How to catch a scared rooster?

[NEPAhomesteader5]

Hey guys, long time lurker, first time posting anything. I’ve been raising chickens for almost two years and have learned a lot from this site, so I’m hoping maybe someone has some advice.

So yesterday morning at about 530 am I hear blood curdling screams coming from my chickens. I assumed it was the bear as I catch him walking through the yard a few times a week on camera. I run outside and my secondary coop where I was keeping 2 Roosters was ripped open, feathers everywhere and neither rooster or bear was in sight (this was all within like a minute time frame). So I can’t find any sign of the birds and figure they were dead. I go back out to let my main flock out into the run and to my surprise once my head rooster started crowing, the other two respond, awesome. So I find the one in the woods behind my house. The other one is across the road in the woods. I try to grab him, (I usually let him free range all day, and has become like a pet, runs up to me and lets me grab him and put him in the coop at night) and he runs away, so I figured he needs to calm down and I leave for work.

long story short I can’t seem to catch him. I got him to get within a few feet of me with treats and food yesterday and he wouldn’t let me grab him. I decided to wait for him to roost and I couldn’t find him last night, so at 6am this morning I decided to sit and wait in the woods for him to crow, as he does like clock work. I see him, almost grab him, and he freaked out (sounded almost like when the bear attacked) and ran off.

Do you guys think if I just leave him alone he will come back? He staying pretty close by, but I’m worried about him trying to cross the road. I don’t want to scare him off farther away. I tried putting on a drive (if your familiar with hunting) with my buddy’s last night to push him back onto my property and that had no luck either. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[mowin]

I'd definitely let him be. The more you try, the more he's going to get spooked.

 

[WestTNriverrat]

Something hauled my rooster off and I got a call from a neighbor probably a half mile saying their was a rooster running around. Turned out it was mine. He was Uber stressed but had to be caught and soon. I had to use a cast net and a teenager to help me corner and catch him.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I catch my roosters by grabbing a hen then they come running lol

 

[cmom]

I use a long handled fish net. Put some favorite treats out and he may be hungry enough to go for the treats. If you have someone that could help you, it would be a plus. Good luck...

 

[Isadora]

I was also going to suggest a net, as a few above people did. He will likely be a little spooked about you because of his traumatic ordeal, but if you find that with a long enough handle you should be able to snag him.

 

[NEPAhomesteader5]

Well the good news is he made it back. I went out a few times yesterday and kinda chased him up the woods closer towards my house in hopes he would here my other chickens and make his way back over. I left to go out for a bit and when I returned home he had made it back across the road and was with the rest of the herd. Thanks for the ideas.