Do I have a pond monster ?

[Bdavis]

I know this may not be the correct forum, but I know we have some real pond experts out there and I am really scratching my head over this one.

I have started harvesting some of my catfish (just with rod and reel the last few weeks). They are all pretty large 20 -24 inches in length. I take them over filet them then toss the skeltons back in the pond. I thow them as far
as I can to the center. I have a one acre pond with a levee around it.

Last week I went back to the pond and the 3 skeltons that I tossed were on the the top of the levee a good foot and a half above the water line.
They were picked clean and in different locations. All skeltons were intact just as I tossed them in except no meat. I have few turtles but there is no way a turtle could drag them up the levee and no reason to do it.
I do not see any signs of a otter or any other critter.
The only animals I have ever spotted around the pond are different speices of long legged water birds.
I am guessing it must be the birds or a pond monster ?
Any guesses ?

 

[CTPhil]

Pond monster sounds good to me. As long as it doesn't start eating live catfish it's all good.

 

[nybirdman]

My guess would be a mink.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I'll bet it is the same Zombie Werewolves Bigfoot62 ID'd from photos I took of their tracks on my property...



David

 

[leonz]

It may be a muskrat or mink maybe?


I doubt in all sincerity it is the Mississippi Wildman
as the furry northern cousins have been known to
empty long line set fish lines and fish traps in the
Hudson Bay too.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

It may be a muskrat or mink maybe?

Leonz,

I know I have a muskrat family in my pond, we watch him regularly harvesting dandelion stems in spring/summer.

I did not know they will eat fish. I know a 21" bass was caught in my pond right before I bought the property. I've never seen a fish skeleton.

Very interesting. Did not know this.

I've got a boatload of turtles too! (and Beavers etc...).

Now I need to get a pond monster...

David

 

[Craig Clayton]

Lets look at what you found as fact. The bones were picked clean out of the water so this animal eats out of the water. The bones were in deep water so the animal had the ability to dive down and find the bones.

turtles eat under water
cranes eat out of the water but can not dive to the bottom
raccons eat out of water but do not dive to the bottom
otters can dive in water and probably eat out of the water
muskrats can dive and eat out of the water and are not overly large
beavers dive but do not eat meat

So I would put my money on muskrats and they are not worth anything.

Craig Clayton

 

[creekbend]

I would put my money on it being a muskrat. They will eat dead fish, they will reach up to 2 feet long, and live in homes-lodges similar to beavers. Check the sides of your pond for holes that are burrowed in the bank.

 

[wrflt]

Okay, I don't know how to do the quote I guess. The top paragraph is a quote from brin.

 

[rjmack]

Okay, I don't know how to do the quote I guess. The top paragraph is a quote from brin.

you just copy and paste the text into the quote brackets.

 

[rekees4300]

I know I have a muskrat family in my pond,

They are cute but will destroy a pond in a few years. Prudent to get rid of them ASAP.

 

[deereman75]

Okay, I don't know how to do the quote I guess. The top paragraph is a quote from brin.

In the bottom right corner of the post you want to quote, click the quote button.

 

[Bdavis]

I would put my money on it being a muskrat. They will eat dead fish, they will reach up to 2 feet long, and live in homes-lodges similar to beavers. Check the sides of your pond for holes that are burrowed in the bank.

I am going to do a good check for holes in the bank. I know that during the summer I did not have any because I regularly weed eat the area. I did have a duck that I did not see and did not move until I almost hit it with the weedeater.
My pond is not very deep in particular on the end that I throw the fish.
Maybe 4 feet. Also it is not uniform in depth . So it is possible I guess for
a bird but I have never seen one walk in the water that far. The muskrat is probably the most likely but I am bringing my 12 guage next time I go just in case it is a pond monster !
Thanks

 

[MossflowerWoods]

They are cute but will destroy a pond in a few years. Prudent to get rid of them ASAP.

Seriously? I did not know that... My wife & girls think they are cute...

How do they destroy a pond?

My pond was originally made by Beavers, and they still live in it. But the prior owner built a big earthen dam and expanded the pond quite a bit.

It seems darned healthy.

Thanks,
David

 

[JeremyL]

I've got a crane that hangs out at our pond and he is too fast for me to ever get a shot at him...It is illegal to shoot them..but I have a law that it is illegal to steal my fish and that is what he is doing so if I ever get a clean shot at the sucker I am going to enforce my Law..

Don't shoot the crane. It is illegal, and wrong. Wild animals need all the help we can give them, and it is doing what it has to to eat. Thanks.

 

[CTPhil]

How do they destroy a pond?

They can riddle the bank with holes.

 

[Fixemall]

My guess is it is an IRS agent, they are well known to pick the bones clean.

 

[rekees4300]

How do they destroy a pond?

By digging holes in the dam causing shoreline erosion and eventually leakage.