have eaten the guts and possibly even the feathers). There's typically no racoons or coyotes in my area.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hi folks,

Found this kill in my back40, I assume what's left of a wild mallard or at least some sort of wild duck (seen many fly away recently when we walk by), close enough that I probably should worry about my own flock. Can anyone tell what would leave something like this behind? Guts, a foot with a leg bone cleaned off, and three piles of feathers about a meter apart from each other. Wooded area at the edge of a tiny lake/swamp.

There's a number of possible predators in the area: wolves, foxes, mink/marten, cougar, black and grizzly bears (probably still too early), birds like owls or bald eagles, or possibly even a dog (though I assume a dog would have eaten the guts and possibly even the feathers). There's typically no racoons or coyotes in my area.

Cats gut their prey eating only certain innards. So this is a cat kill.

 

[Project Blue]

I'm agreeing on cat kill. One time I saw a domesticated wolf-hybrid eat a live squirrel. Snap snap and the tail fell off. The whole squirrel minus the tail was chunked down in about 2 seconds. I'm guessing from that ghoulish show, wolves are not too particular in their dining habits. I'm pretty sure a mink killed two of my ducks. Amazingly the mink ate the bill, head neck and a little past the neck. Two different times same eating pattern. You'd think the mink would skip the bill and bony neck and go for the meaty middle first. Neat too, no piles of down and feathers. Thankfully I've never had to deal with bears. One possibility other than the more probable cat, (bob, puma) is dog. I've had repeated poultry attacks by a pit bull and it's a mess afterward. A head here a foot there and feathers everywhere. Later, opportunist wildlife finishes off the remains.