duck massacre

I went out to do chores this morning and found a massacre in a duck pen. A Muscovy mom and her 4 - 2 month old babies are dead, one very traumatized survivor.
The pen is fenced and I have netting on top, what could of done this. One was ripped apart, the mom skinned, one missing and one bitten in the neck. The only way they could of gotten in is by climbing the fence and squeezing under the netting between the nails.
Raccoon, fox, skunk, weasel...any suggestions? Also should i leave the mess as is in hopes the murderer comes back for seconds? I will be sitting out there tonight with gun in hand!

Almost certain that is a raccoon Prairie chick, I have heard of them squeezing between the rafters of old building so under the netting wouldnt be hard for them to do. I would definately set a trap for it and fix the problem before it gets more of your animals.

Thanks Jayme, I never thought they would eat birds. I do have a cage that closes when they go in. Should i put a duck carcass in the cage, in the pen? Or should i just put the carcass and cage out in the open?


I just feel sick, poor ducks didn't have a chance

I always put the trap where the last killing was. So for me I would put it in the pen the ducks were killed in. More so because I dont want to trap a hungry passer by, but instead trap the culprit that did the dead in the first place.
Generally raccoons will carry their prey out of where they kill it, but if it was a mom and babies she might have just let them eat in there.

How sickening and heartbreaking. I hope you catch and/or shoot the culprit. Poor ducks!

Oh boy. That is awful to hear..boy I really hope that you can get it. That would hopefully prevent further devastation, sigh...keep that chin up. Still try to find something good in this day, you have had a rough time. CynthiaM.

No one in the cage but the cage was drug into the coop from next to the gate, with the door set off. What ever it is ate the duck threw the cage.
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That sounds like a Big Sow coon
to eat it thru the wire and to drag the cage
beings it came back I would set it again and maybe smaller pieces and might even set a snare or a leg hold

Sorry for your loss. I know how it feels, the senseless killing. We had a bear kill 9 chickens and ducks but did not eat them. Senseless. I hope you find the culprit and dispose of it. My heart goes out to you.

I don't know what the heck is going on here. I set up the trap and the predator flipped the cage on its side so the door wouldn't close, then it took the bate out.

Is a coon that smart or am I dealing with a fox? I am going to rebar the cage to the ground tonight.

Coons are super smart! I am certain that is what you are dealing with.
I would definately stake it down, and hopefully you get them tonight. Coons hunt late evening and early morning, so that is the best time to trap them.
I had lunch with my dad yesterday and he has trapped 10 coons in the last 3 weeks! You need to use a bait they cannot get from the outside. What he did is cover the end of the trap so they couldnt reach in, they had to go inside to get the cat food he had poured on the ground, and twice he has caught two little ones at the same time. So you could be dealing with an entire family as well there. So once you catch one keep your trap going.

Thanks for sharing that Jayme, I will try again tonight and I will cover the end like your dad does.

Maybe its a Saskwatch!?!? I hear they are real smart!

Well DH went out for a smoke last night about 11:30 and he heard a ruckus in one of the pens with turkeys and guinea's in there. He asked me if he should go up there and take a look, I said yes and take the gun with you (I would of went but i was already in bed). He comes back about 5 minutes later, she shot a BIG raccoon in the pen, got it first shot. It was hubby's bday yesterday and he became a man, I am so proud of him . He always made me shoot predators because he was scared he would miss and didn't want them to suffer in any way.
I don't think this is the coon that killed my ducks because there was one that was getting into the grain bin and eating all my feed. Yesterday I got DH to put a lock on the bottom of the door so nothing can squeeze in there, so i think this was that one. It is a very BIG coon, i am actually shocked how big it is. I will take a picture when i go out there right away and share.
I am so happy we got this one

Well, job well done. I have no use for predators and am very happy to hear that at least one is gone....now for the rest, smiling. Good that he did it and his aim was accurate, that probably made him feel really good, as he had fears of not getting it first time round. Yay!! Have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

Went out to do chores quickly this morning and the raccoon must have a family because there are a couple dead blue Orp hens, a dead guinea and injured turkey. All this after DH shot the one last night. So have to move the birds out of that pen for now.
I grabbed another raccoon trap in Regina and sardines so will set the traps up today. If its not one thing it's another.

Oh that must just feel like a kick to the guts. I'm sorry and sure hope you get them. How awful.

Yep sounds like youngn's
The good thing is you got the sow and the little ones wont be as smart so should get caught in the cage trap
Good luck and keep us posted

Here is the pic of the coon DH shot last night, it is huge. Traps are set so lets hope i get the ones that ate my blue Oprs

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Oh crap. Not again. I really want to hear if the traps work. Once you trap them, you off them in there I sure hope, and not let them go somewhere, they'll come back. Blah. Still, have a good day, CynthiaM.

Wholey, that is a big raccon! Sorry to hear it is coons giving you trouble. They are smart and tough to deal with I hear. Maybe the youngsters will move on.

They may have moved on as I only had a skunk in my trap this morning. I will keep the traps set up.

Unfortunately the neighbor had an attack last night and lost 4 birds.

So was that a male or female Raccoon?
Good thing you got the skunk, I would definately keep those traps set.
Too bad about your neighbor but hopefully they have moved on and will keep moving on...

GGRRRRR another dead full grown Blue Palm turkey hen this morning. These raccoons are smart little buggers, they keep setting off the traps but don't get trapped. I closed the turkey pen and they ripped the poly I had covering the front top of the pen. If only i could stay awake all night ~sigh~
I am going to put wire mesh over the poly cloth today and fix any doors that might be opened. I know once they can't get into that pen they will try to get into another.

I would much rather shoot them but for now I have to make sure nothing can get into the pens!

Oh btw Jayme, I am not sure of the sex of the coon DH shot.