Something killing calves

[BTDT]

My friend has had 2 calves killed and no one seems to know what is getting them, so I thought I would throw it out here to see if anyone has experienced the same.
1st calf - Born during night, found the next morning with no cow around. Had a opening between the navel and scrotum where all the guts had been eaten.  No external scratches, bites, etc. 
2nd calf - Born during day. Tagged, etc.  following day, found dead with similar entry point as previous calf. Torn open between navel and scrotum. Anus also hollowed out.  Did a rough autopsy and found the windpipe crushed and lots of blood clot injury internally in neck area. A few bites out of hip, but not eaten
A bordering neighbor had sheep several years ago and had similar kills and never did find out what the predator was.

Located in Midwest near a river. 
Dogs?  Seems like there would be more tracks and injury to calf
Coyotes?  Again, seems like there would be more external injury and more muscle eaten
Foxes?
Badger? Not common around here but possible
Eagles?  They are everywhere here, but do they kill in such a fashion
Any other ideas?

Thanks

 

[frostback]

Anyway you could leave the carcass out and get a hunting motion camera and see what comes back to it? It doesn't sound like a bird if there is that much trauma to the neck. That has to be a big predator. Do you have cats in the area?

 

[LLBUX]

You can skin back the neck on the one with the crushed windpipe and see distance between fang marks.  Will help indicate size and possibly species of the predator.

Any grass or sticks covering the carcass?  If so , it is a cat.

Was either carcass moved?

Was the first calf licked off or was it born dead?

I'd go with several game cameras in the area.

 

[oakview]

I have not been able to calve in the pasture for several years.  I lost calves in a similar manner and attributed it to the extreme number of coyotes in the area.  They don't bother the calves in the lots near the barn or in the shed, but they don't last long in the pasture if they're not old enough to follow the cows.  The coyotes seem to have multiplied along with the deer population around here.

 

[Steve123]

Don't know where you are located but in Nebraska we are seeing Mountain Lions in places we haven't before.
http://journalstar.com/news/local/deputy-confirms-mountain-lion-sighting-near-wahoo/article_b082ac83-0b0d-5624-8f03-84341d59b552.html

Wahoo, NE is about 30 miles west of Omaha.

 

[Davidsonranch]

As a government trapper I have some ideas.  I agree to actually skin the neck out and see if there are fang marks and give me the info.
Another question.  Did the calves have their eyes still in tack?  I'm going to pass on a very important piece of info to all cattlemen and I'm currently helping with a study here in Oregon.  One of the biggest killers of calves is CROW and RAVENS.  They will swoop down on a fresh calf and start picking their eyes out or penetrating naval area and anus to the point where calf dies due to stress or actual trauma.  Then coyotes and foxes move in as scavenger (THE COYOTES AND FOXES THEN GET THE BLAME). 

Small holes around navel and anus would suggest more of a fox.  And a fox is not going to kill a calf.  The one calf was either dead right off the bat and then the holes were from birds and fox after death.  The other live calf it could be a lot of things.  But most likely dog or coyote.  A cougar will IMMEDIATELY move their kills to a safe place.  They usually eat the premo parts first (Heart, liver, lungs) and then move to the hind quarters.  Coyotes usually are so think in most areas, it's a free for all and they eat what they can as fast as they can.  I live in SE Oregon / NW Nevada and we have some of the biggest bobcats in the world.  I have never seen a bobcat touch a calf.  NEVER. 

So I believe you have a rouge dog around.  Or a large Midwest coyote.  I am leaning toward a dog who is killing because it was fun.  He then goes home or runs off and the local small scavengers are making the holes you report. 

Pics would be more helpful.

 

[RankeCattleCo]

Depending on where you live and what species the culprit is you may be able to hunt it.

 

[knabe]

last year saw a bald eagle munching on a calf.  claw marks on it's neck.  calf was about 150lbs.

 

[chambero]

I vote coyote because the entrails are the most nutritious part of a newborn (not much muscle at that age) and they are hungry for fat coming out of winter.

A cat would have drug it off.

 

[paj315]

My experience around here is coyotes. Most are fairly newborn with the guts eaten out first. then they come back later for the remains .

 

[hamburgman]

Had something similar happen.  DNR thought it was a bobcat according to the marks on the back.  Eaten the same way you have described.

 

[Davidsonranch]

Not a bobcat, nothing about the description even remotely sounds like thier kills.  They like a lion, always go for upper chest area guts (heart, lungs) first.  They never eat the butt hole out until very, very last if at all.  And in 20+ years as a state trapper, have never had a bobcat kill a calf.  We have 30-40 pound bobcats out here in the high desert.  Midwest you would be luck to have a 20 pound bobcat.  Of course there is always a first time for everything.
Without pics, I'm still going to say rogue dog that killed for fun and then owners are seeing the natural process of scavengers, coyotes, fox, crows, ravens, buzzards, etc.
Coyote is most likely the culprit.  But if a coyote, there must not be very many in the area.  In my neck of the woods if a coyote makes a kill, there is seldom anything left within hours.

Another question for owner. Did they immediately remove the kills both days?  If they left the kills in the field and the culprit kept killing something new each day could help solve the mistery.  Coyotes are animals of opportunity.  If they killed a calf, ate a belly full and there was some left, they will go eat the rest the next day instead of exhausting energy and risk of a new kill.  If owner removed the kill, then they would go for a new kill.  If owner left kill in field and new calf was killed, my vote then goes to domestic dog.  Had a case like this last year where a big german shepard dog was doing out and killing sheep about 5 per night.  I got called out because of the "damn coyotes" - Surprise!

 

[hamburgman]

Missed the butthole part. 

Davidsonrach, the calf that I saw had the description you are talking about, so thanks for the info.  I agree now it sounds like coyotes or maybe a dog.  Have you had to deal with roaming wild dog packs?  I know from experience they can be way worse than coyotes because they "play" many times and don't kill that many.

 

[BTDT]

Thanks for all the replies. I will try and answer the questions:

The owner moved, but did not remove the dead calves from the area (if I recall, just took them further into a ditch), but nothing has bothered them since. 
No animal tracks were seen around the area of the kill.
No sticks or grass on killed calf.
Owner did sit out for about 3 hours in the pasture around the area the calves were killed, and saw 2 coyotes.  Coyotes are common around here, but usually do not kill cattle or sheep.  He was going to eradicate those coyotes and hopefully that solves the problem.
They also live near a town (2 miles) and have had to make several dogs disappear in the past.
No fang marks were seen, but then again, the knife skills were lacking.
Rumor has it that there have been mountain lion sightings, but no "proof".
First calf was cleaned off, but unknown if alive when born (they didn't do the "lung test")

Thanks everyone.

 

[Davidsonranch]

Hamburgerman,
I have not dealt with any wild dog pack to speak of, just the few mutts here and there that all of the meth heads have dumped out in the woods or desert when they cant afford to feed them.  The few running around together are usually quickly dispatched by local ranchers.  We are so remote and tiny we don't have animal control.
That's why I asked about moving the calves.  Usually if you find a lot of dead stuff and not a lot of eating on them, you have problem dogs.

Remember when the end of the world ever comes there will be two creatures that survive; Cockroaches and Coyotes.  So I would not hesitate to take them two coyotes out. 
Good luck!

 

[RyanChandler]

Depending on where you live and what species the culprit is you may be able to hunt it.

On your property, any animal that is posing a risk to your livestock is fair game-

 

[Davidsonranch]

Here in SE Oregon when I get a damage complaint (Lets say cougar) the "victim" has to clearly tell Fish and Wildlife they had livestock damage.  If the cougar ate their cat or their jack russell they don't count it as damage.  In our small community, most people have learned to tell F&W, "A cougar ate my cat, and ohhh ya, one of my chickens too".  Luckily our F&W guy is awesome.  But when he retires we will probably get some liberal guy or gal who wont be as cooperative.