what kind of track is this

[ND27]

last night just around dusk I was about a half hour late to close the pop door on my chicken coop and an animal got my rooster. I assume he was trying to protect his ladies. he was taken there were feathers everywhere but no corpse I followed the feathers to a large pile of feathers a few 100 yards away but still no chicken. there was what seemed to be a hole in the ground very close to the feather pile here is a picture of a print it left on the coop can anyone tell me what I am dealing with? raccoon? fox?

 

[BullChick]

 

[roosterhavoc]

last night just around dusk I was about a half hour late to close the pop door on my chicken coop and an animal got my rooster. I assume he was trying to protect his ladies. he was taken there were feathers everywhere but no corpse I followed the feathers to a large pile of feathers a few 100 yards away but still no chicken. there was what seemed to be a hole in the ground very close to the feather pile here is a picture of a print it left on the coop can anyone tell me what I am dealing with? raccoon? fox? View attachment 1855151 View attachment 1855152

What part of the country are you from? Looks like either fox or coyote.
Most likely a fox and if the hole is big it’s probably a den.

 

[ND27]

North jersey

 

[BullChick]

I’m used to coyote in that area.

 

[ND27]

the location of those prints are 8ft above ground on the coop near the soffets.....it climbs my 6ft tall fully enclosed run and walks on the chicken wire top that's what makes me think not coyote......how he actually got in is the entire run is made out welded fencing and he got through just above the gate between the 2 pcs of welded wire seemed to pull the top of the gate out a little and snuck threw

 

[Eggscaping]

Can you put something like a quarter by the print to see the size of the print? Looks (and sounds) like a fox to me. So sorry about your lost bird!

 

[ND27]

unfortuately i have already wiped them off so that i know if there are new ones.......if it returns if i get more i will definatly do that.....they weren't very large......smaller then my pit/lab mix prints but larger then my cats if that helps at all....does anyone have any good ideas on how to catch or what bait to use? I have a have-a-heart set up with cat food in it but I need to catch him be4 he catches another one I am sure he will try again tonight

 

[mowin]

I'm leaning fox because of the den. Most coons in our area are in a hollow tree or loft of a old barn.

But the prints on a vertical wall lean towards coon. Although I've seen fox climb a tree after a squirrel many times.

 

[50-45-1]

Get a trail camera,set up pointed at your coop. Then you might figure out exactly what it was.
Grey fox are great climbers.
I would not have much hope catching a fox in a live trap. They are to smart for that. Racoons are pretty easy to catch in those tho.
Your best option now is closing your chickens up at dusk, in a coop that nothing else can get in.
Trail cameras are fun, i have 6 of them. 4 running year around. I love seeing the wildlife that surrounds me.
Recent sighting are a sow black bear and her 3 cubs. No walking around in my woods without my hand held boat horn and pepper spray in my pocket! Or maybe.... no walking around in the woods at all.
Hope you dont loose anymore, it will come back, likley tonight.