razorhunter

We have several coyotes that we have been seeing on our land this year. There are not massive numbers of them, but there are a few. I recently saw about 3 rabbits while walking to my deer stand, and all 3 rabbits had their heads missing. The bodies were there, but it appeared the heads were eaten off. I don't think this was dogs, because the only dogs around don't come on our property, and they are well fed. At first, I thought that I may have walked up on the coyotes while they were eating the rabbits, but then noticed that the rabbits had been dead for at least several hours. They were almost frozen. Even if I had jumped the coyotes when they were in the "middle of a kill", wouldn't they just run off with their kill in their mouth? Why would they do this?

Shane Friesen

It's possible it could be coyotes, but I have also heard of owls eating only half of their kill mainly the head and leaving the lower portion behind. Check around for tracks to determine what animal is doing this.

razorhunter

Thanks, to tell you the truth, I never thought about owls.

Howler

I agree with Shane, coyote will eat a whole rabbit faster than it can freeze up, that's for sure.I'd also guess that a bird of prey is doing the rabbit massacre.

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coyoteseeker

weasals,owls,mink and don't forget house cats.domesticated cats do this all the time.

Nomercy

I'm putting my money on owls, they won't eat the body of larger animals for some reason. I have ducks and I used to keep rabbits, both in pens without rooves (roofs, whatever, it didn't have a top), about ever other night one of either animals would be dead without a head. I put chicken wire over the top, but left it so something could fall in if they landed on it, then not get out, I caught 5 owls in a week before they stopped showing up. I know I'm going to catch heck for killing owls, but it was perfectly legal, they were caught in the act of harming livestock, it was my right to destroy them.