I am curious as to what critter is doing this.

Attachment 422587

This log is about 18 to 20 inches across. The spot torn open is 10 to 12 feet long. There are several more just like it on that hillside. The terrain is steep enough you crawl up instead of walk. I have not noticed it being torn open until yesterday. Whatever it is I guess are after the grubs. There have been bears in the area in the recent past. I will have to keep an eye on it. It is about 30 yards from the chicken coop. I haven't seen anything disturbed around it yet.

Any water nearby?

Wet weather spring between it and where I took the photo

Could be possum or armadillo too. They'll be looking for grubs, carpenter ants, or termites in dead logs such as this.

I considered that. 10 foot of it got ripped open overnight. Very few armadillos up this way. I keep the skunks thinned out when they start messing with the chickens

Do you have any porcupines in the area? They can be demons on tree bark, both standing and fallen.

Never seen any. I may have to stick a game camera out there to see what is coming around

Armadillos. They can tear an area up looking for grubs.

Pileated Woodpeckers can flat wear out a downed rotten log as well looking for big black Carpenter Ants, and leave very few tracks :biggrin

I thought Pileated also but he said some of it happened overnight. Here a porcupine would be a suspect.

Pileated woodpeckers my guess, too.

if it happened overnight wouldn't be a pecker as arn't night fliers. bear or armidillo and only way to know for sure is game camera.

:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn

Raccoon

I was thinking Skunk. They are mating and out digging for grubs an such. :dono

Sasquatch :yikes

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silverside

Sasquatch :yikes

---

:yikes:yikes
If the wife reads this she won't be walking the dogs after dark ever again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I was thinking Skunk. They are mating and out digging for grubs an such. :dono

---

They will be pretty easy to trap out if they mess with the chickens.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

<snip>Very few armadillos up this way.<snip>

---

North of you in the LBL is lousy with armadillos. I'm on the west side of Kentucky Lake and we have them dead on the side of the road in Benton KY. I've only seen one alive, and that was in the LBL. Numerous carcasses on the road side about this time of year.

I guess I’m confused as I thought you were talking about the ground next to the log lol. :dono

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DrNip

I’m confused are we talking about the tree or the ground? :dono

---

The rotted log

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clint

North of you in the LBL is lousy with armadillos. I'm on the west side of Kentucky Lake and we have them dead on the side of the road in Benton KY. I've only seen one alive, and that was in the LBL. Numerous carcasses on the road side about this time of year.

---

I grew up in South Alabama. As kids we would put beer cans or bottles in the front paws of the dead ones on the side of the road. Always good for a laugh. I have seen one dead on the side of the road here. Haven't seen any of their telltale diggings in the yard or field

Attachment 422737

You be real careful messing with them armadillos. Do not come in contact with their undersides as they are known carriers of the bacteria that causes leprosy. No, not all of them but enough of them to give you pause. Learned about this after playing with a baby that was nesting underneath the neighbor’s deck. All my fingers fell off.

Well they could have and I am sticking with the woodpecker. I have seen them destroy a rotted log. I also saw where they got on my porch and started to destroy the rafters looking for grubs. I would have bought him some grubs had I known what they were willing to do to pressure treated 2x6s.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Micanopy

You be real careful messing with them armadillos. Do not come in contact with their undersides as they are known carriers of the bacteria that causes leprosy. No, not all of them but enough of them to give you pause. Learned about this after playing with a baby that was nesting underneath the neighbor’s deck. All my fingers fell off.

Well they could have and I am sticking with the woodpecker. I have seen them destroy a rotted log. I also saw where they got on my porch and started to destroy the rafters looking for grubs. I would have bought him some grubs had I known what they were willing to do to pressure treated 2x6s.

---

Surely the grubs would have been cheaper considering the price of lumber lately

Game Camera. That would be cool. Might even get a pic of Big Feets.

Game camera and a shotgun ready. I'm with Slab on this one.

chupacabra for sure , they forage for snakes in the logs just like that .....:cheers2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ketchn

chupacabra for sure , they forage for snakes in the logs just like that .....:cheers2

---

Wife reads this and she will want a Swat Team and stadium lighting to walk the dogs:Rofl

smoke-wolf

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jay the baptist

smoke-wolf

---

I have never heard of that one. A quick search and I found plenty. Gives me something to watch at lunch

h$%l yeah!

That smoke wolf looks like your local chupacabra.

Might be a rougarou(sp). They might have moved up to TN from LA after Hurricane Ida?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tnduxcaller

Might be a rougarou(sp). They might have moved up to TN from LA after Hurricane Ida?

---

That one I have heard of. Lots of migration up this way from down there