I feel so bad.....

[Mobydick]

My nieghbors dog was..............., how do I say it, ........... eaten! I feel bad because I couldn't help. It was at 11:00 p.m. tonight. They were working in the garage. Theres a field next to the house that borders a ridge, I live on the other side of the ridge. They have 2 full grown boxers, and they leave them in the field to chase away rabbits, coons, possums, etc. Well, the one dog got into it with something else, couldn't have been the other dog because it was tied up. The fight lasted only maybe 20 seconds. The dog was growling and all, then we heard a yip, then a couple more, then it was quiet. The guys in the garage come out through the field as quick as they could, but the dog was already gone, dead. It wasn't pretty either. I just feel so bad because I couldn't help. I coulda done something. We think it was a mountain lion, they been killing calves, sheep, and other animals around the area. Tommorrow morning the hunt begins. Once a mountain lion is sighted around here, it is hunted. I'll be in the woods at 6:00 a.m. seeking revenge.  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

[Hookemdown.]

Be safe on your journey.  Let's just be thankful that it was just a dog that was killed.

[fishbear]

Cougar encounters are increasing every year.  Unfortunately, they sometimes figure out that domestic animals or children make easy prey.

Once that happens, the cougar needs to be hunted and destroyed.

They outlawed using dogs to hunt cougar in Washington State a few years ago.  Now the very people that voted for this law, are whining because "Buffy" is getting invited to dinner... :o  as the main dish.

[luckyinkentucky]

You'd better check with your local Wildlife resources before you kill it.  Mountain lions and cougars are on the protected list in some states.    That's the last thing you need is to have to appear in court over killing a protected animal.  

No offense meant at all, and take this lightly because I am not trying to offend you or anyone else.  But, I have a few questions for you.  First, what makes you think it was a mountain lion.  Next, what makes you think you can track and kill a mountain lion?  

The reason I ask this is because I am a wildlife biologist, and I know what these animals are capable of.  They are capable of a full on charge of 25+ miles an hour, and the next thing you know you have your throat ripped out or are bleeding from 2 inch deep cuts in your face or sides!  

These animals are not to be taken lightly.  With cougars YOU are food, and that puts you right at the bottom of the food chain.  Imagine a cat that an weigh as much as 150 pounds, and span a full 8 ft. long from nose to hind quarters.  

Although, it is highly unlikely that you would even find a cougar in a days time.  They hunt anywhere from a 20 to 50 mile radius in a weeks time.  

Do your research, and after that consider all of your options.  It was Sun Tzu who said "Know your enemy!"  You can't go into a cougar hunt without ever doing it, or you could easily become dinner for the kitties.   ;D  These animals are as likely to track you after you think you have started tracking them.  They are equally as dangerous as Kodiak or Grizzly bears.  

[Mobydick]

We understand them a good bit. We've been hunting mountain lions and coyotes a lot lately, they need killed off. They have killed more livestock than anything else this year.

[Tin]

I would let you states Department of Wildlife or Environmental Management deal with the issue. Or, atleast get info you need from them, and go from there.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

That's not how it works in some parts of the country Tin.  Some farms and ranches are 1/2 the size of our state and it's up to the owner to protect his assets (livestock,etc)  They need to familiarize themselves with the laws first of course, but usually, it's up to them to act within it and deal with the issue first hand.

[fishfordollars]

We have lots of cougar siteings even around the Houston area(to the NE and SE areas). It is amazing that the encounters are not more often. Sorry to hear about your dog. I too would have been hunting whatever got my dog. Good hunting.

[Tin]

That's not how it works in some parts of the country Tin. Some farms and ranches are 1/2 the size of our state and it's up to the owner to protect his assets (livestock,etc) They need to familiarize themselves with the laws first of course, but usually, it's up to them to act within it and deal with the issue first hand.

Then do what you gots to do Moby

[Pond Hopper]

Agree that you have to protect your livestock, although cougars are not protected here and I would love to have an encounter, as long as I was armed and ready

[Micro]

Cougars haven't been hunted enough in enough areas.   They've lost their fear of man and being close to man.   Some need to be killed.  

[RobbyZ5001]

I learned quite a bit about mountain lions in PA. I had a course on wildlife I have talked to the director of wildlife for the state. The government wont admit to having mountain lions in PA. There is a rumor that Penn State released some. There is no definite evidence that there are mountain lions breeding in PA. This has been researched for years and years by many people including my professor. They are allowed to be hunted. If you see one send me a picture my professor will get a kick out of it because he wont believe it otherwise.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Agree that you have to protect your livestock, although cougars are not protected here and I would love to have an encounter, as long as I was armed and ready

Not me man, I have a house cat that shreds my arm when we play fight and she's only playing.  I couldn't imagine what she could do if she weighed 150 lbs.

[luckyinkentucky]

Agree that you have to protect your livestock, although cougars are not protected here and I would love to have an encounter, as long as I was armed and ready

I doubt you really mean that since the only 'encounter' most people have with cougars is when they've already pounced on them from a ledge above.  Like I stated earlier .... unless you know how to hunt them don't do it.  These are animals that have survived for thousands of years by their ability to elude and evade humans.  

Then their is the fact that they are descendants of the saber toothed tiger family.  We've all seen artist's depictions of how many early humans it took to take one of those bad boys down.  

If you hear either of these two sounds then you'd better be a praying man.   ;D

http://www.sound-effect.com/sounds1/animal/BigCats/cougar7.wav

http://www.sound-effect.com/sounds1/animal/BigCats/cougar.wav

[luckyinkentucky]

Cougars haven't been hunted enough in enough areas.   They've lost their fear of man and being close to man.   Some need to be killed.  

: : :

That's just about the most silly thing I've heard all week.  

First of all Cougars have never been fearful of humans.  That's about like saying a Tiger Shark should be scared of us if we get in the water.    

The problem is that us humans have started pouring into their homes.  Not the other way around.  We as humans think we need to own or occupy every piece of land on the continent, and that is our problem.  It's our own arrogance that gets us into these situations to begin with.  

The animals are only doing what comes naturally to them.  That's why they are at the top of the food chain.   Most humans think that just because an animal is stronger than them that they need to 'kill it'.   :-?

Think of the rationality behind that for a second.  Fear drives out emotions as humans!  

[Micro]

That's just about the most silly thing I've heard all week.

First of all Cougars have never been fearful of humans. That's about like saying a Tiger Shark should be scared of us if we get in the water.

Nonsense. When there is hunting pressure on a particular animal, it learns to avoid humans. When there isn't, especially for generation after generation (like with mountain lions in some areas) they lose their fear of humans and sometimes begin to associate humans with prey.

The problem is that us humans have started pouring into their homes. Not the other way around. We as humans think we need to own or occupy every piece of land on the continent, and that is our problem. It's our own arrogance that gets us into these situations to begin with.

That started in the ice age, and it ain't going to stop. The simple fact is is that large predators and residential areas are incompatible. As sympatheic as cute mountain lions can be, property owners and ranchers aren't going to tolerate them nearby when their kids or sheep are killed.

I hear the silly nonsensical argument from animal-rights folks all the time. "We are intruding on them." Hey, we all have a right to a piece of this planet. Lions have a place and so do people. When lions come into residential areas and attack humans, or come onto ranches and kill livestock, they need to be trapped and moved, or hunted down and killed. They become habituated to a human presence and associate them with food, at which time something has to be done. It's an unfortunate situation, but one the animal will ultimately loose.

The animals are only doing what comes naturally to them. That's why they are at the top of the food chain. Most humans think that just because an animal is stronger than them that they need to 'kill it'. :-?

Think of the rationality behind that for a second. Fear drives out emotions as humans!

Sounds like a Greenpeace sound bite. You know there is a big difference between a preservationist and a conservationist. And there is a big difference between game management with your heart and with your head.

[luckyinkentucky]

:

[Mobydick]

It's funny, just tonight I watched a thing on the history channel about mountain lions, black panthers, and jaguars re-entering the eastern U.S. Finding coyote tracks are becoming easier around these parts every day. We have even seen large cat tracks. We have heard one noise while searching for a deer one night that we can 100% confirm was a mountain lion. We have started to hunt them pretty regularly now. We know the laws, but the game comission isn't doing a dang thing about it, and we need to protect ourselves, our pets, our livestock, etc., so were taking things into our own hands.

[Tin]

It's funny, just tonight I watched a thing on the history channel about mountain lions, black panthers, and jaguars re-entering the eastern U.S.

Monster Quest, I was watching that too, show was crazy. People are reporting 5 black mountain lion/puma/panther/jag creatures to every one regular colored mountain lion.

It is a trend that started in the Plain States, especially Oklahoma, but is now spreading as far east as WV, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania. And they are supposed to be very big. Even showed how one took down and destroyed a lama.

[Micro]

Jaguars are native to the US southwest.  Melanism (dark pigmentation) in Jaguars is known.  So a melanistic Jaguar in Arizona is quite believeable to me.

[Tin]

Jaguars are native to the US southwest. Melanism (dark pigmentation) in Jaguars is known. So a melanistic Jaguar in Arizona is quite believeable to me.

Ya they have pics of regular colored Jags in New Mexico and Arizona, but can't figure out what all these people are seeing everywhere else. It just some black cat about 4-6 feet long eating farm animals left and right, and ranging from the northeast to the desert southwest. :-?

[Micro]

You can figure that the majority of the sightings are misidentifications.  A portion will be sightings of normally colored animals where lighting or some other factor "fool" the observer.  A portion will be outright fabrications.  Others will be unverified sightings.  

I didn't see the show, and I've never heard of a melanistic (black) cougar.  I've see black jaguars in pictures so we know those exist.   So I wouldn't discount the possibility that a black cougar, or a small or scattered population of black cougars exists somewhere.  

You gotta figure, people have been "sighting" cougars in the east for years where they aren't "supposed" to exist.  And these are normally colored animals.  So a dark cougar from an area where cougars are known to live doesn't seem like such a stretch to me.  

[roadwarrior]

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