This is kinda frustrating. Still no killer. I went out first thing this morning (armed of course) and found the mess. Something had triggered my traps. Both traps were tripped and wound up together in a knot next to my stake I had driven into the ground. One of the traps had closed on the other traps chain. I had them too close together. Obviously, I need bigger traps. Unfortunately, they are expensive. The traps I am using were free. They were hanging up in the machine shop on a nail. So I reset the traps, stuffed one way into the hole and the other right at the opening so they would not catch each other this time. I covered the hole back up with the two tin shields and hopefully I will have better luck next time. Annmarie and her brother, Matt, have both seen a badger up on the hillside. If I have a badger, I am going to have a hard time catching it with a trap. I may have to smoke it out, but that is gonna cause a whole new set of problems. I will keep trying this for a few days. Maybe, I will just irritate whatever is living under the coop enough that it will go away.
I have also started marking the chicken coop outside fence as mine. Using the age old animal technique understood by all creatures, I pee on it. This sounds like a simple procedure but I have an electric fence running around the outside of the fence, so you do have to pay attention or you will pay the price for your inattention.
Doom, artistic photograph.
Stewart Creek Somethings 