Ducks nest destroyed by ???

[Kessler]

I have some white Muscovy ducks and one of them started a nest in the bottom of three old car tires I had stacked atop one another. She had 3 or 4 eggs in the nest and I had an artificial solid duck egg in amongst her real eggs. She had pulled feathers and made quite a nice cozy nest in the bottom of the tire stack. This morning she came to me as soon as I went out and I checked her nest and it was totally destroyed and ALL eggs gone, even the fake egg was gone. Now the duck wasn't harmed and she no doubt was on the nest when the intruder visited so I am thinking a rat snake, but normally rat snakes would eat the eggs and stay put for awhile. If it was a snake, it'll have a hell of time digesting the fake egg! Now, we have raccoons, opossums, foxes and bobcats, but I would think they would have killed or at least attacked the duck. So, what do y'all think?

I did set a large live trap next to the tires and baited it with two eggs from the fridge, but don't expect too much luck, but we'll see. If a snake gets in there and eats those two eggs, it will not get out because the eggs inside the snake will make it impossible for the snake to go out the welded wire trap. If it is a snake, it is probably holed up somewhere digesting those other eggs and won't be seen for awhile, maybe never seen if it ate that solid egg!

[airdrop]

sounds like a snake if no egg parts were left . I think they can constrict and break the eggs inside of them so it might be back

[bw2014]

Kess. I've had coons take every egg but leave the mom before. they always come back. add a little tuna to the trap. if its a coon you'll have it tonight!