Who Killed Ma Hen?

[Duke0002]

Hmm... hawk, or as stated an owl? Probably a combo of 2 or 3 things. Scavengers like buzzards or raccoons may have dined last. I know house cats will start in with breast meat.

Maybe Abby from NCIS can test for predator/scavenger DNA?

[BigGobbler]

She is one of the many hens that die each year from male turkey sex harassment.

[turkey junky]

yes charlie i think you are on to something with the hole owl thing!!! i have had great horned owls attack eat & kill mature peacocks so i know great horned owls can & will kills turkeys... as for a barred im not sure if the get mature hens or not but id assume they do kill they on a regular basis especially when there are poults around... ive seen owls sit n write next to a chicken or peacocks damn near its same size at nite & just try to figure out how they are going to kill &eat this bird next to them so??? id say owl did it they are pure killers
funny scavengers didnt tear it up thow...???

[charlie elk]

as for a barred im not sure if the get mature hens or not but id assume they do kill they on a regular basis especially when there are poults around

About 20 years ago MNDNR did a turkey predation study and found barred owls their #1 predator. The woods here is full of barred owls. While sitting in tree stands bow hunting as the woods grows dark I've seen these owls come out to feed. They go after rabbits, squirrels and small coons. After watching them kill coons I have no doubt they can kill and consume a turkey.
Perhaps no scavengers ate the remains because the owls sat over it a night as a sort of bait? Eating the scavengers as they appeared?

[Gopherlongbeards]

The woods here is full of barred owls.

Isn't that the truth. The first morning I ever I hunted in SE MN I was convinced the hunting pressure was insanely high due to all the owl hooting "hunters" I could hear before sunrise lol.

[turkey junky]

good to know charlieid bet that was the cause of death for sure... as i seen the same as gopherlongbeards mentioned happen to me this season in SE MN but i knew they were real owls 3 times at least this past season i owl hooted up barred owls actually 1 was sit n in a tree 30 yrds from my cousin & i when he shot a coyote dead while we were out turkey hunting im sure i scared the hell out of that owl!!! i know owls & hawks take many poults each season they are fierce hunters!!!