What beast would get over a 5' stock fence without any damage and kill ......

[creskol]

... 23 geese and goslings in broad daylight? The goslings were all decapitated. whatever it was, only took one big goose back over the fence and devoured it, leaving only a pile of feathers. There was no noise during the ambush, except for one goose honking which isn't abnormal.

 

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[angelito1]

raccoon would be my guess

 

[creskol]

raccoon would be my guess

Never thought about that possibility.

 

[gunsil]

Yeah, growing up I had a small flock of about ten white ducks and we ate duck eggs all the time. My sister and I raised the ducks from tiny chicks and they were like our pets. One night when they were a couple years old raccoons were able to open the simple latch on the duck house and they killed every one, carrying off two. Knew it was coons by their bloody little footprints all over. We got more ducks but three years later they were also all killed by coons and we gave up raising ducks for eggs.

 

[RustyGold]

Yep! The coup needs to be coon proof. Sorry that happened..

 

[Tpmetal]

coon, fishercat, bobcat are my guesses not knowing your location

 

[monkeys uncle]

coon, fishercat, bobcat are my guesses not knowing your location

Not outright doubting, but...Fishercat? Got pics?

 

[RustyGold]

The fisher is a small, carnivorous mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, and is in the monospecific genus Pekania. The fisher is closely related to, but larger than, the American marten.

 

[smokeythecat]

Weasal, did I spell that right? Headache...

 

[Kray Gelder]

Wolverine, depending where you live. The others mentioned are the more likely suspects.

 

[SusanMN]

A Coyote can easily jump over a six foot fence so they would be my first guess for the killing. Could be one or could be a couple, killing just for the fun of it.

 

[creskol]

Wolverine, depending where you live. The others mentioned are the more likely suspects.

I live in Central Virginia.. sorta at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

[creskol]

A Coyote can easily jump over a six foot fence so they would be my first guess for the killing. Could be one or could be a couple, killing just for the fun of it.

I know we have them here .. or had them here, but haven't seen or heard any for quite a while. Whatever it was left a nice hole in their heads!

 

[smokeythecat]

Creskol, come to think of it a big Great Horned Owl can do that. They are HUGE, hunt primarily at night and one swooped down on my friend's pea hen some years ago and took its head right off. I'm thinking owl now. They have a thing for going for the head. I could think now my headache is gone. Weasals generally strangle critters. Had one do that to a couple chickens years ago.

 

[creskol]

Creskol, come to think of it a big Great Horned Owl can do that. They are HUGE, hunt primarily at night and one swooped down on my friend's pea hen some years ago and took its head right off. I'm thinking owl now. They have a thing for going for the head. I could think now my headache is gone. Weasals generally strangle critters. Had one do that to a couple chickens years ago.

I thought owl or eagle, too, but couldn't figure how they would kill 23 so quickly. I always figured they would swoop down and snatch one.

 

[smokeythecat]

Maybe they are just jerks...or got greedy and went for a bigger one. Around here I hear them in pairs or more squallering half the night.

 

[GoldieLocks]

I agree, larger cat(wild) most likely. You could call local animal control in your area and inquire. I just read foxes do this too.

 

[Louie D]

Hopefully it wasn't done by humans, when I hear about this kind of act, teenage vandalism usually comes to mind.

 

[ticndig]

I too live in central Va and raise poultry and fowl ,I feel it was a coon teaching young how to kill . taking a big goose over the fence eliminates birds of prey, mink and fishers.
leaving a mess eliminates a fox , they don't make a mess.dogs make a huge mess but not likely to take one over the fence.

 

[creskol]

I too live in central Va and raise poultry and fowl ,I feel it was a coon teaching young how to kill . taking a big goose over the fence eliminates birds of prey, mink and fishers.
leaving a mess eliminates a fox , they don't make a mess.dogs make a huge mess but not likely to take one over the fence.

You are just about an hour away from where I live!