No more missing pheasant eggs, mystery solved Pepe Le Pew!!!

wwbirds · #1 05-27-2012, 02:57 PM

Sure I hadn't used my coyote and fox traps in 5 years so sold them all this past winter. Riding the lawn tractor past the pheasant pen a week ago and see a little dirt worked like something is going to try to dig in under the metal walls (not going to happen as it is screened down 14 inches). Went to barn to see if I could find any traps as assumed it was something smaller size. Found a number 0 trap and wired it to a post and hid it in hole they had started. No action unti 2 days ago and trap was sprung with no animal. Next day I had a magpie but pretty sure he didn't dig the 4 inch hole.

Last night caught something but the 0 would not hold it for found trap chain and wire fully extended under fence wire with nothing to show for it and a faint skunk smell.
Also found another hole under the door where the two doors meet (no wire) so something gained access to pens. Walked it and one dead rooster partly eaten and even with 10 hens in pen not an unbroken egg to be found. Tree row near this pen had a shoveler hen nesting and found those eggs eaten as well. think we have the first skunk in the area I have seen in over 20 years.

Could not see tracks in the loose dirt, would mink smell like skunk and eat eggs or just a skunk?. I thought mink had a strong but musky smell nothing like a skunk? Any other possibility? I think a weasel or mink could get under door at crack without any or much digging. Rounded hole under door of pen was not very large, perhaps 4 -5 inches in diameter?? What size trap do I need to hold them?
thanks
Rob

pickrel pat · #2 05-27-2012, 03:33 PM

0 is good for weasel. 1 or 1 1/2 is good for mink or skunk. a new 0 is stronger than an older 0 and probably would hold mink and skunk.(as long if it was newer, older traps lose there power after years.)

KegRiver · #3 05-27-2012, 05:04 PM

Both Mink and Weasel can smell a bit like a Skunk.

I would rule out Weasel. #1 cause a #0 should have held it, #2 because a Weasel wouldn't need more then a 1 inch hole to get in.

Mink maybe, but I vote for skunk. I doubt a Mink would have killed only one bird. In a pen, they usually kill several birds at a time.

I would offer whatever it is, an easy way in.
A 8 inch square opening. I would fill that opening with a 220 conibear.

The only thing is, you would need to remove the trap before first light, and cover the opening. To avoid catching one of your birds, or a pet.

wwbirds · #4 05-27-2012, 05:18 PM

i am voting skunk as well since the hole didn't look big enough to me for a skunk but definately too big for a weasel or mink unless we have 4 inch diameter mink wandering around. No guarantee that the intruder killed the rooster as the roosters are fighting right now so "what ever" could have found him dead in the pen but I agree a mink or weasel would have killed more than just one especially since the hens ground sit on the nests behind the bales in the hutch. think the skunk is more likely to be happy just finding eggs rather than try to chase down birds in a 150 X 100 foot flight pen.

I planted a couple #2's for them just outside the doorway and also in the hole they tried to dig in the corner of the pen.
Should know for sure in day or two what it is but training the dogs today I got a wiff of skunk a few times from about 40-50 feet from the pen. Maybe he hurt his little paw getting out of the trap but I will fix that with a 223 as soon as I can.

Last skunk we had around here my male retirever retrieved it live just at sunset returning from a duck hunt out in the fields. had to be 20 years ago and haven't seen one on farm or neighbors (chickens) since.

Gord and I wiped out the last family group we saw at least 25 years ago with 22semis. they have been sparse since and I hope to keep it that way.

JRChurch · #5 05-27-2012, 08:05 PM

I know small coons don't smell like a skunk but it my be one of them if you have a live trap put some fish in it and both skunks and coon will go for the fish or put some chicken eggs in there sence what ever it is is after eggs

Hope you catch it

Redfrog · #6 05-27-2012, 08:14 PM

I'd guess Mink or skunk. Maybe a fox. It doesn't take a very big hole for a fox to get in. They all stink. I'd be using the conibear. a 110 or 220 depending on the set/

dale7637 · #7 06-19-2012, 02:59 PM

Any update???

wwbirds · #8 06-19-2012, 04:02 PM

had no activity at all for 2 weeks? Something got caught in the weak trap on my last report so maybe that was enough to get them to leave the area or damaged a front paw to hamper their digging. My guess was a skunk judging from the size of the plump little hole they dug. Not big enough for a badger but way to big for a weasel or mink (twice the width required for either).

Now having said that there has been a awful lot of badger activity on the land bridge and trail 100 yards from this pen. Perhaps young badgers are striking out for themselves for the first time and did a lot of pit digging without actually going deep enough for a badger hole. Deepest one abandoned I have seen out there was about a foot deep.

We used the spent hens for training last weekend so this pen is now empty and I was in there today getting it ready for the new batch of chukars in 2 weeks when they go outside. it seemed pointless to have to avoid traps in the doorways every time I went in the pen if there has been no attempt by any critters to get in this pen for such a long time.

wwbirds · #9 08-15-2012, 09:24 PM

Had dead skunk last weekend on highway by the road pen so witrh fresh digging I figured out problem was solved by a passing truck. Many attempts but always failed to get in pen due to stucco mesh buried around pen.

Loose bird tonight so walking around pen with a big net and see another fresh hole! (I filled all of last weekend attempts with the shovel Monday)

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Suddenly I realized the net wasn't going to cut it so went in for the 223:

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Dropped at the shot and didn't even try to raise his tail or spray.
anyone want a fresh skunk for taxidermy!!!!!