My porch pirate

[PTmowerMech]

So a month or so ago, I mixed up some egg and milk to batter my chicken. I gave the cat all she wanted then put the bowl on the front porch. I leave scraps out there and it's always gone the next morning.
Well, I didn't even notice that my bowl was gone for a couple of weeks when I repeated that with another bowl from the same set. The next morning, that bowl was gone.

It's a varmint for sure, because it now leaves a turd on the front porch.
Today I was walking about the old sawmill that's just over my back fence when I ran across the bigger bowl. But still no sign of the first one.
I asked the ladies in the office next door and they said they've seen a fox coming around. And there are some dogs that live about 1/4 mile down the road. But I can't see a dog taking a bowl it just licked clean.

Judging by the "gift" it leaves me, I'm guessing it's not very big. But for the life of me, I can't figure out what would take the bowl and all. Coons are pretty crafty because they have thumbs. But
So I'm taking guesses on what this could be. The only clue is the gift. It's about the size of what a cat would leave.

Coon
Possum
Fox
Or something else.

BTW, it eats everything. Beans, bones, gravy, bread, you name it. It's always completely gone.

 

[7394]

I'm leaning towards a coon or coons.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Dogs will eat in place but foxes usually take the food back to their den or hiding place
We just cut up a tree that fell down in the floods, must have been 100kg of old bones around the two fox dens

 

[PTmowerMech]

Dogs will eat in place but foxes usually take the food back to their den or hiding place
We just cut up a tree that fell down in the floods, must have been 100kg of old bones around the two fox dens

I don't know much about foxes. If they take food back to their den that would make sense. Especially if there's more than they can eat. But taking the bowl too?

I went out just a few minutes ago and seen two what could've been foxes. They were coming towards the house from the office next door. But as soon as they spotted me, they were gone in a flash.
My ribs were just coming out of the oven, so I put the pan with the juice still in it on the porch, with a couple of bones.

I'm trying to get my camera back up.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Finally got it back up. Hopefully the motion sensor works. Would like to get a close up of what ever it is.

 

[MParr]

Fox or raccoon.
Red Foxes are known to have their dens close to humans. They do this for security against coyotes. Red Fox dens are commonly found underground. We had some around our house last year.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Fox or raccoon.
Red Foxes are known to have their dens close to humans. They do this for security against coyotes. Red Fox dens are commonly found underground. We had some around our house last year.

I'm thinking it was foxes. Last night on the cam, I spotted 2 sets of eyes gleaming. They were very interested in the smell coming from the front porch. But the light on the cam I think kept them at bay.
They were small and very quick. Too quick for a coon.

 

[7394]

Might be foxes ?

 

[MParr]

The movements are characteristic of foxes.

 

[PTmowerMech]

The movements are characteristic of foxes.

Today I got on the mower and road around the edge of the sawmill property, looking for my lost bowl, and got to see one of them.
It's a bit grainy. But it was a 100yds away and pretty small. If I'm not mistaken, it's sticking it's tongue out at me.