Something's eating my birds

[Jstpssng]

Turkeys can actually fly reasonably well, at least the wild type ones. It would take a good climber to get one

Birds aren't very smart. The one which coyotes got would have been fine had it landed in a tree. I didn't find the kill site until the next day, but it was actually rather interesting telling the story in the snow.
It must have happened just after I left as they had just gotten to the road next to the henhouse. The coyotes were hunting rabbits across the road. The two tracks converged, the turkey flew off into the woods with anotb 'yote chasing it... then a pile of feathers.
My other bird was nowhere to be found but came back the next night looking for it's mate before I got home... then left again. That,'s the last time I saw, I followed the tracks until they met up with a flock of wild birds.

 

[MossRoad]

Birds... nature's snickers bar.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Birds aren't very smart. The one which coyotes got would have been fine had it landed in a tree. I didn't find the kill site until the next day, but it was actually rather interesting telling the story in the snow.
It must have happened just after I left as they had just gotten to the road next to the henhouse. The coyotes were hunting rabbits across the road. The two tracks converged, the turkey flew off into the woods with anotb 'yote chasing it... then a pile of feathers.
My other bird was nowhere to be found but came back the next night looking for it's mate before I got home... then left again. That,'s the last time I saw, I followed the tracks until they met up with a flock of wild birds.

Some birds are very intelligent but many are basically blind in low light. I had an Amazon parrot that was super intelligent but turn off the light and he froze up like a statue. I believe it's an instinctual response. Chickens react similarly in low light.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

All 11 ducks got eaten this weekend . The pond was frozen over so they didn't have anywhere to get safe.

 

[ponytug]

All 11 ducks got eaten this weekend . The pond was frozen over so they didn't have anywhere to get safe.

I'm so sorry!

 

[Yander]

For sure ponytug. Our garden was GREAT - the first two years. Then the "locals" found it. We kept going for another four or five years. It became obvious - we were growing things just to feed the "locals".

Man!! Nothing was sacred - nothing would keep them out of the garden. I could have stood there - 24/7 with my shotgun and the @#$% pocket gophers would have finished off all the root crops.

It was like a sick-o comedy. The pocket gophers got the root crops - the black birds and deer finished the corn - coons got the tomatoes and melons. Final straw for the wife - the chipmunks got into her strawberries and raspberries.

I can laugh about it now. It wasn't so very funny at the time.

Yeah if you live near woods or water, good luck.

 

[Yander]

All 11 ducks got eaten this weekend . The pond was frozen over so they didn't have anywhere to get safe.

That sucks. Time to buy a night vision rifle scope.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Some birds are very intelligent but many are basically blind in low light. I had an Amazon parrot that was super intelligent but turn off the light and he froze up like a statue. I believe it's an instinctual response. Chickens react similarly in low light.

I didn't realize Amazon sold parrots . . . They're into everything now, aren't they?

 

[CH4Ohio]

All 11 ducks got eaten this weekend . The pond was frozen over so they didn't have anywhere to get safe.

Definitely need to get a camera set up so you can identify the enemy.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Definitely need to get a camera set up so you can identify the enemy.

There were coyote tracks all over the pond ice. I also heard a big group of them in the evening last weekend.