Carcass Forensics
Carcass Forensics
OK, this is a diagnostic question. I have found a mature wild turkey carcass in the woods. Clumps of wing feathers and body feathers scattered about, wing bones attached to breast bone with wish bone. Did not have a camera with me. The question is who killed the turkey? What are the characteristics of a kill by a fox? What are the characteristics of a kill by a bobcat? What would be the characteristics of a kill by a coyote? I have all three predators in the area and would like to know whom to blame
Re: Carcass Forensics
Probably a Great Horned Owl.
Ezzy
Ezzy
Re: Carcass Forensics
Sounds like an avian predator. Most of the time a cat or dog will leave nothing but a pile of feathers. I've found turkeys and geese that were laying on their backs with nothing but the breast meat ate out, go back the next day and something else has cleaned the rest up.
Re: Carcass Forensics
I do not dispute the possibility of an avian predator. However, I have not run across of any cases where the avian predator takes on a pray larger in size.
Re: Carcass Forensics
I watched a Falcon kill a Canada goose.
Ezzy
Ezzy
Re: Carcass Forensics
Early this last season I was hunting a shelter belt and we flushed a horned owl, off the ground. I recast my dog which went to where the owl had been flushed. He picked up a hen pheasant that while dead was only slightly damaged. I felt like royalty as I experienced the sport of kings, well kinda.
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Re: Carcass Forensics
Sounds avian. Bobcat, Coyote and Fox would have torn the wings loose or otherwise damaged the carcass. Avian predators pick the meat off the bones rather than ripping the apendages from the body as would a mammal.Ken Lynch wrote:OK, this is a diagnostic question. I have found a mature wild turkey carcass in the woods. Clumps of wing feathers and body feathers scattered about, wing bones attached to breast bone with wish bone.