What is this predator? **** Coop Cam photo****

[dana hanson]

The first photo by StephensenC looks like a badger to me. The photo by Mondari is definitely a bobcat. Thank God my worst predator here is a possum, cat, or possibly a raccoon. My 2 outside cats have no problem with the chickens, but I don't think they would protect them. My dog, however, became part of the flock and took on the role to protect them. He loves them. He sleeps outside of the coop at night in the summer.

 

[123RedBeard]

The first picture, as soon as I saw it I thought fisher cat (not really a cat but named that) then thought maybe a juvenile panther ... It seems to have short legs (but could just be the angle)

Second one is bobcat ... All three can climb ...

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

I thought the legs were too short to be a coyote too. Here's a still shot from a black coyote in SC that's close to the same position as yours.

 

[centrarchid]

Looks like a dark phase / blue red fox. Limb proportions typical of a canid. Tail is too bushy to be a coyote as it has the tube brush look to it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Could this be the same thing? This was 2 days later. Or is this a bobcat?

I say bob cat we have them here and we're in NC too.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Looks like a dark phase / blue red fox. Limb proportions typical of a canid. Tail is too bushy to be a coyote as it has the tube brush look to it.

yep, definately a dark phase red fox. It has mange really bad, not worth getting stuffed. When you catch it. Kill it, double bag it in a trash bag and bury him.

 

[Lacey1988]

OK...I enlarged and cropped a little.

Looks like a black fox. It's too slim to be a pig also it has a bushy tail.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Looks like a dark phase / blue red fox. Limb proportions typical of a canid. Tail is too bushy to be a coyote as it has the tube brush look to it.

My thoughts exactly, but I wish to add Gray Fox DNA into this unknown varmint. Foxes also tend to be very mangy from time to time.

 

[MistyMountain]

My very first thought was fisher because I've seen so many photos and videos of them, but in NC??????? That's WAY far south! I'm right at the NC border and the last thing I need to think is here, other than what we already have, is a fisher! Ack!

Don't mean to bring you bad news… but we have family near Helen who have seen fisher cats in their back yard. Nature finds a way… or is helped out as can be read in the article below talking about how 20 fishers from Chequamegon National Forest in northern Wisconsin were “repatriated” into Tennessee in 2002. They're getting closer!!

http://appvoices.org/2007/04/26/2924/

Being from WI, I have seen them up north deer hunting. I watched one trail the first deer I got, after a bear had run through (eventful morning for a 12 year old!).

 

[Debs55]

I think fox. I am in GA and we have caught foxes on our game cameras before and that looks very similar. looks too tall for a fisher cat. Could be a coyote but I am really thinking fox