Lost two more chickens. Judging by the footy-prints, I'd say it was another bobcat.

Only real solution is to build a covered aviary, but that ain't happening due to expense, labor and old age.

When the remaining 9 die of old age or get eaten, I'm out of the boid bizzness.

Aviary sounds like a PITA. However, electric fence wire at top of fence would be inexpensive and not much work. Have you tried that?

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Aviary sounds like a PITA. However, electric fence wire at top of fence would be inexpensive and not much work. Have you tried that?

I haven't. It's not climbing the fence, it's jumping it. I watched the last one clear the 6 foot fence from a flat-footed start.

Don't know how big the area is, but I'd maybe be inclined to try something like this: Pole at either end--maybe another in the middle. Ridge pole across them. Tent with chicken wire.

Relatively easy and inexpensive.

Yeah, the first time the 'cat jumps on it it'll likely all come crashing down, but it won't like it and that may discourage it.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
It's not climbing the fence, it's jumping it. I watched the last one clear the 6 foot fence from a flat-footed start.

Wow! I had envisioned climbing.

If you have wooden fence posts, they have 25 mm (9.8") pigtail outriggers which would make an electric fence 3-dimensional making it both harder to jump and climb.

The fourteen inch long 45 deg barbwire arms would make the fence 7" taller and wider. Working with barb wire at 6' high seems like a PITA.

Only thing easier to prey on than chickens, is probably sheep. Neighbor of mine had an 8 ewe flock wiped out in one night by dogs. Killed for sport.

Need to reset the date/time on the camera and determine it's schedule.

Not even shy about coming by in daylight. Bobcats aren’t to smart around traps, an idea. Of course if you have dogs or cats around, need to be careful.

Yes, many critters want to go after chickens, seems like one needs an ongoing control plan.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
Not even shy about coming by in daylight.

If I've done the math right (camera timestamp was AFU) it's coming by about 2-3pm. I'll keep an eye out today and check the timestamp tomorrow since I've corrected it.

That looks like a well fed Bobcat. It's a perfect candidate for the three S's.

quote:

Originally posted by cee_Kamp:
That looks like a well fed Bobcat. It's a perfect candidate for the three S's.

That's the plan. Only need to notify the Game Warden if I want to keep the pelt (permit required).

Otherwise, as long as they're molesting livestock, SSS what he recommended.

Now is the season for a spectacular pelt on a obviously well fed Bobcat.
I would get the permit and send the salted pelt out to a Taxidermy facility.

The last big boar raccoon that had an untimely demise at my place must have been a real fighter.
The tail was so damaged with scar tissue, I was unable to remove the tail bones from the pelt.
So I chopped it off with a hatchet.
I dropped the pelt off with the Taxidermist without any tail.
One year or so later when it returned from California, it was equipped with a tail.
I asked my Taxidermist why it had a tail and informed her when I dropped it off, the tail mas missing.
She thought the hide tanning facility out in California had ripped the tail off during the tanning process, so she hand sewed a new tail onto the hide an no extra charge.
BTW, she also stated that California was the only remaining state in the USA with a large enough sustainable oak forest that could supply the hide tanning industry.
You could get a really nice winter hat made from that pelt.

 
We had a bobcat in our yard one night last year. It was in the innermost yard nearest the house. I shined a bright light on it and it stared back for a while. When finally deciding to leave it "jumped" a 6 ft fence, and jump is really a misnomer. It appeared to float from the ground up to the fence top rail. No doubt it could have cleared the whole fence with ease.

I know it’s been identified as a bobcat and this is slightly off topic, but it’s amazing how high a fence a wild predator can hop. Last fall, my neighbor’s dogs got killed by a coyote. When the screaming subsided and the lone surviving, but mangled pup was raced off to the vet, I had a peek in their back yard. The coyote had come back to leisurely feast on the dead. He saw me, and was gone in a flash. Didn’t even really get a good look at him, he took two quick steps and cleared 7+ feet of concrete wall with ease, and I mean cleared it, no scrambling at the top and may not have even set foot on it. I’d imagine a bobcat would be even more spry and even nine feet of fence wouldn’t be enough.

A bobcat fringe on your winter coat would be quite the look, Paul.

After a couple of days of nothing, the kitty came by again yesterday afternoon around 4:30.

I bought a cheap ($40) motion sensing wireless camera and this morning I mounted it to surveil the chicken yard. It's pretty much at the fringe of wireless connection but it is working.

I let the bai...uh...chickens out this morning. Want to see A) if hey even dare to come out and 2) if the camera catches them.

The two times I've gotten pictures of Bob's Kitty, it's been late afternoon, so I'm hoping that's a pattern and I can put the birds back in before he stops by for a snack.