Dead Goat killed by

[Trapper John]

Hi Guys & Gals 

Well I got this call over the weekend and this person tells me that something killed one of there family goats.  So I am hire to come over and see if I can help them identify the animal that did this.  The goat didn't come back to the barn in the evening and they found it in the morning dead.  They told me that they have been hearing coyotes the last few nights howling.  They think and are convinced that the coyotes are responsible for doing it.

Let me give you a little background on myself first for those that don't know who I am.  I have been trapping for 42-43 years and I have been doing animal damage control work for 35-36 year.  I worked for USDA-APHIS-ADC and I had my own ADC Business for 28 years.

I have seen a lot of animals killed by another animal.  I have seen bobcat killing kid goats, coyotes killing lambs, sheep, calves, duck, geese and even attaches on people.  Nasty critter    I've seen bear damage and bear kills on livestock.  I've seen mountain lion kills on horses.  When  first went into business for myself, I remember a job that I did where a weasel when into a chicken coop and killed 50 Rhode island Red chickens.    Two weeks later I got another call from another guy that almost had the same problem with a weasel that came into his barnyard and killed $1,200.00 of pheasants that he was raising    I figured it out pretty quick and where the weasel was getting in to the pens and solved that problem the next day when it came back.

I think I seen a lot of animals killed by other animals for sure.  When your in this line of business you need to be right on and not just shoot from the hip and guess what you think it is.

Take a look at the photos and tell me what you think did it and I'll let you know in a couple of days of what did it and how it points to this animal.  Hear a couple of hints.  The barnyard is fenced in five feet high with wood fencing three rows high running vertical.  The two vertical rolls from the ground up say 4 feet high have 2"x4" wire fencing attached to the boards so something would have to jump over or climb up and jump down.  The goat was killed in the middle of the field no brush around or very little.  One one animal did this is was not a pack of them.
JC   

[dreamingbig]

Mountain Lion?


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[Trapper John]

Oh another hint the goat just didn't stand there, it was pushed and dragged around.  Its guts pulled out and spelled on the ground.   
JC   

[kisfish]

my vote is cat. could be wrong . The only reason I am doubting is it's not covered up

[JimmyHoffa]

I would think lion.  Went right into the rib cage.  Were the heart and liver missing?

[dreamunelk]

Leaning towards cougar.  But, they tend to be a little more efficient in gutting.  Can not tell how it was killed.  So I would be looking at what kind of dogs they have and looking for tracks or other indications.  Bobcats can take a goat also but, same thing they tend to be a little more efficient.  So I am just going to say domestic dog.
Also possible bear but, it would have packed it off and again with out looking knowing what if any other trauma still think dog.

[Humptulips]

I'm going to say domestic dog. Didn't eat much and no attempt to cover the carcass like a cat

[ouchfoss]

Leaning towards cougar.  But, they tend to be a little more efficient in gutting.  Can not tell how it was killed.  So I would be looking at what kind of dogs they have and looking for tracks or other indications.  Bobcats can take a goat also but, same thing they tend to be a little more efficient.  So I am just going to say domestic dog.
Also possible bear but, it would have packed it off and again with out looking knowing what if any other trauma still think dog.

I am no expert but I would think that a cat would attack the neck/head area first and and kill it that way. Head and neck look untouched from what I can see. I can picture a domestic dog chasing the goat and biting and tearing at it hind end rather than going for the juggler. 
Also, considering what time of year it is, I would think that bears are in fawn kill-mode and probably wouldnt hesitate to kill a goat. I'm not sure what a for sure bear kill looks like though. I would think they'd eat alot more meat off a goat too.

[6haase6]

Yea a lone dog.

[stevemiller]

I think k9 of some kind got it by the spine paralyzing the goat and ate (very little) While still alive.

[Quackwhacker]

Definitely a wolverine.


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[RadSav]

Well I don't think it would be a cat since it is disemboweled and there was no feeding on the front shoulders.  I always thought cats would gain access to the liver and heart forward of the paunch.  Also, I'd expect to see damage to the head and neck if it had been a cat.

I don't think it would be a domestic dog as there is not enough damage to the legs, ears and face.  I also see few domestic dogs getting over that fence.

My first thought was a bear.  But attacking in a open field seems odd.  I also thought bear targeted goat udders   Even if it is lacking there is something there.  All bear kills I've seen also have a good amount of hide skinned off around the entrance to the chest cavity and the hind quarters.  I think the lack of skinning would also eliminate an eagle.  I've seen bear try to cross fences before...they can but it's usually quite entertaining.  So now I'm having second thoughts about it being a bear.

So now I am thinking Wolf or Coyote.  I would think a coyote would have done more in the area of the neck.  Plus that looks bigger than a newborn kid and it appears to have been dragged a bit more than a single coyote would be capable.  Guess the paunch and intestines could have been dumped during the kill instead of after.  But that seems like a hard task for an average 'yote.  Not ruling out coyote just yet based on the limited neck detail in the pics.  Especially since the landowners seem to think it was a coyote kill.  If eastside it does make me feel like my guess should be Wolf...

or chupacabra

[3dsheetmetal]

Eagle 

[jasnt]

Wolf is my guess. Same reasoning as rad.  Cat would have buried it and taken it down by the throat or face. Coyote wouldn't Easley drag it and would have more damage to the hams

[grundy53]

First inclination is dog. However I couldn't rule anything out.