What animal has stolen my suet cage??? (3 Viewers)

[David in NC]

I was outside this morning with my new Leicas waiting on some feeder birds. I had been there for about an hour and suddenly noticed that one of my suet cages is missing. I have had them hanging from the center position of a three position shepherd-hook style feeder pole.

I have had them there for several years, but only yesterday refilled them with a "Woodpecker Blend" suet cake. This was obviously heavy in peanut/peanut flavoring as I could smell it strongly when handling them.

I noticed that the small open link chain was still attached to the pole, but the final link was bent noticeably out straight. While not a SUBSTANTIAL chain, I can not imagine a squirrel or even a possum (or raccoon) doing this, but it MIGHT be possible if a possum or raccoon were very large and applied all their weight.

I'm sorta thinking BEAR but we have not had any sightings otherwise in the area, but they are coming closer with all the development and foresting.

The cage is nowhere to be found as far as I can tell.

MISDEMEANOR LARCENY!

 

[eddy the eagle]

Possible bear faced robbery!!!!!....Eddy

 

[KC Foggin]

Oh, you'd be surprised at what the raccoons can do

 

[Ruff]

Bear.

 

[chris butterworth]

The first thing I thought of was "Racoon". Intelligent, enterprising, kleptomaniacal, evil little buggers

 

[David in NC]

Another tamper-a ceramic apple that was "hollow" (for seed) has been pulled of the small cable that held it and was found broke on the ground... Still thinking bear but no other signs or sightings... Just waiting to see him/her/it to confirm...

 

[Bird_Bill]

How high was it? A raccoon can climb above, and then use its own mass to tumble it all down.
Well fed squirrels often employing the same M.O.

 

[snowyowl]

Probably raccoons. See my thread http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=284762
Bears often push the shepherds crook over a bit or even bend it.

 

[MPeoples]

Bears, they steal my all the time and sometime the case too!!!

Mike

 

[sirwired]

A raccoon is more likely if there aren't any known bear sightings in your area... bears are hard to miss, and racoons are a lot smarter than most people think.

 

[Aloof1]

As Said before if it was a bear it would bend and knock the shepherds hook down. Plus you say they stole one of your feeders, meaning if you still have more feeders hanging still intact it was not a bear! Raccoon it was. buy a cheap trail camera and put some food out to make sure...haha!

 

[David in NC]

Well...raccoon may be it...

I had left the feeders empty for a week or so as I didn't want to draw whatever it was back in. Yesterday however I felt for the birds (seeing one female house finch sitting on one that I knew to be dead empty worked on my heart!) and am missing my usual visitors so I put a bit of seed in a few of them.

Anyway my wife just called to tell me that last night when she arrived home she seen a raccoon on top of one of the feeders on the shepherd's hook...

IF this was the earlier thief I am amazed...but it is certainly good evidence...

 

[Susan R]

I was outside this morning with my new Leicas waiting on some feeder birds. I had been there for about an hour and suddenly noticed that one of my suet cages is missing. I have had them hanging from the center position of a three position shepherd-hook style feeder pole.

I have had them there for several years, but only yesterday refilled them with a "Woodpecker Blend" suet cake. This was obviously heavy in peanut/peanut flavoring as I could smell it strongly when handling them.

I noticed that the small open link chain was still attached to the pole, but the final link was bent noticeably out straight. While not a SUBSTANTIAL chain, I can not imagine a squirrel or even a possum (or raccoon) doing this, but it MIGHT be possible if a possum or raccoon were very large and applied all their weight.

I'm sorta thinking BEAR but we have not had any sightings otherwise in the area, but they are coming closer with all the development and foresting.

The cage is nowhere to be found as far as I can tell.

MISDEMEANOR LARCENY!

 

[Susan R]

The same exact thing happened to me this morning. If it were a raccoon I would see the scat and I don’t. It is very strange and I don’t know whether to replace the suet feeder or not. My magpies are just as puzzled as I am. My seed feeder in a conventional feeder was also emptied so whatever came in had a good time! I did see a beautiful Tanager this morning. Just gorgeous!

 

[KC Foggin]

raccoon was my first thought.

 

[David in NC]

Until I seen this pop back up today I'd forgotten about posting.

FOLLOW-UP: I placed a trail cam outside in 2018 and found it was a racoon, or raccoons. I would have not believed it without photo evidence, since we do have bears nearby.

 

[Susan R]

Thanks for confirming it is probably a raccoon. I’m going to wait a few days before replacing it in case it comes back. I would love to see a screenshot from your trail cam of the raccoons!

 

[Kimbatigger]

In my case, it's crows. I have found the suet cages dragged into the woods and at the edge of the yard, empty. I hung them back up and have been chasing crows away from the suet. I just went outside and found one of them in the middle of the yard with the chain that it hangs by, missing. This is the first time in 20 years at this location that this has happened. They're stealing only from the feeding station in the middle of the yard, not the one at the edge of the woods.