Noticed a partially-eaten chicken breast in the pasture today; which is odd. If a coyote takes a chicken, the whole thing is gone. I don't know what killed this particular bird, but I'm a bit curious. So I set up a game camera to watch the area, and we'll see what shows up.
Game cameras start at about $150, and allow you to have a record, either still photo or video, of anything that triggers then. I use a tripod for mine so that I don't have to fuss too much about placement, but you can use a fence or tree or post.
On the outside of this particular camera there's a display that shows the number of photos taken so you can determine if a particular camera has been triggered, but this particular model doesn't have any way to view the photos -- I take it home and hook it up to the computer with a usb cable to view the contents.
It's got an infrared flash and this particular one has a range of about 50'. They're simple and easy to use. If you have a remote area that you'd like to have some records on you can place them on gates and take pictures of people entering your property. I'm curious to see what the predator is. I'm thinking something smaller than a coyote. Maybe a weasel.
I had something hammering my flock every night starting in march this year. Head taken off and the inside eaten out, occasionally the breast. The offender turned out to be a huge great horned owl (baited a foottrap with a rooster). Let the owl go and owl proofed my coop. No owl probs since.
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