La Pine resident says cougar killed 25 of his chickens; ODFW suspects coyote

(Update: Adding video, comments by couple, ODFW biologist)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Rocky Wenrick, a La Pine resident, says something has been killing his chickens for the past month, and he suspects it's a cougar.

"It ran off with a chicken in its mouth and it stopped 25 feet behind my house," Wenrick said Tuesday.

Wenrick first spotted what he believes was a cougar about a month and a half ago behind his home on Sparks Road.

Wenrick claims he's lost about 25 chickens to the animal.

"I’m worried, because there's children playing out here, there's people out here, and everybody has pets. And," pausing with emotion, "I don't want to see somebody get hurt."

Wenrick said he has called in multiple reports about the cougar sighting to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

ODFW was out at his property Tuesday afternoon to investigate.

Randy Lewis, a wildlife biologist with ODFW in Bend, said when the department receives calls about potential cougar sightings, they ask a lot of questions.

"If it’s gone after chickens or other livestock or something, is there any other evidence with that, maybe injuries? What happened to the livestock? Was it carried away?"

Depending on the information they receive, they make the decision whether or not to further assess the scene.

"And sometimes it will be some other kind of species like a bobcat, coyote, neighbor’s dog, or something like that," Lewis said.

ODFW did not confirm that the animal Wenrick has reported seeing is a cougar, but said coyote tracks were found near his home.

Not knowing what the animal could be concerned Jessica, Wenrick’s wife.

She said she woke up one morning and found some animal had made its way into their chicken shed.

"It was bloody, it was bad. There were feathers everywhere, chickens heads off, completely cleaned off," she said.

If ODFW had found evidence of a cougar sighting, the next step would be to put up a warning notice, and notify neighbors.