A shot fox.
Mrs B & I were passing a field which several kites were fussing about in. She wanted to see what they were interested in. No crop to trample, so we wandered over. The carcass of a large bird, with patches of feathers scattered across a wide area - & about 50 metres away from the main piece of the carcass, a dead fox. Looked fresh, but rigor mortis had set in. A hole, from which it had bled onto the ground, suggesting it had died where it lay, on the lower side. May have been a smaller hole in the opposite side. Didn't get a chance to part the fur & confirm it before we were interrupted. Entry & exit wounds? Have to be a small-calibre weapon.
While we were looking, a Land Rover drove up. It had come from some distance away, apparently from farm buildings about a km away. Drove straight across the field to us, & the driver told us (fairly politely) that there was no footpath in this field. I said we'd been curious about the kites, & saw there was no crop so thought we'd do no harm. He said it was about pheasants, not just crops, & I said OK, we're just going. As soon as we were on our way, he drove off back the way he'd come. Odd-looking fellow. Expressionless face, dead-looking eyes. Gave Mrs B the creeps.
We were wondering about scenarios. A carcass of a large bird in a field, with a shot fox nearby - bait? Someone watching & waiting, last night? What could it have been shot with?
Carcass next to Mrs B. Any ideas what it was?
