So we have lost two birds at my parents' farm, the last couple of nights. First it was the goose, pictured below, and then a duck last night. (I don't have photos of the duck, because we used her as bait for the live trap.)
He suffered at least two bite wounds on his throat, and died the following day from blood loss.
I have narrowed it down to a couple of possible predators, but wanted to see what you guys think.
Here are the pictures:
These are the larger holes. It looks to me like there is tearing around the holes, like something latched on and he shook his head back and forth trying to free himself. (I plucked feathers around the area so we could see it better.)
The tooth holes were about 1-1.25 inches apart.
The duck was found on the creek bank, and we had to look really hard to find the puncture marks, but they were in the same location as the goose, and the same distance apart. There were no other injuries, and no feathers anywhere (no sign of a struggle, in other words).
The ducks have been sleeping on the water (we finally managed to get them penned up tonight), so whatever it was grabbed it in the water, which leads me to a mink.
But would a mink take on a goose?! I also thought maybe a feral cat or even a fox, but the duck obviously wasn't drug very far from the water. Of course, it's possible that my parents' dogs interrupted the predator both times.
We set the live trap this evening, baited with the dead duck, right where it was found. We'll see if we get anything!
What do you guys think?
Thanks in advance!
He suffered at least two bite wounds on his throat, and died the following day from blood loss.
I have narrowed it down to a couple of possible predators, but wanted to see what you guys think.
Here are the pictures:
These are the larger holes. It looks to me like there is tearing around the holes, like something latched on and he shook his head back and forth trying to free himself. (I plucked feathers around the area so we could see it better.)
The tooth holes were about 1-1.25 inches apart.
The duck was found on the creek bank, and we had to look really hard to find the puncture marks, but they were in the same location as the goose, and the same distance apart. There were no other injuries, and no feathers anywhere (no sign of a struggle, in other words).
The ducks have been sleeping on the water (we finally managed to get them penned up tonight), so whatever it was grabbed it in the water, which leads me to a mink.
But would a mink take on a goose?! I also thought maybe a feral cat or even a fox, but the duck obviously wasn't drug very far from the water. Of course, it's possible that my parents' dogs interrupted the predator both times.
We set the live trap this evening, baited with the dead duck, right where it was found. We'll see if we get anything!
What do you guys think?
Thanks in advance!