What animal is this?

[jayhawk]

My guess is a pine marten.

Where does your mother live? Would help it narrow it down

 

[KsRancher]

That foot ought to be an identifiable feature. But I am not coming up with much

 

[Geewhiz]

My guess is a pine marten.

Where does your mother live? Would help it narrow it down

Western Montana, around Plains. Looks similar but also much bigger than any pine marten I’ve ever seen.

 

[idelkslayer]

That is a rock chuck.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Not sure why a rock chuck would be trying to dig into the chicken coop unless it was for the feed.

 

[Geewhiz]

That is a rock chuck.

***was***

This is my current theory based on the foot pads.

 

[LostArra]

They’ve got 2 Pyrenees that babysit their sheep, keep bears out of the fruit trees, and shred creatures that try to eat the chickens. I watched them tear a live raccoon in 2 once. Protective buggers.

Great Pyres and Anatolians are such kind gentle giants until it's time to go to work.

 

[Geewhiz]

Great Pyres and Anatolians are such kind gentle giants until it's time to go to work.

I've got immense respect for those dogs. They would give their lives for the sheep they watch. One night one of them took on a lion and got tore up big time, but survived. He has since moved on but he had a giant scar from his ass along his ribs to his neck from being filleted open while on duty.

 

[MNGrouser]

That does not look like a pine marten to me and I've skinned plenty of them. Unless my Minnesota variety are substantially different. The texture of the (dog-drool soaked) fur looks off for marten.

Not much left and not much for scale, but I'm leaning rock chuck as well.

 

[Mtndawger]

Western Montana, around Plains. Looks similar but also much bigger than any pine marten I’ve ever seen.

Looks like a pine marten but bigger may be a Fisher then. Or a marmot. What do the teeth indicate about it?

 

[Geewhiz]

Looks like a pine marten but bigger may be a Fisher then. Or a marmot. What do the teeth indicate about it?

Haven't seen the teeth, I think the head is being digested by a pyrenees at the moment...

I looked up a video of a guy skinning a fisher and the back feet are regular paws like a cat, not big pads like this.

 

[Firestone]

Well being i live in the town of the crime, I took it upon myself to assemble a team to figure this out. I got two of the most experienced killers in town and set out In our sidexside. We found the first vermin and set up at 335 yards. The second one was about 150, I was a little under gunned with a 6.5prc but we managed two one shot kills. After further examination I am going with my first guess, that the dogs ripped apart a rockchuck. We have plenty around the area

 

[Montucky]

That is most definitely a Rock Chuck, those dogs absolutely obliterated that thing LOL

 

[Erict]

Diagram of rock chuck hind foot and the zoomed in shot of the dead critter mortuus Geewhizicus. Sure looks like a match. Fire up the "bar-bee".

 

[Pharmseller]

Marmot makes a fine meal.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Looks like a pine marten but bigger may be a Fisher then. Or a marmot. What do the teeth indicate about it?

Zero percent chance that’s a fisher.

 

[MNGrouser]

Well being i live in the town of the crime, I took it upon myself to assemble a team to figure this out. I got two of the most experienced killers in town and set out In our sidexside. We found the first vermin and set up at 335 yards. The second one was about 150, I was a little under gunned with a 6.5prc but we managed two one shot kills. After further examination I am going with my first guess, that the dogs ripped apart a rockchuck. We have plenty around the areaView attachment 1068710View attachment 1068711View attachment 1068712

There is no way I could love this post any more!!!

 

[Geewhiz]

Well being i live in the town of the crime, I took it upon myself to assemble a team to figure this out. I got two of the most experienced killers in town and set out In our sidexside. We found the first vermin and set up at 335 yards. The second one was about 150, I was a little under gunned with a 6.5prc but we managed two one shot kills. After further examination I am going with my first guess, that the dogs ripped apart a rockchuck. We have plenty around the areaView attachment 1068710View attachment 1068711View attachment 1068712

I feel like I owe your girls a box of ammo

 

[Firestone]

I feel like I owe your girls a box of ammo

I just asked and they would like a keg of Retumbo

Their words not mine

 

[survivalistd]

Not sure why a rock chuck would be trying to dig into the chicken coop unless it was for the feed.

It wanted the rocks!!