Predator Killed Many Ducks In One Night

[ShelbyR28]

Hello I had 11 ducks, four were Khaki Campbells mixed with Mallard, the rest straight Khakis. The pond they are on is just about an acre big. It froze, however, not completely as the ducks stayed in a circle in the water and we have a pump running so part of the pond stays thawed. Never in 6 years have we had a duck go missing in the winter when the pond starts to freeze. The other night 6 went missing. I found one laying dead on top of the ice with blood all over its head and neck with puncture wounds. Another one was underwater below the ice. The other four were never found with no trace of a struggle. There were no predator tracks in the ice and no ruminants of the ducks not even feathers in the nearby woods. What could have done this? Any ideas on what predator took our ducks in one night without a trace? I’m just so baffled what happened. They had a circle of thawed water to stay in and the edges of the pond were somewhat thawed. Any possible ideas would be helpful just to understand what happened. We are heart broken…

 

[Callender Girl]

I am so sorry for you devastating loss!

All my predator losses have been to a mink, who appeared to kill for sport, not hunger. It left my dead chickens behind, mostly intact. My drake duck was simply gone, with just a handful of feathers left behind.

I hope someone can offer some suggestions on what killed your ducks. Again, I am sorry for you and hope your remaining ducks are safe.

 

[TOR]

I second the mink. They go for head and neck and also will kill for sport.

 

[ShelbyR28]

I am so sorry for you devastating loss!

All my predator losses have been to a mink, who appeared to kill for sport, not hunger. It left my dead chickens behind, mostly intact. My drake duck was simply gone, with just a handful of feathers left behind.

I hope someone can offer some suggestions on what killed your ducks. Again, I am sorry for you and hope your remaining ducks are safe.

Thank you for your sympathy, I truly appreciate it! It definitely appears it was for support. Thank you for the input and information, it is very helpful. So very sorry for your less as well, dang predators!

 

[ShelbyR28]

I second the mink. They go for head and neck and also will kill for sport.

Thank you for the information.

 

[McChooky]

Fencing in a portion of the pond will offer some protection if you decide to get more. They're excellent climbers and swimmers and will return.I'm sorry for your loss!

 

[Psychofeatherlover]

Minks are horrible little things. They will go into a killing frenzy, and they will also sometimes take a bird or so, and hide it in one of it's many burrows to eat later. Otters are the same way. Minks are also very good runners on land. They have exceptional hearing, sight, and smell. They are super hard to shoot, bc they usually know u r there before u know they r there. Trapping them is the best route, they are nosey little assholes, and will want to see what's in the live trap, but it has to be in their direct walking path and covered up so they can't see it. The wildlife internet page said the most humane way to kill them was to use a drowning trap. To me that sounds horrible, but they say it's better than shooting them. I was so mad and upset when one got just one of our chickens, I wanted to go out and be like Rambo. Come out of the water with a bandana on my head and a knife in my mouth, and just jump on the little murdering sucker. But I'm too slow....and the water is too shallow. . Now we either have a muskrat, otter or mink right behind the neighbors house at the creek. We set traps, but they don't stay in the same spot every night. They move around on their territory all the time. I can't help it, when I see a hole in the bank, or under a tree I honestly wanna throw some kind of explosive in there or shoot in the hole till the he bank gives way, but I know that's illegal or something, and so I have to be patient and set stupid traps. I hope my rambling mess helps a little. Sorry, I'm still mad, and from my flock to yours, we are so sorry for your losses. Hope u get the sneaky little bugger.