What kind of beast could it be? Pictures added

[Tuberale]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Nutrias live in the bank of a lake, or persons yard that meets a lake. They have a skinny tail like a rat and mess things up like peoples Styrofoam docks. They love to chew and tear and distroy. They will eat your small dog if they can catch it. They caught a chihuahua ankle biter down at the lake and took it right into the water. They do look a bit like a beaver but are not related I do not think.

Nutrias live near water. They are rodents, and do not consume meat. But they may defend themselves with large root-shearing incisors.

Don't really look at all like beavers: no wide flat tail. They do have longer, otter-like bodies, and can be nearly 3 feet long. Really dislike 'em. Been hunting them for 20 years now, and they multiply faster than you can decimate 'em. People in the '60's and '70's imported them as fur-farmed animals. When the market for fur ended in the '80's, "farmers" started releasing them instead of euthanizing them. They dig 20-30' long underground tunnels near creeks and along ditches here in Oregon, as well as in streams and rivers. Stock animals fall in the openings of these tunnels and break legs or worse. Nutria compete with many native animals for food: often grasses and forbes.

In Oregon they are trapped, hunted, shot, and poisoned. But they continue to breed faster than they can be weeded.

Worst thing is I know of no animals that hunt them, though they'd be easy pickings for a cougar, bear, coyote, eagle or badger.

 

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[fistfulladirt]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Think of a nutria as a big muskrat. Like the muskrat, they will take meat at times, in the form of frogs, clams, etc. I could see a nutria taking a small dog, probably to eliminate as a threat, lol!
Rodents like muskrat were served in resturants for a long time, until it was deemed that they could not be regulated or inspected, as wild game, for consumption. Probably healthier for you than say, chicken or beef, because unnatural antibiotics and growth hormones usually don't show up in wild critters.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

I better go tell the folks who watched one come up on the dock and steal their little dog that they won't do it...LOL They are minus on little chihuahua. Guess it was a feisty one. They are such a problem down on the lake and especially since the water is down 12'. They are coming up in peoples yards and creating alot of damage. They are suppose to taste real good but I just can't do it...

I'm confused. Which one tastes good? The chihuahua or the nutria?

In the Journals of Lewis & Clark, Native Americans considered "fat dog" a lip-smacking culinary treat. Chihuahuas originally from Mexican State of Chihuahua, and used as food and loud guard animals. Very territorial. Nutria are native to South America, where they were hunted, and are also territorial.

When forced into conflict, why should the outcome of two territorial animals be surprising? Add a third territorial animal, man, and the problem continues.

Maybe alligators are the answer: very old, aggressive and hungry. Glad Oregon is too cold for alligators. So far.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Yep. Alligator pate is worth checking out!

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Did he figure out what it was?

 

[Deadwood Dick]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

I think a bar et him

 

[Tuberale]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

I went out to get the newspaper early yesterday morning and discovered that something had nearly torn down one of my 6'gates of my stockade fence around my back yard. I had a steel rod sunk into concrete on the back of the gate that prevented whatever it was from getting in but I am still puzzled at what could have done it. I am thinking most likely a large domestic dog, but he was a tough one if it was. There was chew marks along the bottom corner where large fang like teeth had gnawed on it and finally broke off a large sliver of the wooden slat. The ground was covered with all kinds of small wooden debris from the chew marks. The gate was pulled away from the corner post at the top to where it was made to sag in the middle where the steel rod is located. I could see several large pug marks in the mud but they were on top of each other and I couldn't tell where one ended and another began, but they were large, about what I would expect from a great dane or other large dog. But I have nothing in my back yard that would attract a predator or a hungry dog, no food or water, etc at all. So, I don't know what would attract an animal to do that much damage trying to get in. I know it wasn't human for a man would merely lift the latch and raise the steel rod and swing it open. Not more than six weeks ago someone in a neighborhood across town captured a mountain lion in a tree in a back yard and that got me to thinking. But a mountain lion would have no trouble leaping atop and then over the fence. Meanwhile I won't let my little dog Digsy out in the yard after dark. Oh and I have on occasion heard coyotes off in the distance just before dark in the morning, but I haven't a clue why a coyote would want into my yard as they are scavengers. Hmmmm......any ideas? Monty

Isn't one of the many things suggested here to date.

Not a bear, as they as quite strong. A gate is not going to stop them. A small bear would leave a much larger print too.

Not a cougar. Would have easily jumped on top of the gate to have a look around. Probably would have done that first. Cougars don't jump over a gate unless they can see where they will land. Comes from what they do in the wild. Jump over a log and find you've just gone over a cliff is not conducive to long-term survival. Cougar will easily jump 30-40 feet from a crouch. Which is why deer and elk have so little warning.

Coyote possible. Coyote might chew on a gate to see if they could move it, or try to dig underneath it in pursuit of tasty fat dog. But their tracks are usually smaller than a dog.

Here's something that hasn't been suggested, though. A big raccoon. I saw a 60-70 pound one in my backyard a few years ago. Mostly they just meander around after dark, often in groups. Don't mind mud at all. Raccoons are related to bear. They will worry at an obstacle that blocks their passage. If a 'coon, it'll be back. Their prints look completely different from a "large dog" though.

 

[Daedalus]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Black Bear , people are having the same issues in Missouri . They have come back to the area and are getting to be a problem in some places . Most likely not enough food for all that they have let lose in the states.

 

[Monty]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

I'll go with the ghost squirrel idea for now. I certainly lhave sent enough of them to the happy hunting grounds, or in this case maybe not so happy. I'll get out and get a picture or two if it ever stops raining here. We've had rain and tornado warnings for the last 3 days! The big one that hit Joplin went just west of us and continued on up to the NE to Joplin. It had signs of rotation when it went past us. Monty

 

[warsawdaddy]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Monty,my mother-in-law use to do the same thing to my fence when she would try and visit us.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

I'll go with the ghost squirrel idea for now. I certainly lhave sent enough of them to the happy hunting grounds, or in this case maybe not so happy. I'll get out and get a picture or two if it ever stops raining here. We've had rain and tornado warnings for the last 3 days! The big one that hit Joplin went just west of us and continued on up to the NE to Joplin. It had signs of rotation when it went past us. Monty

How big are ghost squirrel prints, Monty? Haven't seen 'em, haven't heard of 'em. Easy to track though, are they?<G>

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

I think a bar et him

Hum? Well there are worse ways to go.

 

[Monty]

Took pictures, but couldn't get them to load. My Photo program isn't working right. Wouldn't you know it? But the pictures really don't show the damage as bad as it really is anyway. Monty

 

[Richard Ray]

TexasTee2007:
I guarantee you Texas has alligators, I've seen plenty dead and alive. Down in the Houston area they are in the bayous by the dozen, there's a season on them. Up here in East Texas they are in the Sulphur River, just three miles from my house...
Richard

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Took pictures, but couldn't get them to load. My Photo program isn't working right. Wouldn't you know it? But the pictures really don't show the damage as bad as it really is anyway. Monty

As the mystery deepens.............

 

[Tuberale]

Bulldog maybe?

 

[Noodle]

Re: What kind of beast could it be?

Monty,my mother-in-law use to do the same thing to my fence when she would try and visit us.

'Daddy, you are so bad....

 

[Monty]

Well, I'll be darned. One picture did down load! My screen gave no indication that anything down loaded. The damage is actually a lot worse than the picture shows. The whole gate is sagging now and is crooked when closed. I too think it was a large dog, probably chasing that bunny that lives under my shed. I have seen it running around in the backyard several times. (The bunny, not the dog)! I really know how to destroy the king's grammer don't I? Monty