BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 we havent had predator problems... EVER .. until a few nights ago. And this is what happens when you get TOO confident! two years ago the only possum i ever saw on this property was a dead one that my old bulldog bitch killed in the night... the dog is crippled and cant really get around like a normal dog and yet she manages fairly well with pest control.. until recently that is. we have an invisible fence around the property but its broken right now, so my dogs have to go in the fenced section of the yard. i've also been away from home quite a bit and my mother doesnt do a perimeter check like i do. no sooner are the dogs out of sight and i'm away from home than some critter shows up and steals the duck eggs.... it didnt help that the duck made her nest right at the edge of the fence.. but as i said, its never been an issue with the dogs patrolling the property. and the duck had been on the nest for quite some time i was afraid to move it thinking she would abandon it. When i got back home i saw several shells outside the fence a few feet from the nest. so i patched up the fence where this "animal" was reaching in and taking eggs. it seemed to work for about a week until one morning i went out to check on everyone and the duck and the entire clutch of 8 eggs were all missing. there werent even shells left over! and all i found for feathers were three or four of the downy under-feathers outside the fence. The only solution i had at the moment was to put Ben on a cable outside the duck pen to protect it. i hate chaining my dogs up, but they ARE supposed to be working dogs. the moment the sun went down Ben barked his fool head off until 3am. but no more eggs were missing! HOWEVER...... along come the spring rains, tornadoes included, so yesterday morning just before the storm hit i moved Ben back to an area where he would have shelter. This morning i go back out to check on things and see an empty egg shell outside the fence.. and find a new place where this animal crawled under the fence, apparently after the storm left. i saw where it left fur clinging to the wire.. Sparta, my youngest bulldog, also noticed that spot in the fence and was eager to check it out. at the moment i have four ducks, two hens and two drakes, and two nests.. plus all the surrounded pens with turkeys, chickens, and guineas plus nests and chicks. So..... my plans for the next few nights are to hang out close by with my rifle and light to see what turns up, and this weekend the invisible fence is getting repaired so this wont happen again. i'm just... really pissed off, and i know i shouldnt be surprised. i'm pissed off at myself because i knew better and like i said, i got too confident. the other thing is i'm just shocked that this animal stole an entire duck and its nest in one night and only left a couple of feathers! i searched around to see if there might be more feathers, but there's no trace. white duck feathers are kinda hard to miss! the only other idea i have is it might have been an owl that took her off, and something else got the eggs.... at least the other two nests are in an old dog house instead of out in the open, but if there is a predator getting into the duck pen, no one is safe! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 had one similar, one broody, 8eggs, 12 chicks, and i aint happy, cos i still aint got the feck, make sure i lock them up at night now, if he pops in again ill be waitin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrycatcat 31 Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 It just show you cant drop your guard for a minute otherwise something or someone is after your possessions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 It just show you cant drop your guard for a minute otherwise something or someone is after your possessions. Thats the other thing, the way it looked..... for a moment i was thinking some PERSON might have stolen the duck and all.... the night it happened my husband says he heard the dogs ALL barking like mad but didnt think anything of it... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 i was the same, did,nt think much of it when mine kicked up, thought it was amoggie windin em up, but then when i looked in morn and they were gone, i tracked the sneaky feck through me neighbours garden, and found feathers up the road, now leave my old bitch out, she dont like much, so four or two legs, its gonna get its arse chewed, and if i hear the racket, ill let them all out, and let them sort it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 i was the same, did,nt think much of it when mine kicked up, thought it was amoggie windin em up, but then when i looked in morn and they were gone, i tracked the sneaky feck through me neighbours garden, and found feathers up the road, now leave my old bitch out, she dont like much, so four or two legs, its gonna get its arse chewed, and if i hear the racket, ill let them all out, and let them sort it. sorry but i loved that lol well i didnt see anything last night.. i have my two sons to look after during the day so its hard to stay out all night and still be 100% the next day but this morning i only found one egg and no more nests.. but at least i still have four ducks. if i catch that b*stard i'm going to make a hat and slippers out of him! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 im not so sure ther,d be enough left for hat,n slippers, maybe a belt or a head band, if he comes back it,ll be like goin into a shredder by the time my lot have done, come on in charlie theres a welcome in the garden :welcomeani: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 (edited) lol there will be enough for a hat and slippers for one of my kids though by the way, just on a whim today i took a walk in the woods behind the barn and where we keep the horses.... i am guessing twenty or thirty yards.... i found what was left of my duck. just a pile of feathers, no bones. but i saw what looks like a game trail. couldnt make out any tracks. but guess where i'll be hanging out tonight with the pup!! i wish i knew more about setting up snares..... if indeed i've found where this animal frequently likes to travel i could probably catch it that way. Also! i've never hunted a predator before so i'm curious how close they will drag a kill back to their den, or do they just drag it a distance from where it was killed and eat it there? or does that depend on the animal? Edited April 16, 2009 by BlueCoyote Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 foxs will take, fur and feather a fair distance if they have cubs, and id say my loss was down to that, sometimes you may find a kill close by,if you find an earth you will know if it has cubs, by the bones , fur, wool, feathers out side. sometimes you find no trace, and sometimes they will frenzie and kill all and take none,my old lurcher bitch is deep scenting, and will hunt a cold line, we tracked this fella out on to the road and into a thick garden, but i had to leave it there, the old girl wholives there is not at her best, but i can wait.you have far more predators over therethan we do, i would try and find your quarry before trying to hang it, i would, nt about laws , n stuff over there and snaring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 after posting that i took the dog and walked further into the woods. we have a creek not too far away but it's on someone elses property. I went anyway just to see what i could see. on the way i found... COYOTE tracks... the pup didnt like that much. but i also found several small dens in the bank of the creek. some looked old, had cobwebs in them. one looked fresh and looked like it had raccoon tracks going in. funny thing is the dog is still young and doesnt know what to do. i showed him the burrow and he sniffed.. then walked away as if to say "what about it??" :glare: now i'm just waiting for the weekend.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 fairplay b c , you,ve done your homework, do you have an earthdog?, you may well have found the guilty party, just to see if theres anyone at home put some light stick up at the hole, or smooth the earth, if he,s in there they will get knocked over, and youll be able to see the tracks, unfortunately we dont have the same quarry list in cambridgeshire, uk.hope you rattle him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 yeah i have a terrier. she's a monster of a dog - thinks she can take on two American Bulldogs(surprised she survived the encounter!) so i'm not worried about her and what ever comes out of that hole. i plan to have another dog as back up too. Waiting for my cousin to show up this weekend so we can solve this once and for all.... annoying thing, and i know better... but just to keep the raccoon or possum (what ever it is!) away from the ducks i threw some dog chow into a plastic bowl at the edge of the woods last night. this morning the bowl was gone! but i think i know where to look for it now! and with some luck i'll get to kill this little b*stard either tonight or tomorrow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 good on you, whoo,whoop, letus know the outcome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueCoyote 0 Posted April 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 the outcome last night was - not a damn thing. heard several packs of coyotes in the distance. nothing came close so i'm guessing the yotes scared anything that might be out. and it was damned cold and windy last night too!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog 149 Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 cold n windy,perfeck for a lamp up and sqeak em in, oh well that looks like the end of this thread, see you soon and allthe best. desertdog. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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