2 dead rodents and baby snake hanging on my barbed wire fence- did a hawk do it?

[jinman]

I think nesting is the key. The birds are gathering food to feed their hungry chicks and storing it out of the reach of ground animals. It's like a bird of prey supermarket.

 

[Grateful11]

We found a large red tail Hawk hanging in barb wire fence last year, it had been dead a while. Felt pretty bad for the thing, we enjoy watching them fly around.

 

[drssg]

Very interesting thread. When I saw the pictures, I figured there was a demented little kid in the neighborhood.

 

[J F]

:laughing: Can't ever discount that.

 

[organicfarmernd]

(see pics) I was checking my fence lines today and first noticed the baby snake hanging on the middle strand of barbed wire (impaled on a barb). Then, about 200 yards away (around 2 fence corners) I see a rodent impaled on a bush hogged cedar stub about 1 foot from the fence, about 75 yards from that I see another rodent impaled on a barb. The fences with the dead animals are oriented east/west and surround a hay field.

My best guess is that a hawk did this-- but being on the middle strand of the barbed wire (as one rodent and as the snake was), I would think that it might be hard for a hawk to safely land/hover and impale the victim.

No matter what type of predator it was, why go to the trouble of catching/killing prey and then not eat it? Bragging rights? Marking territory? Trying to attract a mate? I would think that a fox or coyote would enjoy these little "snacks" hanging here and there. They are all hanging at about 16 inches to 24 inches off the ground.

I live in a quiet area and there is really no chance that kids did this. There are no public roads beside this fence and I have never seen anyone walking out here. In fact, the rodents were on a cross fence that separates twp parts of a larger field.

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I had about 15 baby Gardener snakes hanging from my pasture fence within an 80 yard stretch. I saw your post and I believe it is the work of the shrike. Pretty interesting!

 

[oosik]

And that some animal had the sense to impale their catch on a barb. Very unusual. Around here - you do that - you are providing food for others. And right pronto.

 

[tacticalturnip]

That is so crazy; it's a little scary, kind of cool, and just unique. I never would have imagined I'd learn so much from thread necromancy. An adorable little bird that impales it's prey like a psychopath.

 

[ponytug]

That is so crazy; it's a little scary, kind of cool, and just unique. I never would have imagined I'd learn so much from thread necromancy. An adorable little bird that impales its prey like a psychopath.

I agree.

For a time, I lived in a location with shrikes, where they would impale prey on thorns in thorn trees. I had totally forgotten about them for decades... Definitely odd behavior, but the ones that I knew did come back to eat the impaled carcasses, unlike, say, a weasel...

All the best,

Peter