Raccoon? Or something more sinister? Name That Predator Game!

[Scatterknit]

OK want to help me play Name That Predator? I'm in a farming area of Georgia so we have it all - bobcats, coyote, foxes, raccoons, owls, hawks, eagles - you name it, we have it.

Whatever it is, it only attacks at night, I think. We put the dogs up at night (because they'd bark all night and drive me nuts) so maybe that's the only time it can avoid the dogs. It's big enough to kill a Canada Goose - I heard it get one a couple of weeks ago at about 4 AM. It got it by the throat because the goose was instantly making a horrible wretched noise that was nothing like its regular honk. The weird thing is that it's very quiet and is apparently very sneaky because there is no alarm until it has something by the neck. It must grab them while they're sleeping. It's not like coyote around here that start making an unholy racket when they start chasing something. It's completely quiet. After the goose incident I was thinking fox, but it can climb or somehow get into an 7 foot high fence. It's not digging under, it's going over.

I just got my electric fence and I'm putting it up tomorrow so just one more night to keep them safe.

But in the meantime, I'm really curious about what it is that's out there. Any educated guesses?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Could be a raccoon?

 

[deldeer]

Foxes can easily climb a fence. With the silent kill, that would be my guess.

 

[Byrd gal]

Cat maybe ?

 

[333113]

OK want to help me play Name That Predator? I'm in a farming area of Georgia so we have it all - bobcats, coyote, foxes, raccoons, owls, hawks, eagles - you name it, we have it.

Whatever it is, it only attacks at night, I think. We put the dogs up at night (because they'd bark all night and drive me nuts) so maybe that's the only time it can avoid the dogs. It's big enough to kill a Canada Goose - I heard it get one a couple of weeks ago at about 4 AM. It got it by the throat because the goose was instantly making a horrible wretched noise that was nothing like its regular honk. The weird thing is that it's very quiet and is apparently very sneaky because there is no alarm until it has something by the neck. It must grab them while they're sleeping. It's not like coyote around here that start making an unholy racket when they start chasing something. It's completely quiet. After the goose incident I was thinking fox, but it can climb or somehow get into an 7 foot high fence. It's not digging under, it's going over.

I just got my electric fence and I'm putting it up tomorrow so just one more night to keep them safe.

But in the meantime, I'm really curious about what it is that's out there. Any educated guesses?

Foxes are really good climbers.
When with dead prey in mouth.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wires around my coops and pens. I think the adult predators teach their young that a chicken isn't worth getting zapped for. What do you have for a fence charger? Personally I would get at least a 1 joule so whatever touches the wires will know it. I also have good heavy duty netting covering the pens and concrete under the gates, all due to losses from predators in the past. I also have several game cameras. I love my cameras. When I first put them up I was amazed at the predators that roam around here especially at night. Good luck...

 

[turkey girl 0964]

Maybe bobcat? A few months ago some thing had ripped apart our turkey pen and killed three of our adult turkeys! We live in arizona so Bobcat or Lynx. Because when we went out to feed the predator was gone. You should set out a Game Cam.

 

[turkey girl 0964]

Set out a Game Cam.