Opinion - Fox or Raccoon?

[Wolf-Kim]

I think the best print was the one on top of the first picture. First voice in my head said dog, but I guess fox it closer to the situation.

When the fox took my hens, there was nothing but a couple of feathers. We hadn't found out they were gone until we saw and shot the fox carrying of the 4th hen. That's when we realized we had 4/6 gone. The 4th hen being carried off had her head eaten off and when I disected it(for the boys) it had just alot of feathers in it's stomache. It ate the head first and then carried the rest off.

I have seen coon tracks and they are very distinctive, I don't think a coon could have made those tracks, especially the one in the first picture.

-Kim

 

[kurby]

I am very curious as to what you catch and hopefully you get the coulprit!
Poor babies
K

 

[Candymom]

I found a magpie in the trap this morning - couldn't resist the lure of peanut butter and jelly and some chicken!
Now that we are thinking it is fox, I will be baiting the trap with some raw chicken.
Thanks so much for your help, I will keep you posted!

 

[Moonwalker]

Quote:
OK, since "Devil" is one of those prints, I am guessing this came from some Australian source, but
WHAT THE HECK IS A "QUOLL"!

 

[Moonwalker]

Never mind, I'm still asleep. I Googled it.
A marisupial cat critter native to Australia.
Kinda looks like a cross between a cat and an opossum!

 

[Candymom]

Well, my neighbor told me that he saw a fox in the field behind our houses on Friday night around 8:30.
I've been locking the girl's up(I have borrowed a hen from a friend because Prudence was lonely and was being so noisy by herself) by 8 every night and have also put a reinforced dog run in the area where they were before. Just outside of the run I have put the humane trap that I have been baiting with chicken legs ever since you all helped me decide it was a fox.
This morning I got up and the chicken leg was gone from the trap. The dang thing didn't go off! I've re-baited it and re-set it so it is a little more sensitive. I've wired the bait to the bottom of the trap so the fox really has to put his weight on the trip plate. I'm hoping he'll come back tonight. On the plus side, now he isn't afraid of the trap since it didn't do anything scary while he was in there.
Hopefully I'll have an update and a photo of the culprit soon!

 

[polish15]

Thank's for the update. Keep us posted!

 

[chubs]

Left the chickens out about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to roam the yard, in about 10 minutes they where going crazy and carrying on. Went to see what was goin on, the rooster was in a panick an no chickens around. Saw a bunch of feather then saw a chicken laying on the ground. Thought maybe it was hit by a car but when i went to look i saw a red fox coming back to get her ( wish i had the gun). They never use to come out in daytime but nobody hunts them anymore so they are not afraid. Don't know if the hen will make it.