Phantom Bobcat

[TexasTurkeyMama]

How infuriating to return from a vacation to count beaks one morning and come up six short, and three bills too.
In the past our experience with a daylight predator that returns daily for a to-go box, leaving us with feathers, turns out to be a bobcat.

I kept the flocks inside, letting them out while I was present to do the chores. After three days of no birds out alone, I started a livetrap
baited with a live chicken. I used this trap setup for the remainder of the week and never caught anything.

I will begin turning out the flocks again and continue to count beaks every morning. I am also setting out the game cam for observation.
Has my predator moved out of the area, has it been trapped and removed by another neighbor, or did it choke to death on the last mouthful?
I should be more comfortable with yet another question I am unable to answer.

 

[Lor]

Ugh! Sorry to hear about the loss and now having to deal with a phantom predator.
I wouldn't trust that it's gone yet. Good luck!

 

[TexasTurkeyMama]

Ugh! Sorry to hear about the loss and now having to deal with a phantom predator.
I wouldn't trust that it's gone yet. Good luck!

You are correct. the decision to turn out the

 

[TexasTurkeyMama]

Turning out the flocks is a quality of life decision. I need my flocks to eat the weeds and bugs, enjoy the sunshine and drink the fresh water. They look happier and the eggs are better.

 

[TexasTurkeyMama]

Make that four bills short. And the closest neighbor running livestock has reported a bobcat climbing the deer fence and helping itself to his ducks too! No luck trapping in the live trap. Two game cams set to monitor the area. Standing by.

 

[mowin]

Bobcats are tuff to get in a live trap. A foot hold would be a better choice, but obviously if no pets are around.

 

[MROO]

How infuriating to return from a vacation to count beaks one morning and come up six short, and three bills too.
In the past our experience with a daylight predator that returns daily for a to-go box, leaving us with feathers, turns out to be a bobcat.

I kept the flocks inside, letting them out while I was present to do the chores. After three days of no birds out alone, I started a livetrap
baited with a live chicken. I used this trap setup for the remainder of the week and never caught anything.

I will begin turning out the flocks again and continue to count beaks every morning. I am also setting out the game cam for observation.
Has my predator moved out of the area, has it been trapped and removed by another neighbor, or did it choke to death on the last mouthful?
I should be more comfortable with yet another question I am unable to answer.

It's time for a camera! Your predator is likely still around, just leery of coming in too close now that the human smell is back. It could also be a critter that travels a feeding circuit, in which case, it will return as it makes the next round.

 

[TexasTurkeyMama]

It's time for a camera! Your predator is likely still around, just leery of coming in too close now that the human smell is back. It could also be a critter that travels a feeding circuit, in which case, it will return as it makes the next round.

Cameras are deployed. It's a long game.

 

[MROO]

Cameras are deployed. It's a long game.

Please keep us posted!