What the heck did this? [Warning: Graphic photos]!

[babsbag]

We have bobcats, mountain lions, bears, and coyotes, not to mention the small pests like fox, skunk, and racoon. I have seen the bobcat, neighbor saw the lion, and another neighbor has a picture of the bear at his pond. The coyotes are very vocal and obvious. But with 4 dogs and good fences the only predators I worry about are humans with guns, not even the best LGD is a match for that.

What sick person...thinking ritual...needs a lamb's head? And why kill the second one? Maybe they got scared off. You said that the carcasses were gone? After you saw them were they out there over night or did something take them during the day?

 

[Southern by choice]

Well, if you've ever seen what and how predators kill they aren't "clean". There would be blood all over the carcass and more puncture wounds. Hopefully you will find out what it was.

 

[babsbag]

I just read an article about lambs being killed this very way...no blood. It was in England and the verdict was either fox or badger. They say that the fox will actually suck the blood from the animal before eating the head. Personally I would rather it be an animal than a human.

 

[Southern by choice]

I just read an article about lambs being killed this very way...no blood. It was in England and the verdict was either fox or badger. They say that the fox will actually suck the blood from the animal before eating the head. Personally I would rather it be an animal than a human.

wow! the fox family beside us doesn't get to our animals because of the dogs but before that they'd take a chicken but can a fox take something as big as a month old lamb?
I do wonder if the intact lamb was just run to death (chase of some sort)
Terribly sad.
I just don't put anything past people because it is all over FB all the time. Sick sick sick people out there.

 

[babsbag]

There are sick people, and that is why I would prefer the 4-legged predator any day, at least they are doing what is "normal".

 

[greybeard]

Yes, my .22 comment was in reference to someone's question how anything.anyone could catch a fleet footed lamb. They, like calves are fast but can't outrun a bullet.

Coyotes here are very vocal, but only during the first part of the nightly gathering and when they first begin the hunt. Once the tracking & chase of a particular prey is joined, it's like someone flips the off switch on their vocals.

Babsbag, I've seen the same thing on the cattle/goat/sheep ranch I worked part time on in Tom Green County Texas. (I spent most of my time fencing)

I think the greys and swift fox would be hard pressed to kill a lamb, tho they are certainly fast enough, but the red fox we have in Texas are up to the task and that was the predator we saw most in TG county with the lambs.
The fox they have in GB and other parts of the world are a little bigger than the American red fox I believe, but like any canine, they do love the taste of blood.

I don't know anything much about badgers (never heard of a badger in E Texas) but I do know there were some out in that western area. My father killed one near Sweetwater Texas when I was very young.

Of course, it is also very possible it was a 2 legged varmint.

 

[Simpleterrier]

I would have to say that those lambs were dead awhile before the head was removed. Even a person would leave blood. Maybe they died from an unknown reason and an animal started eating one. Then the same or different animal took away the rest. The lamb died and the blood had to have time to not flow before the head was removed I would have to think that would take an hour or so.

 

[babsbag]

@Simpleterrier I thought the same thing about the blood but the article I was reading said that the fox and badger would actually suck the blood from the kill before beheading it and no blood trail would be found.

 

[greybeard]

If you've ever had dogs around an old fashioned slaughter/butchering outdoors, you already know they will (if allowed) eat or lick up every drop of spilled blood.

 

[soarwitheagles]

Wow, what a wonderful crash course in sheep predators! Thank you everyone for sharing your insights and ideas and concerns. You are helping this city slicker become farm/ranch predator educated.

For now we are keeping the sheep in the sheep pen with lights on all night, no climb fence on the perimeter. I let em' out to do a couple of hours of grazing on the clover every afternoon. For now, feeding them a combo of hay and alfalfa in the pen using the sheep feeder.

To be honest with you, without the freedom to graze the sheep in the forest, the feed costs will be more than the effort and the sheep are worth.

If we cannot secure the back forest and/or eradicate the predators, then I will sell off most of the flock and simply keep half a dozen on the clover fields for the year.

Still waiting for the game cams to arrive. Hope to set them up this weekend.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your insights!

Have a great day/evening!