what kind of predator makes this print

Hazelrah

Chirping
7 Years
Feb 12, 2012
106
2
81
Oregon
Hi all, something attacked and ate my rooster during the night and I would like to figure out what it is. The chicken was badly mauled, neck broken in a couple places, head eaten, and the body was also chewed on and gutted, but the rest of the bird was intact and left in the coop. I have seen skunks in the area but am not convinced a skunk would be strong enough to do this kind of damage. We have raccoons, skunks, bobcat and others, I live in rural northern Oregon.

Details: I found a hole dug under my fence as well as tracks at other areas of my fence and assume entry was gained thru the hole dug in the ground. I put out a bag of flour and the next morning I got one clear print from the area near my gate. Any chance you can identify the


predator from this track? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I will be adding a concrete trench around the perimeter of the run to discourage digging and meanwhile locking the hens in the coop each night - I thought my run was secure so I hadn't been locking them in until now.
 
The print looks somewhat like a member of the weasel family. Looks too big for a weasel. Possibly mink, fisher, or yes even a skunk.
 
Looks just like a possum track. We have our fair share of them here.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I lost one last week to a hawk or fox. I'm still very sad.:(
 
May very well be the front footprint of a 'possum. The back foot is very distinctly different. Set a box trap using part of the rooster as bait. The predator will be bacck for more.
 
Thank you, the roo was my very first baby chick, hatched and lovingly raised by my hen Lisa. I loved him so much, we took pictures to document his growth week by week thru the first few months. Celebrated the first crow a month or so ago - he was just starting to be a "real" roo. I guess it would have been just as heartbreaking regardless of which chicken I lost but he was definitely special to me.
 
oh and I am sure hoping it wasnt skunk. I would learn to trap for anything else but can't imagine the smell from a live skunk in a trap.
 
What about searching google for animal tracks? I'll bet you could find an example.
Our old house had minks... can be nasty little boogers! Our old town used to have a mink (and fox) farm for years. That is until PETA decided to humanely "let them be free" and released them all outside. Idiots. That was quite a few years ago and the population has bloomed.
And I'm smelling a skunk outside as I type this.
Sigh... it never ends.
 
If the thumb on the hind leg points almost down than it is an opossum and if the toes on the hind legs point straight then it is a raccoon but i think it's a possum...............wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, It is a possum
 
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