Duck killers

[snowninja]

A couple weeks ago one of our khaki campbells was getting out of the pen and she went missing, i caught some yotes on my camera several hundred feet away but nothing on the one thats pointed behind the pen. Today my wife went out to feed and another  khaki was missing, she looked all over and ended up finding some bloody feathers inside the pen! We have a fence around the area but its only 4' high but it's been up for a year and this is the first time something has gotten in. So now that something has gotten in and we assume its a coyote because they are always around I'm sure it won't be long before they are back for another easy meal. I have several pictures of them on my camera and sometimes as many as 5 traveling together but more recently one big loner prowling around. They are mostly nocturnal but the big one was out at noon last week. Now what is the best way to get these in for a shot during the day? They seem to come in through the forest along my property line and I'm sure use it for cover. Other than being downwind what strategies do I need to use. What do I use to call them? I don't really want to spend a lot on an e-call. I have seen phone apps but assume these are token and don't really work. Any tips or help is appreciated. And what is the best caliber to use? I have .223, mini-30, .308 with scope.

Thanks.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Sounds more like you have a weasel, skunk, or racoon getting in.  First one might have been coyotes, but the second one sounds like an "inside job".

[Mfowl]

You could try agitated sounds your ducks or other fowl would make when the yotes are present. They may be conditioned to that. Or try a rabbit squeler, if they are nearby they may come in to investigate. Or invite some Hunt-wa predator guys over who already have the gear. I bet you'll find some willing hunters! Good luck, post some dead yote pics!

[snowninja]

Sounds more like you have a weasel, skunk, or racoon getting in.  First one might have been coyotes, but the second one sounds like an "inside job".

I wondered if it might have been something smaller that would leave a mess behind. In the past when we lost chickens we found found a pile of feathers in the woods or along the pasture a few hundred feet from where the yard and barn.  Based on that It seems to me like yotes like to grab and go then eat in privacy far from the abduction point. I have never seen raccoons or the others but that doesn't mean they are not around. My father in law said a coyote would easily jump over the fence but I was not so sure since they could have done that long ago..

[GEARHEAD]

i use a Circe med/long rabbit call, it works best of all my calls, i also use a Carlton open reed med size. Set yourself up, pointed at the direction you believe they may come from, have shooting stix.  blast on that call  loud,  cupping it at times and bouncing your fingers on it.(dont be shy) ..just call wild with bawwwwwwwls and loud squeak and yelps....emphasis more on the bawwwwwls, or other coarse sounds if using another hand call. blast on it for nearly a minute, and just wait and keep a sharp eye out. after five minutes repeat for 10-20 seconds and wait 2 minutes, keep repeating every two minutes until you give up....beware...you may only have to wait 30 seconds before you are shooting.

get the video, by Randy Anderson, calling all coyotes III  you will learn alot about their behavior as they come into the call, reading body language very important.

[Widgeondeke]

Could also be a bobcat.  We had one go over a 7' fence several times

[lokidog]

Sounds more like you have a weasel, skunk, or racoon getting in.  First one might have been coyotes, but the second one sounds like an "inside job".

A weasel will not be able to haul off an adult duck, nor will a skunk w/o a duck-sized hole to go through.  Sounds like a racoon.  You should probably install a lockable door to the enclosed house that can be latched at night.  We had coons carry a bunch of younger birds and their mom up a 6' high fence and through a 3-4 inch gap at the top.

Could be a neighborhood cat as well.  We lost some ducks and the only thing I trapped near the  carcasses were cats.

[snowninja]

Thanks for the replies. 

Now we don't know what to think. We found the body sans head. In the pen. My wife swears it was not there today its not a large pen maybe 50x50 so I really doubt she overlooked it laying there. There are large fir trees hanging over the pen is there anyway a raven or owl would take this into the tree and it fell out?? Very strange and kinda creepy at the same time.. at this point I would say the yote is vindicated.

I left the body there and put my camera on it will see if anything comes back for it. We don't have neighborhood cats but we do have our own barn cats. I know they do this to small birds but I highly doubt they would hunt the ducks..

[buckcanyonlodge]

That is from a Great Horned Owl.. Know someone in Fruitland that had something  getting in their chicken coop at night and they would find head-less chickens in the coop in the morning. They put a trap on top of a fence post next to the pen and the killing stopped. Qwl for sure from your pics.......

[snowninja]

That is from a Great Horned Owl.. Know someone in Fruitland that had something  getting in their chicken coop at night and they would find head-less chickens in the coop in the morning. They put a trap on top of a fence post next to the pen and the killing stopped. Qwl for sure from your pics.......

you sir are correct, the owl came back at midnight and feasted until just before 8 this morning.. 1945 pictures on my camera, here are a few.. what kind of trap was used to catch it?

[lokidog]

Since owls are protected, the only thing you can do is prevention.  You should put a net over the outside pen.  this owl will return as it now knows where easy food is.  If the owl trips your camera sensor, you might be able to get one of those water sprayers with the IR sensor.  A few sprays out of the darkness might deter it.

[snowninja]

Since owls are protected, the only thing you can do is prevention.  You should put a net over the outside pen.  this owl will return as it now knows where easy food is.  If the owl trips your camera sensor, you might be able to get one of those water sprayers with the IR sensor.  A few sprays out of the darkness might deter it.

do these owls hunt during the day? we could lock up the birds in a small area at night to keep them protected since installing 2500sqft of netting is not going to be cheap but of course want to keep the birds safe..

[lokidog]

Since owls are protected, the only thing you can do is prevention.  You should put a net over the outside pen.  this owl will return as it now knows where easy food is.  If the owl trips your camera sensor, you might be able to get one of those water sprayers with the IR sensor.  A few sprays out of the darkness might deter it.

do these owls hunt during the day? we could lock up the birds in a small area at night to keep them protected since installing 2500sqft of netting is not going to be cheap but of course want to keep the birds safe..

Our chickens naturally roost up before the owls start to fly.  Owls will not generally go into a coop to get a chicken.  You have enough predators, it sounds like, that a door on your house would probably be helpful.

[Fishstiq]

Since owls are protected, the only thing you can do is prevention.  You should put a net over the outside pen.  this owl will return as it now knows where easy food is.  If the owl trips your camera sensor, you might be able to get one of those water sprayers with the IR sensor.  A few sprays out of the darkness might deter it.

Are they still protected when killing pets/livestock?  I thought you could trap or blast them if they were committing "depredation" or whatever it's called...?  I could be completely wrong though.....

[jackmaster]

my money is on a ratcoon, they played hell on are chickens one year, there were 6 of the little masked bandits, but they soon found out that they messed with the wrong chicken coop  it was fun and a couple of them were huge coons