Woodchuck/Gopher or what?

[haylee]

So we've had this big fat gopher living under one of our sheds for years now and I always see it out and I think it's scared of the chickens, but recently I saw a smaller, darker, and sleeker animal come from that shed and go under the shed where the chickens are. At first I thought it must have been that gopher making a quick get away, since I was about ten feet away from it. But the other day I saw our gopher munching on some grass, while that other creature scurries past with a dead animal in it's mouth! So it's not that pesky gopher! And my sister saw it one time next to our shed and it hissed at her when she came near it. Can a gopher or a woodchuck kill an animal or hiss and is it a danger to my chickens? Is it a gopher or a woodchuck even? I think that those possibilities are highly doubtful. I'm thinking it's something worse like a fischer cat!

^^ This is what our fat gopher/woodchuck looks like and the animal looks nothing like that.



Whatever is what kinda looked like that fischer cat^^and ran like that but it was so low to the ground and the grass was so tall that I couldn't really see it's tail. I wish I could get a picture of it to be sure.

Could a fischer cat be a real danger to my chickens and does it do anything that the mystery creature did?

 

[JorasoliFarm]

Hi, I would suggest getting a hav-a-hart trap, see if you can catch it, If it is a fisher, I would relocate it to be safe, it seems fishers dont generally go after prey larger than they are yet if it gets comfortable enough around the chickens, it may realize they are not a threat. Also, if its own food supply of smaller birds and rodents diminishes, it will definitely start considering your chickens.Not sure f they keep snakes at bay like a weasel would....... so if thats the case, you may want to keep him around?? Either way, best bet is to identify, then research & observe, then make a decision!

 

[monitagabel]

you can always call your local wildlife resource agency and they can tell you what to do as well as come get it and relocate it for you. I would get a live trap and set it out by the shed with some kind of food in it. once you get it trapped you will be able to tell what it is for sure and make a decision on letting it stay or relocating it.

if it were me..... I would relocate it. it may not be doing anything wrong right now but it could possibly be a future threat to your chickens.


call your local wildlife resource agency and they can tell you what to do and possibly even what it is without having to see it.

 

[bobbi-j]

The top picture is definitely a woodchuck. Also known as ground hog or whistle-pig. They are herbivores, no threat to your chickens. The other sounds like a threat to your chickens and if it were living under my shed would get shot. (I can't say for sure it's a fisher cat because I've never seen one.) The only "relocating" we do is to relocate them underground. Why? Well, do some research and find out the fate of a relocated animal for one. Secondly, I don't want to dump my now trap-wise problem animal on someone else. Many states have laws about relocating to prevent the spread of disease. Say your fisher cat has, oh, a certain type of worm. You trap it, relocate it to an area where these types of worms aren't found. You have just exposed the fisher cats and other animals in that area to them. For those of you who wish to argue with me about different types of worms, that may or may not be spread from species to species, please don't. It was just an example. We could also be talking rabies or distemper or other things.

 

[monitagabel]

The top picture is definitely a woodchuck. Also known as ground hog or whistle-pig. They are herbivores, no threat to your chickens. The other sounds like a threat to your chickens and if it were living under my shed would get shot. (I can't say for sure it's a fisher cat because I've never seen one.) The only "relocating" we do is to relocate them underground. Why? Well, do some research and find out the fate of a relocated animal for one. Secondly, I don't want to dump my now trap-wise problem animal on someone else. Many states have laws about relocating to prevent the spread of disease. Say your fisher cat has, oh, a certain type of worm. You trap it, relocate it to an area where these types of worms aren't found. You have just exposed the fisher cats and other animals in that area to them. For those of you who wish to argue with me about different types of worms, that may or may not be spread from species to species, please don't. It was just an example. We could also be talking rabies or distemper or other things.

that is completely understandable. i personally can't bring myself to kill an animal without reason but my bf has no problem with it and will kill before calling wildlife resource. i call wildlife resource because they will come get the animal they will do their tests check its health mark it and relocate it if it can be relocated or they will euthanize it if that is what needs to be done. it is their job its what they do so i let them do it. no sense in killing an animal without cause especially if the animal can live a healthy life somewhere else.

 

[PeaChick C]

We have mink in these parts and they are chicken murders. They look like the bottom critter but smaller. A neighbor here in Iowa had every single chicken killed by a fat mink.

 

[haylee]

Thanks guys! I will look into more and maybe get a trap. I'll wait until I see it again because maybe it wasn't staying. If I see it again I'll try to identify it and then get a trap that will fit it. I'm wondering if it was just after the gopher's babies or something. If it's just another gopher like I originally thought I'll let it stay, but if it is a fischer I'll relocate it. I won't kill any animals, so I'll have to make sure I get it far away from any chickens, my own and my neighbor's.

 

[CrazyPetunias]

I agree with PeaChick. It sounds like you have a mink problem. They will hiss and are really mean. They look just like ferrets and love to eat chicken. Maybe set a trap for him with a raw drumstick or wing to try and trap him.

 

[haylee]

I agree with PeaChick. It sounds like you have a mink problem. They will hiss and are really mean. They look just like ferrets and love to eat chicken. Maybe set a trap for him with a raw drumstick or wing to try and trap him.

PeaChick and you actually have my original thought when I first saw that animal. I said it looked like a mink, but my friend said it was too fat to be a mink so that's why I thought of a fischer. At least a mink will be a little easier to catch. I hear of people catching them around here a lot and I've seen them in the woods before and my mom said she had one living in our yard a while ago. I haven't heard of fischers roaming around or being caught in my part of town. I guess they are more of a come and go animal, but I heard minks stick around. I hope I can get this thing before it becomes a problem. Thankfully I haven't let my chickens free range without me around.