OT-Cow patties brought into barn, mystery?

[rangerider7]

Has anyone encountered an animal that carries large parts of cow patties into a barn. On the ranch some animal nightly carries small or parts of cow patties into the barn and hides them under some wood. I have never encountered this before until recently. Anyone have experience with this type of happening before. There are not any dogs on the ranch. I'm guessing it is coyotes or raccoons. I really don't think coyotes would do it night after night. I'm sure this will cause many humorous thoughts for answers but please try to refrain yourselves. Thanks.

[Modoc ED]

Pack rat maybe.

[Buffboy]

Sounds like the work of a pack rat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pack_rat

[Doc Hudson]

Have you considered setting a trap baited with some of the hidden cow flop?

If you catch the varmint you can identify it.


fwiw, the only critter I've ever heard of to roll off cowflop are dung beetles, aka tumble turds. But they are not big enough to carry off a whole piece of cow flop.

[Don McDowell]

Pack rat, or maybe a weasel.

[Wind]

Hey there RR7 - I don't have an answer, but I see cow pies turned over, as in flipped, on my place. I've been wondering what was doing that too. It'll be interesting to see what turns up at your place. Best regards. Wind

[86er]

Poopably a turd that pelosi've migrated south by now but was pre-occu"pied". Sneak in the barn at night and see if you flush one out. See if there is a stool and an table where it might be writing in its diarrhea. I think these turds are called chip peckers, but someone that knows more about them will chime in, I'm sure.

[Buck Elliott]

Coons will flip 'em over to get maggots & grubs. Mebbe-so one of 'em dragged the pies into the pantry for later dining delight...!

[mikld]

Must be Aliens! Studying the more intelligent species (they've studied our government lately).

[Buck Elliott]

Well, cowflops are more intelligent than politicians....

[TedH]

I've witnessed skunks flipping cow pies looking for bugs or worms. Not sure why a critter would cart one off though unless their using it for nesting material.

[LeverBob]

Naw pards...ain't any of them critters.

It's the venomous, nefarious Pooprat, ain't a pack rat. Seen 'em when I was a 'youngin down on my old uncles farm south of Little Rock in to late 50's. Only see 'em in the south real early in the mornin'. Durin' a quarter moon... in the fall...when Venus is risin' in the south...during a total eclipse...and all the planets lined up...even.

Since they eat 'patties they's breath is digustin'! You can tell 'cause it's heavier than air & when you gets to rootin' around the barn tryin' to find theys' stash you're goin' to be breathin' it in. Will burn yer lungs as crispy as a chitlin! I ain't kiddin' neither Hoss

Be real careful pard...

LeverBilly
(I copied LeverBob's writin' style...did I do good?)

[KirkD]

I have no idea what is stashing cow pies in your barn, but your post reminded me of all the fun I had as a boy, constantly trying to set new personal records for how far I could launch frozen cow pies, using my pitchfork as the launcher, out of the winter corral and into the bush. The Snowshoe Hares probably wondered why there were frozen cow turds falling out of the sky.

[20cows]

Out in the mesquite scrub of West Texas (Crane and Ward counties) where I grew up, the rats made impressive "mansions" out of twigs and cow patties at the base of low-lying mesquite trees where cows couldn't reach.

[rangerider7]

Guys, these cow poops are as big as softballs, some a little larger. I have found some cockle burrs with them so it may be trying to make a nest. That is the only two things that are there each day in two different places. Could a pack rat carry something that large up a 2 foot rise to the cement floor of the barn from the corral?

[PaulB]

A family member trying to pull your leg.

[rangerider7]

I'm the only one that goes out to the ranch almost everyday. I sweep it. None of the other hunters are that energetic, I can tell you for sure. They are weekend hunters.

[Malamute]

Sound like a pack rat to me. I've seen them pile cow chips, cactus, and anything else they can find up to make nests.

My suggestion is to find it and kill it ASAP. They are dirty, stinky disgustiing creatures, and will seriously foul anything they can infest. The stink of their urine and droppings is nasty, especially if they get a serious foothold and spend some time in one place. They are quite cute looking, like a giant mouse with a furry tail, but nasty varmints.

[20cows]

Could a pack rat carry something that large up a 2 foot rise to the cement floor of the barn from the corral?

Yep.

[rafter-7]

I did not read the other replys but any thing big dog size or smaller could do it. there is a lot of unused protein in that pattie and perty good eatin for some vermin!


SET TRAPS

tell us what you catch

rafter-7

[LeverBob]

Sound like a pack rat to me. I've seen them pile cow chips, cactus, and anything else they can find up to make nests.

My suggestion is to find it and kill it ASAP. They are dirty, stinky disgustiing creatures, and will seriously foul anything they can infest. The stink of their urine and droppings is nasty, especially if they get a serious foothold and spend some time in one place. They are quite cute looking, like a giant mouse with a furry tail, but nasty varmints.

See...I told ya'...

LeverBilly
(LeverBob's cousin)

[Bogie35]

That's why they call 'em pack rats, 'cause they will pile up the darnedest things. I just know I don't want to be there when the s@#t hits the fan.

bogie

[madman4570]

Put a game trail Cam up in barn. I think you are Sleep--Walkin!

[20cows]

Sound like a pack rat to me. I've seen them pile cow chips, cactus, and anything else they can find up to make nests.

My suggestion is to find it and kill it ASAP. They are dirty, stinky disgustiing creatures, and will seriously foul anything they can infest. The stink of their urine and droppings is nasty, especially if they get a serious foothold and spend some time in one place. They are quite cute looking, like a giant mouse with a furry tail, but nasty varmints.

The rats I refer to are much larger (7 to 10 inches w/o the hairless, worm-looking tail).

[bcp]

Seems obvious to me it is a turdle.

[J35]

Has anyone encountered an animal that carries large parts of cow patties into a barn. On the ranch some animal nightly carries small or parts of cow patties into the barn and hides them under some wood. I have never encountered this before until recently. Anyone have experience with this type of happening before. There are not any dogs on the ranch. I'm guessing it is coyotes or raccoons. I really don't think coyotes would do it night after night. I'm sure this will cause many humorous thoughts for answers but please try to refrain yourselves. Thanks.

I bet it is a pack rat, move the wood I think you will find rat turds and maybe the rat.

Have fun

[J35]

Hey there RR7 - I don't have an answer, but I see cow pies turned over, as in flipped, on my place. I've been wondering what was doing that too. It'll be interesting to see what turns up at your place. Best regards. Wind

Most anything that will eat bugs, grubs, worms etc will flip them.

I have watched skunks, coyotes and Coati Mundi flip them, heck I have flipped a few myself just to see what the attraction was.

Twice I have shot Old bachelor Coati Mundi's in the act of flipping cow pies,my mexican bud called them Solteros.

Have fun

[phc45-70]

Possibly the work of the little known Chupra-ca-ca

[rangerider7]

I'm on my way to clean up the lumber laying on a rack. I guess the pack rat likes to nest under the rack. Thanks guys. I haven't had to deal with pack rats that like cow patties before.

[Modoc ED]

I'm on my way to clean up the lumber laying on a rack. I guess the pack rat likes to nest under the rack. Thanks guys. I haven't had to deal with pack rats that like cow patties before.

That's right RR7. The pack rat nests UNDER and at the very bottom of the pile of stuff it piles up. It's pretty common here to see pack rat nests three or four feet tall with everything in the nest except the kitchen sink.

[KCSO]

Pak rats here use them for nesting. Badgers and especially turky will turn over ever flop that is dry enough to get the beetles from underneath. The skunk is also a flop turner. After dark in the pasture you wil see a skunk or badger going along flipping chips and eatin' bugs.

[rangerider7]

Just got back from the ranch. I re-stacked the lumber and took away the pallet. The rats had straw, cow patties, cockle burrs and the like all under it. They also were under an old lawnmower so I took it to the metal junk pile. I made sure there was no other place to hide under or be protected from predators. Thanks guys y'all were a lot of help. I also replace the old pallet that we had been using for our 100 yard target with the pallet I just got up. I'm pooped, to coin a word, so talk later.

[Malamute]

The rats I refer to are much larger (7 to 10 inches w/o the hairless, worm-looking tail).

He was just a little guy, it would take another year or two before he'd be trophy material. I wasn't willing to wait that long, he turned up and started using my porch and yard for his toilet and playground. Mangy varmint ate my morning glories also. First thing I'd ever managed to grow. My old Malamute dog loved to kill those things.


Had an old Bronco parked for a while. Pack rats built a huge nest of cactus, cow pies, and whatever else they could find right on top of the motor. Fortunately, they didnt eat any wiring. Others I know have not been as lucky.

[BigSky56]

RR7, get some One Bite (trade name) poison and place around where pets cant get to it, one bite does it, if you have pets around that will eat the dead rats I wouldnt use it unless you dont like them. Decon will only give a packrat a sour stomach if you want to trap them take a 110 conibear or any big rat trap and put at the end of a 2' hunk of thinwalled stovepipe along side a wall or top plate where they run packrats have genetic glitch to run thru a tunnel or pipe. I go through 1 bite by the case. danny

[pokey]

Possibly the work of the little known Chupra-ca-ca

almost spit my drink at the screen

[firefuzz]

Spent many an afternoon in my youth sniping pat rats in the barns. Tear up their nest then climb up on the hay bales and wait. Peanut butter on a corncob for bait. Must have been pretty good training cause my future instructors said I seemed to have the patience of Job.

Rob