Wonder what this Coyote has in its mouth?

I can't really tell from the video (even full screen) if the object on the right is a 'tail' a 'wing' or something else.

It is clearly dark colored and of some size.

No houses around for about 2 miles. No Wild Turkeys in our area (that I've seen in the past 15 yrs).

We have Calves on the property but not back in this area. The area the Coyote is coming from is heavily wooded with Pines and Hardwood mix.

What he is running though is a small area back in the woods that I have cleared off, but otherwise it is very thick back there....if that helps any.

There is an automatic feeder nearby and I have a lot of raccoons visiting it day and night right now....but I would think a raccoon would put up a pretty good fight?

Looks like it could be a squirrel....but when I went to full screen on computer it did not look right. How about mink?

No Mink in our area.

A dark colored Fox Squirrel (we have those here) is a possibility I suppose....but it seems rather large for that.

Maybe a feral cat?

Hadn't thought about that.

Never seen one back there in the woods, but possible.

Usually stray/ferals are up around our barns and outbuildings a mile or so away.

As skinny as the yote is, and the ease with which he's carrying the object, it's got to be pretty light. Could be the wing of a large bird; a piece of a larger carcass that he has run off with, or the hind quarters of a 'coon, feral cat or big squirrel.

Squirrel

I've seen a cat in the middle of nowhere in Zimbabwe, scaring elephants, that's right, elephants. I vote feral cat.

Speaking of black feral cats...anyone else heard of the superstition that if a black cat crosses your path, you're supposed to get out of your car (if you're in one), throw your hat on the ground, spit in it, and walk around it 3 times? Old juju stuff from some old family "friends"; 'don't ask me.

I turn around and go another way

Thick tail juvenile coon

Just a guess but I'd put my money on a crow.

I’d go with squirrel because the tail looks bushy

When I play it back full screen....I'm inclined to think it is a wing and not a tail, but can't be certain.

Crow would be the right size, color and weight and we have a mess of them around the corn feeder each day (coons and squirrels too).

yeah that is a pretty thick tail... i'm with Hudbone

IF a raccoon, do you think we might see more evidence of a banded tail (even juveniles have this) or maybe the video just doesn't show it well?

I have no idea.

Young raccoon or possibly a skunk?

coon i thinks

My first impression too seeing the face sort of.

Could be. It's the right time of the morning. I have a group of 7 raccoons that are visiting that feeder in the morning and again right at dark everyday. There are three younger (but not baby) coons in the group. I guess I'll look at the game cam cards in a few days and take a count.

The Coyote is coming from a different direction than the feeder is. But perhaps ambushed the family on their way to the feeder....IDK.

It really doesn't matter that much to me....what it is, just curious what others thought. I can see it being several things.

In the end...Coyotes manage to find something to eat. This Coyote is a fairly young one. MUCH smaller than our normal adult/mature Coyotes.

Looks like a wing flaps when running It slow mo. I say crow.

Don’t think it’s wing, looks more like a tail.

The other reason I mentioned crow is, just this week, I had a juvenile crow fall out of the crappy crow nest in a tree in my front yard. It's wings were quite large, but it was a day or so from being ready to fly. Easy coyote bait.

X2

When I run the video back full screen on slo mo....the object bounces up and down and at one point appears 'thinner' making me think it is a 'wing'. It also is more rigid looking than I would expect a tail to be, but who knows.

I'm probably spending way too much time on this. Just curious what it might have been.