I don't know if raccoons like thistle, but they're a possible culprit. Also, some dogs love thistle, so if it was low enough, could be a dog snatched it for a snack. Either one could have dragged it off.

Squirrel or deer...they've raided mine in the past.

Hi again Jill :-)

Well our yard is fenced, so I would doubt we had a dog get in the yard, so maybe a raccoon. We have seen possum around here and squirrels but that is about it besides the birds. Oh except for skunks once in awhile. Haven't seen a raccoon in this neighborhood.

So hannah, have you seen the deer or squirrel get into yours? No deer around here, we are very urban/suburban and no natural areas near by. Plenty of squirrels that do make pests of themselves.

So what did you do? Did you put another sock full of thistle up?

Adam

Coons

Grey squirrels are wild about it, at least under some conditions (lack of other resources?)!
Last year, I had to helplessly watch one completely destroy my plastic thistle feeder, then spend almost half an hour eating or stuffing its neck with the seed...

I finally stopped hanging the sock feeders altogether.
I now mix in the thistle with my BOS & Safflower seed...put'm in my baffled feeder...no more problems.

Thanks for the input. I guess I won't know unless I try to put one up again and actually see them try to take it. I imagine that now that they have taken it once, they will be looking for it. We have a lot of grey squirrels. I would just be surprised because it has been up for months and they have ignored it, and I can't imagine them dragging it somewhere, I didn't find the empty sock anywhere, and it is white and would be noticable.

I can see the squirrel nest in a London Plane Tree in the next yard and often see the squirrels on their way along the back fence up the tree.

Too bad, the golden finches were SO enjoying the thistle. I haven't seen them since the thistle is gone. If I mix it in with the sunflower seed, will that still attract them? What is BOS?

Adam

BOSS is black oil sunflower seeds. My greys have never touched my thistle, or at least, they stop gnawing on the feeder once they figure out what's inside. Get a good quality tube thistle feeder with metal ports from someplace like Duncraft and the goldies will be happy again :)

I took it. and my birds are getting hungry again, please put out another.

I had squirrels run off with my thistle feeders AND my suet feeders- found the basket a week later when I went to mow the lawn. As frustrating as they can be, ya gotta love 'em- they really provide so much entertainment.