Help. This is no joke. Some small animal is stealing the eyes from a good customer's collection of duck mounts. It neatly gnaws around the eye lids and takes the eyes. No traces or clues are left.
He lives in a wooded area. We need to stop this before his substantial collection is destroyed. Rodent poison and insect foggers have been applied but the eyes are still being taken. I think it is a pack rat but he claims they have never had any rats in the area. This guy lives in a prestigious house in a upper crust neighborhood.
Anyone out there ever come across this problem. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to offer any ideas.
Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu
Three animals come quickly to mind. Packrat (doubtful in a wooded area), chipmunk (maybe) or flying squirrel (there's where I'd look). It may be common mice but it's unlikely as they are foragers rather than collectors. They're more likely to mow grooves through the feathers than steal the eyes.
Does the guy own a ferret?
A friend of mine had a ferret and she couldn't figure out where her jewelry from her dresser and loose change from the counter top was going. She blamed her room-mate for stealin'. Then when she was spring cleaning, she hit the jackpot. She moved a chair and it jingled. She flipped it over, the ferret had knawed a hole under it up into the back lining and stashed anything shiny it could find.
Racoons will opt for anything that shines?
Because of the Cacheing(sp). We don't have flying squirrels down where I live (S.Tx) so I'm not real familiar with their habits, but Squirrels in general love to Cashe potential, future food! Then, in the wee hours of this morning while my mind was working overtime, another possible source came to mind... based on a past experience I had with planting food plots for deer... Leaf-Cutter ants! I know that may sound crazy, but I tell you you'd be amazed at how rapidly these little critters can swipe seeds from under the soil's surface, and cache them in little stashes not far from the source. Once my sparce (thanks to the Ants) food plots germinated, I was amazed at all the little clumps of growth scattered here and there around the food plots... Lol! Some of the seeds were likely larger than a glass, bird's eye would be... Tepary beans, Black-eyed peas, Siratro, etc. They also swiped the smaller seeds, which included oats, vetch, and Hubam clover. I have no idea if you even have Leaf-Cutter Ants where you live, but because this is a Serious problem you're having, I thought I'd throw the idea out there anyway. I think the Squirrel suggestion makes the most sense though... I hope this gets resolved!
A friend had a cat that was a thief. It would go as far as chewing the buttons off shirts and hiding them for later. When you find out what is doing it let us all know. Great story to tell.
its probably his kids or his wife
OK OK I'll put them back, darnnit. I was inspired by the democratic convention.
Try one of those cameras used in the woods to capture pictures of anything that happens by and the motion sets off the camera. Then set off to wage a major offensive.
Doug