Possible Bobcat ( behavior unusual )

Nksg75

Crowing
10 Years
Aug 18, 2014
1,102
1,270
296
Needville Texas
My Coop
My Coop
I have a few questions:
First a little background info. I am in Texas(Gulf Coast), I have a large flock of chickens that free range daily.
On Monday morning I went out about 10 min after the auto door opened to find 3 chickens dead. Bodies left right where they were attacked.
I cleaned up the bodies, and had to leave for an appointment. I returned about 2 - 3 hours later to another 4-5 bodies left exactly where they were killed.
I then sat out there with 2 different guns, assuming it was stray dogs causing this.
About 4:30 pm, out of nowhere this animal shot out at such great speed it was shocking. It grabbed a hen, and I shot right at it. It ran around the corner of another shed we have with feathers hanging out of its mouth, and I shot at it again and again.(yes, clearly my aim sucks badly considering I missed it every darn time)
It didn’t look like a dog, more likely a bobcat, however it had very rounded ears.
I am still trying to figure out if my mind is playing tricks on me because no bobcat I know of would behave like this.
It kills for fun like a dog, however it is so silent and stealthy like a cat. It had this wild,crazy look about it, something I have never seen before.
It seems to go against what I know about these creatures, but I am pretty sure this was no ordinary animal.
It almost seemed like a hybrid of something.
It’s face looked like something similar to a hyena.
That night turned the auto door off, so they stayed inside all the next day.
When I went out the next morning, I spent hours out there with the gun again, and nothing.
I realized I would have to bait this thing in, because it was probably watching for activity from its hiding place.
I decided to use some of my more wild roosters to bait this thing in.
After about 3 hours, I needed to run to the house.
Well guess what, in the 10-15 min I was gone, it came and went and killed 1 of the 3 roosters I let out.
I spent the rest of the day pissed off and sitting out there, and not a darn thing.

My question is:
Is it a possibility that a bobcat would kill over and over and never come back to eat?
 
:eek: assume this critter is tawny colored like a bobcat? Was it solid color or mottled, grizzled, brindle or otherwise marked in any way? And as for size, is it closer in size to a Golden retriever or more like say a cocker spaniel? Did it make any noise during the attack? What kind of tail did it have? Long, short, upright, flowing? When it grabbed the chicken, did it shake it like a dog does or just crush it and drop it? What else can you tell us? Did it leave tracks of any kind? I'm asking in order to try and trigger your memory.
 
Hi that for the reply: I should have included that info sorry.
It did not make any noise that I heard, it was on the smaller size closer to the size of our 7 month Aussie puppy(she is about 40 lbs), so no to the lab size.
As far as markings go i couldn’t really tell markings, but the color was brown, and some lighter brown. Not a solid color at all. I thought it was either the ugliest dog I have ever seen or it was more likely a bobcat. Yes brindle was what I first thought of when describing this thing. I remember the shape of the ears more than anything. They were rounded but erect. And the face didn’t have a long nose as is typical with dogs.
Remember it happened so fast. I think I remember it having a very short tail if it even had one at all. It definitely didn’t have a long tail like many dogs have.
I know this is a bad description, but I am still trying to wrap my head around what this thing is. My gut says cat, but who knows.
I have seen bobcats before on our ranch, and they have a distinctive pattern with more pointy ears.
As far as the attack, it just grabbed the hen, I don’t remember any shaking at all(she survived, and is in the chicken ICU).
I have not seen any tracks, and not sure I would be able too.
I will take pics of the area I think it comes from later today.

Unfortunately for the one rooster who refused to cooperate with me last night and get inside the coop, he may be the next victim. I have to do a few things this morning so I can’t sit out there all day like I did previously.
For now the rest of the flock is locked up until… who knows when!
 
Can you set up a trap, since a kill isn't going to happen? The DNR I'm sure can identify it and tell you if it is legal to kill it. If not, ask them to relocate the darn thing. If you can trap it, please post a picture for us.

I can't imagine what animal would make a kill and not eat it.
 
Can you set up a trap, since a kill isn't going to happen? The DNR I'm sure can identify it and tell you if it is legal to kill it. If not, ask them to relocate the darn thing. If you can trap it, please post a picture for us.

I can't imagine what animal would make a kill and not eat it.
Ive seen dogs do this. We lost 40 different poultry in one day from a neighbors dog a few summers ago and just killed to kill. Also just had a fox take out 8 birds at my farm a few weeks ago and made off with roughly 5 of the smaller babies over the course of 15 minutes.

Keep them in or eyes on them until you neutralize the threat. Set a foot trap or sit out with a gun and one of those roosters if need be. Sounds like it prefers dusk and dawn?
 
Jeeze! I know cats dont have round ears more pointed. Is it possible it can be a bear cub? Or maybe a rejected cub that does not know how to eat its prey? Bears have... Round ears, short nose, short tail, and can run really fast. Is this how it looked like?
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