Lost 2 ducks and 2 chickens - is this a bobcat print??

[CodyDunn]

Gosh, good luck. I would guess a coon, but I don't know anything about these fishers that have been discussed. Hope you get the darn thing. Keep us posted.

 

[loopy12]

There's something in my trap...there's something in my trap...there's something in my trap!!!!

Its a RACOON!!!
And a big one!!!
I weighed him (in cage and then subtracted cage weight) - 18lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The chickens followed me down and went bananas when they saw the cage and its contents...alarm calls and flapping - like "yes, that's him, he's the one - I recognise him even with his mask on"

I've never seen a live one in daylight so is kind of fascinating (I am English and have only lived here 2 years...don't have such beasts where I come from!)

BUT my neighbour said racoons would scavenge the remains but wouldn't attack and kill the live chickens and ducks...
Now I'm wondering...
Because the first night there were some different prints but I didn't have my camera with me. Then the second night there were loads of the racoon (now we know) prints.

Could it have been something else is the killer, not the racoon? I don't doubt he ate the leftovers but...

 

[patman75]

Quote:
Good job, reset the trap and see if there are any more. Don't listen to your neighbor, raccoons will wipe out your entire flock if given the chance. My neighbor lost 15 chickens last year to raccoons.

 

[miss heny]

a raccoon can eat all of the chicken or ducks but not the feathers so look for feathers on the lot you live on

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

i would have to vote raccoon because raccoons have 5 toes that would make a print and bobcats only have 4. also the print would be much cleaner in the snow because cats have perfect weight displacement making perfect prints in the snow. i think you caught the culprit

!

 

[babyblue]

dont listen to your neighbor, raccoons, possiums, skunks and everything else american, preditory, fuzzy and feathered will kill and eat everything bird and pet wise you have. and then ravage your trash cans.

 

[theFox]

There is a very long list of things that have in fact killed chickens and ducks.

Raccoons, fox, coyote, skunks, possums, weasels, fishers, martins, mink, badgers, wolves, bears, domestic cats, bobcats, lynx, and dogs are all on that list when it comes to four footed critters.

The only one on that list I've ever had any trouble with is dogs and I have many of the others that frequent the place.

 

[gsim]

Quote:

Your neighbor is wrong. Coons are accomplished chicken killers. They typically will kill everything they can find and eat the heads. They will carry a carcass away if they have young. Kill it and don't look back. Barrel of water or creek or a pistol.

Great trapping too.

 

[Tala]

Raccoons definitely KILL birds.

Funny you talk about your birds reactions, lol. I can tell if there is a raccoon in my live trap or just a stray cat before I even come out the door -- because my rooster is used to cats so he doesn't sound the alarm, but he's fought off a raccoon before so he knows they are BAD. He makes more noise about a raccoon in a cage than he does crowing, there's no sleeping in until you get rid of the coon.

 

[Lollipop]

Well there. Glad ya caught at least one of them. Never caught coons in the snow and the tracks, as well as the fact that the whole carcas was gone, threw me off. Probably more around. Be prepared........Pop