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Jan 10th, 2023
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Joined: Jan 2014
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OP
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 60 |
I checked a new wood duck house that I just placed a few weeks ago around my pond. I noticed a number of feathers on the top of it and on the ground around it.
I opened it to find 8 dead purple martins inside of it, relatively freshly killed.
The house is mounted on a tree, but I can't think of a mammal that would efficiently catch that many martins and bring them inside. Puzzling.
Is there a type of smallish owl or other bird of prey that would take them inside a wood duck house?
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 339
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 339 |
That's very interesting. Does the wood duck house have a snake/animal guard?
Free expert fishing tips. Just call BR-549.
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Joined: Jan 2014
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OP
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 60 |
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 733
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 733 |
weasel? set up a game camera
Water is the basis of all life, by design!
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 339
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 339 |
weasel? set up a game camera Weasel is a good guess. What else would kill em all without eating them?
Free expert fishing tips. Just call BR-549.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,539 Likes: 845
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,539 Likes: 845 |
Mink is a possibility too.
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
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OP
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 60 |
Good idea. I'll set up a camera this weekend.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 339
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 339 |
If its a weasel you can catch it with a victor rat trap, the big wooden snap kind. Staple it or fasten it to the tree. Use the kind with a yellow bait pan, tie chicken liver to bait pan. Set trap under the wood duck box with bait down and snap up. Cover trap with something to prevent birds like bluejays from getting caught.
Free expert fishing tips. Just call BR-549.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 29
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 29 |
The real question is how in the heck did a land animal get them? They must have been grouped up in there overnight. I would bet they were killed by some environmental factor since if a critter got in there, many would have escaped. I have to give it more thought... odd. Game cam for sure.
Another possibility is there were simple too many crammed in there, and the ones on the bottom suffocated.
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
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OP
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 60 |
Game cam has shown nothing and to date, no more have found their way to the wood duck house of horrors....
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544 |
Owls will kill other birds seen one kill a Killdeer on the edge of my driveway last year while it was sitting on a nest.. This owl sits on my light post religiously and I just happen to be sitting out side when he swooped down I thought cool he's gonna get something then I hear Killdeer squalid next day sure enough Killdeer carnage didn't even eat it just killed it.. The light post is about 100 yrs from my house..
I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease.. BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES. ![[Linked Image from i90.photobucket.com]](http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k247/jmilczski/Fish/PBSubscribe.gif)
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
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Light post is 100 light years from your house? That's one territorial owl! 
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 06/02/14 04:41 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Sep 2009
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Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
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Sorry meant yds.. yards lol good eye Cecil
I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease.. BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.
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