Do I have a pond monster ?

[Bdavis]

I know this may not be the correct forum, but I know we have some real pond experts out there and I am really scratching my head over this one.

I have started harvesting some of my catfish (just with rod and reel the last few weeks). They are all pretty large 20 -24 inches in length. I take them over filet them then toss the skeltons back in the pond. I thow them as far
as I can to the center. I have a one acre pond with a levee around it.

Last week I went back to the pond and the 3 skeltons that I tossed were on the the top of the levee a good foot and a half above the water line.
They were picked clean and in different locations. All skeltons were intact just as I tossed them in except no meat. I have few turtles but there is no way a turtle could drag them up the levee and no reason to do it.
I do not see any signs of a otter or any other critter.
The only animals I have ever spotted around the pond are different speices of long legged water birds.
I am guessing it must be the birds or a pond monster ?
Any guesses ?

 

[CTPhil]

Pond monster sounds good to me. As long as it doesn't start eating live catfish it's all good.

 

[brin]

I've got a crane that hangs out at our pond and he is too fast for me to ever get a shot at him...It is illegal to shoot them..but I have a law that it is illegal to steal my fish and that is what he is doing so if I ever get a clean shot at the sucker I am going to enforce my Law..I would bet it is a water bird, although a big snapping turtle could sure drag those skeletons to the surface....I don't know how deep it is where you threw them but the crane I have seen at our pond hangs around the shore and shallows...I have never seen them in the middle where it is deep...

 

[nybirdman]

My guess would be a mink.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I'll bet it is the same Zombie Werewolves Bigfoot62 ID'd from photos I took of their tracks on my property...



David

 

[leonz]

It may be a muskrat or mink maybe?


I doubt in all sincerity it is the Mississippi Wildman
as the furry northern cousins have been known to
empty long line set fish lines and fish traps in the
Hudson Bay too.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

It may be a muskrat or mink maybe?

Leonz,

I know I have a muskrat family in my pond, we watch him regularly harvesting dandelion stems in spring/summer.

I did not know they will eat fish. I know a 21" bass was caught in my pond right before I bought the property. I've never seen a fish skeleton.

Very interesting. Did not know this.

I've got a boatload of turtles too! (and Beavers etc...).

Now I need to get a pond monster...

David

 

[Craig Clayton]

Lets look at what you found as fact. The bones were picked clean out of the water so this animal eats out of the water. The bones were in deep water so the animal had the ability to dive down and find the bones.

turtles eat under water
cranes eat out of the water but can not dive to the bottom
raccons eat out of water but do not dive to the bottom
otters can dive in water and probably eat out of the water
muskrats can dive and eat out of the water and are not overly large
beavers dive but do not eat meat

So I would put my money on muskrats and they are not worth anything.

Craig Clayton

 

[wrflt]

I've got a crane that hangs out at our pond and he is too fast for me to ever get a shot at him...It is illegal to shoot them..but I have a law that it is illegal to steal my fish and that is what he is doing so if I ever get a clean shot at the sucker I am going to enforce my Law..

This strikes me funny and coincidental. I too have a pond in front of my house, and a koi pond behind my house. I have been trying to do battle with a persistant crane myself. In fact, I am sitting here waiting on his return right this minute. He has already stolen 5 of my fish, one while I and a friend were out back pitching horse shoes. It dove in, snagged a fish and flew out right over my head. I tried to ring his neck with a horse shoe but missed by a fraction. This time, close didn't count in horse shoes. I've been trying to pepper him with rat-shot from a 22 pistol but he gets up and out before I can get close enough. I've shot anyway several times, now it is used to the sound and that is not keeping it away. Next I'm thinking 410ga. I like your reasoning, now I'm going to copy you and enforce my law.

 

[creekbend]

I would put my money on it being a muskrat. They will eat dead fish, they will reach up to 2 feet long, and live in homes-lodges similar to beavers. Check the sides of your pond for holes that are burrowed in the bank.