‘Mystery Predator’ Caught on Camera Attacking Deer in Wilmington, NY

Maybe one of our many Hudson Valley outdoor enthusiasts can help the DEC figure out what animal was stalking its prey in Upstate, New York.

Yes, we know. New York State is no stranger to wildlife. We have bears, deer, snakes, owls, bobcats, sometimes a moose will wander into town and we've even had Bigfoot sightings, that counts as wildlife, right? But every once in a while an animal shows up on a trail cam that even has the pros scratching their head.

Mystery Predator Caught on Camera in Upstate, NY

The DEC shared a trail cam video from a driveway in Wilmington, NY that caught and intense kill on camera. They write on Facebook:

It is not every day that a predator kills a deer in somebody’s driveway, but that’s exactly what happened to a resident in Wilmington, NY last week. The incident was reported to DEC wildlife, with an eye-witness description of the event and the mystery predator.

When the Department of Environmental Conservation saw the original video, they immediately sent one of their wildlife biologists to collect evidence from the area. The biologist also went to the scene of the attack in hopes of the predator coming back. Take a look at the video below:

Help the DEC Crack the Case of the Wilmington, NY Mystery Predator

The DEC is reporting that the predator did in fact return to the scene of the crime and the biologist got some excellent pictures that help identify what it is. They will reveal the final answer on their Facebook page but are leaving it up to DEC followers to try and figure out the mystery predator in the meantime.

Here are a few hints:

• The deer was a young female, approximately 80-100 lbs. – there aren’t many predators in the Adirondacks big enough to take down prey that size.
• The right front shoulder and the rump were fed upon.
• There was a spot on the lower part of the neck, right behind the jaw, that was damaged by the predator during the attack.
• The predator attempted to cover or “cache” the carcass, leaving scrape marks from its paws in the dirt around the deer’s head.

Personally, I think it's a mountain lion! And I swear on everything that a mountain lion actually ran out in front of my car on Route 9 heading towards Rhinebeck.

But what do I know!? We want to hear from you. What do you think this "mystery predator" is? Keep a close eye on The New York State DEC social media for an answer soon!