What Hauled Off the Raccoon I Shot ?

[flysar]

About 9, last night, our small dog (Sheltie) was barking near the back fence so I went out and found her about 6' nose-to-nose from a Raccoon. The Raccoon then went 3' up a nearby tree and I popped it with my 38; been trying to get rid of these garden eating varmints. It was dead and lying on the other side of our fence so I figured I'd get it in the morning and see if the neighbor boy wanted it for skinning.

Went out this morning and only found a big blood spot where it had laid? Couldn't find other blood or drag marks in the leaves. Figured what ever it was picked the whole thing up or got it after it had froze. 

We have dogs in our area but they're normally behind a fence at dark. Haven't heard any Coyote Howls in the 3 yrs I've lived here but see dog tracks in the snow (when we have it) from time-to-time. Neighbor boy killed a Tom Bobcat last year nearby and I also killed a Cougar after it had killed one of our goats; doubtful it was a Cougar because it probably would have killed another one of our goats and generally they are not scavengers, are they?

Coyote, Dog, Bobcat, Another Coon, What do you think?   

[JackOfAllTrades]

Coyote, Dog, Bobcat, Owl, Hawk, Eagle, Oppossum.

[Elk whack master]

  BIGFOOT

[flysar]

BIGFOOT

I've got a 12" 45-70 Contender Barrel with 400gr solids loaded up will that stop him if he comes back!

[Elk whack master]

Get some buffalo bore for that! My 45-70 "bear" loads are made to penitrate 6 feet of flesh and bone. The 500g fmj is tested to 9 feet! Lots more info on there website, really interesting stuff.  Also got their .45 hard cast for my 1911, for bear when beating the brush when bowhunting. 

[Wanttohuntmore]

I shot a 28lb raccoon, and saw another raccoon come up and drag it off, it made it about 70 feet, over some retaining walls, before it gave up.  I weighed the raccoon the next day with a digital scale, I had no idea they got that big.

[3nails]

 Shoot another one, put it in the same spot and set up a trail cam on it. Or maybe the neighbor boy gets up earlier than you?

[Goshawk]

In order of all likeliness:

Dogs, Raccoon, Coyote, Human (kids or transients), Opossum, Otter if your around a creek and Fisher. Most of the wildcats won't mess with a dead 'coon unless they are really desperate for food. Hawks and Eagles don't hunt at night, nor can they lift and fly with a good sized raccoon. The Great horned Owl is about the only bird of prey in these parts that can fly with something that weighs more then they do, but only by a few ounces. The GHO would have eaten what they wanted there and left the rest. If you find your 'coon up in the fork of a tree, it was a Fisher.

[dreamunelk]

Did you actually verify it was dead?  I have seen critters with serious hits get up a few minutes later and wonder off.  Could have got up and made it to some sort of cover and died.   

[Goshawk]

Did you actually verify it was dead?  I have seen critters with serious hits get up a few minutes later and wonder off.  Could have got up and made it to some sort of cover and died.   

 

[flysar]

I believe it was dead, hollow point 38 in the chest at 3 paces. Didn't move / twitch at all for approx 30 seconds I looked at it and while spotting for others. I didn't see any blood outside of the 12+" diameter blood stained leaves which makes me think it was picked up and carried off sometime later that night or morning. Then again, maybe it did get up and move?

I put a trail cam out for several days following the coon missing and only got pics of some deer.

I was just curious what other critters might eat a Raccoon, thanks for the responses.

[dreamunelk]

Well it sounds like it was dead but, you never now.   My bet on critters would be a song dog or even another coon.  They will not turn down a free meal.