Geese live among one another just fine, there may be a pecking order among them, but they usually live in harmony.

These animals don’t have the best reputation, they are known to be quite mean and can do some damage if they attack you. But in the wild, there is always a bigger and meaner predator lurking around. So, do raccoons eat geese? This article looks into it 

Raccoons do eat geese, goose meat is a good source of protein, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. The bird may put up a fight when being attacked by a raccoon but the raccoons strong and sharp claws will overpower the animal 

Do raccoons eat geese?

Raccoons are known for their ability to eat anything and everything, well almost anything and everything. These animals will eat fresh fruits and vegetables and they will scratch through your garbage looking for food as well.

They are omnivores, they eat both plant and animal matter, they eat a variety of meats namely, fish, reptiles amphibians, rodents, poultry, and even geese 

How raccoons hunt and kill geese:

When raccoons are awake, their main objective is to look for any available food sources. If they can, the raccoon will catch and eat a goose.

The main nutrient present in goose meat is protein, protein is an essential nutrient needed for cell regeneration and the development of body tissue.  This meat is also a great source of riboflavin, iron, and vitamin B6. 

Geese use their ability to fly as a defense mechanism, if the goose sees the raccoon in good time, it will fly to safety. If it doesn’t, the raccoon will take it as a meal. 

The best time for raccoons to hunt geese is during the molting season, during this time, a goose will lose all of its flight feathers at once, which renders them unable to fly. Raccoons take advantage of this and are more likely to catch these birds at this time

Another defense mechanism that geese have against predators is their large size and the loud noises they make. This is especially effective when the birds are in groups.

In some cases, the goose will fight the raccoon, these birds are known to be very mean and aggressive when attacking and can even break human bones when attacking humans.

Geese are excellent at protecting themselves and will fight to the death if a raccoon attacks them, especially if the bird is protecting its young 

All this can deter raccoons from trying to attack geese. Raccoons may have strong and sharp claws and teeth, that can kill a goose quickly, but raccoons still prefer to conserve energy when looking for food.

If the raccoon finds something easier to eat then it will likely eat the easier to eat food. Raccoons will only put up a fight if they have nothing else to eat 

Will raccoons eat baby geese?

Raccoons will definitely eat baby geese, these tiny animals are much less aggressive than adult birds and will put up less of a fight when being attacked.

If a baby goose is left alone the raccoon will definitely take the opportunity to attack and eat it. 

However, if the adult goose is nearby, it will attack the raccoon in an attempt to protect its young. Geese are fiercely protective of their young 

What animals will eat a goose? 

Geese have quite a number of predators, these birds are big-bodied animals that make a great meal for a variety of animals. Some animals are not a threat to geese but others can seriously harm them. Animals that eat geese include: 

Humans:

We humans are major goose predators, humans hunt geese and use the bird for its meat and feathers 

Cats:

These animals may be cute pets to us but they are predators to geese and to a variety of other animals. Domesticated cats are usually well fed and do not need to kill geese but feral cats need to kill to survive and will kill geese to get a meal 

Other animals:

Other animals that eat geese include hawks, eagles, wolves, coyotes, foxes, lynx, eagles, weasels, and alligators 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, yes raccoons do eat geese.

Geese are not very friendly animals, they will attack both humans and raccoons. Still, raccoons will hunt and eat these animals especially if they are hungry and desperate enough 

Other animals that eat geese include: humans, cats, hawks, eagles, wolves, coyotes, foxes, lynx, eagles, weasels, and alligators

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other raccoon related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Do raccoons eat grasshoppers?, Do raccoons eat groundhogs?, Do raccoons eat green tomatoes?, Do raccoons eat geraniums?