Mountain Lion Trouble!!!

[plykins]

I live here in central Texas in a rural setting near a fairly large lake. I have a little over 6 acres & run a fairly good size(or was) herd of Barbadoes. In the past two months in two different attacks I lost 15 of them. I had a feeling it was a mountain lion, by the way it attacked & eat(completly) the little ones. Well i called the Texas Parks & Wildlife today & was informed that the game warden had been out in this area on other attacks & confirmed by the tracks that it was in fact a mountain lion. I am penning them up at night(when the attacks occur) with my dog to keep from loosing any more.
Do any of you have any ideas on how to alleviate the problem ie-kill the intruder? Don't like to do this, but there are many small children area & I wouldn't want anything to happen to one of them.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[XRpredator]

well, first off, what the heck are Barbadoes?

Do you have a rifle/pistol? You could also get ahold of a hound hunter and they could take care of your cougar problem.

 

[splatt]

I have to second XRpred's suggestion.

 

Steve

 

[bsmith]

I third preds suggestion, Hire a guy with some hunting dogs, and let him do the shooting since your not comfortable with that part.

Other wise get some dogs bred to protect herds or flocks, like an Anatolion Shepperd. But by the time their big enough chances are that cats moved on to greener pastures.

 

[Treejumper]

They are a type of sheep, i believe. First off before anyone goes killing the lion you need to get a permit or written permission to kill the Mountian lion. Otherwise you could be fined big time! I'd bait and sit for it if you feel comfortable hunting it. Otherwise hire someone to do it or the game commission should trap it for you and relocate it, that is their job! If i lived closer and you had the permission, i'd love to do it and mount that puppy on my wall. :)

 

[plykins]

Here in Texas the mountain lion is considered a predator. Of which there is no closed season & can be hunted at night or day, in or out of a vehicle. The person at TPW said to pen my animals up till the lion is killed. They may have the county trapper on the case. I have a predator call so I may try it one of these nights. My neighbor said he could get me a pair of night vision glasses at the post. Might be cool trying that method(calling with night vision).

 

[Treejumper]

Wow, never knew that! I wonder why alot of people goto the Northwest to hunt them when they can hunt them easier down south? Kinda like Canada and Wolves. I went up there for Bear once and they said you could shoot a wolf a day as they were nusense predators. Only thing in my neck of the woods they consider like that is groundhogs. Except Punxy Phil but even he needs shot since he predicted 6 more weeks of winter. :)

 

[Highbeam]

Up here in the northwest even coyotes and crows have an official season. However, and this is important, if they are in the act of depredatation(sp?) like eating your sheep you can kill them then and there.

I don't think we have an open season on anything. Darn tree huggers.

 

[gwcrim]

I've heard the llamas will intimidate preditors. Or is that just a myth?

 

[XRpredator]

well, you can shoot coyotes all year with a hunting license, bear and cougar have specific seasons, at least here in Idaho.

 

[CO Dan]

Re: llamas

Around here there's a lady that keeps a llama specifically to protect her herd of Cashmere sheep from foxes and coyotes. She's never lost one to a predator, I believe.

However, I don't know about the intimidation of a mountain lion. It might think of a llama as a large lunch.

Mountain lions are very dangerous animals. Beautiful too.

I wish you luck, I suspect you're gonna have to kill it.

 

[a454elk]

Three options.
1) Sit out, tie up one of those sheeplike animals you have and wait. Kill the predator when it comes to eat.
2) Contact your Fish and Game and advise them of the problem and that you need them to track it, catch it and relocate it or you will killit yourself.
3) Come out here to Cali, grab a protestor out of a crowd, we have plenty, and give them some $, or food, to come out to Texas and catch it themselves. Tell them they could keep it as a cool pet and if not, you will kill it and send it to them.

 

[Treejumper]

4) Kill it and send it to me! :)

 

[plykins]

Hey Elk, Maybe I could just have a herd of protesters in my pasture & just get more after each attack.

 

[tx246]

predators along with just about every other animal in texas have had a really easy couple of years. easy being warm winters. many animals = many predators. i have seen quite a few coyotes killed on the roads this year. i suspect there has been an explosion in the cat population too. cats require a huge chunk of land to support each one. seems like ive heard the number 15 sq. miles. belton is on the edge of the hill country where the cats are pretty well established. you probably have a young male that has been forced out of his territory by his mother. he has unfortunately found what he thinks easy hunting. probably going to have to defend your property which is legal in texas. i doubt that TPW will take the time to trap and relocate due to the overabundance of cats (at least for the near future).

i just saw a show about black panthers in england. they have had many reported sightings but are having trouble catching any. they think that the cats are using old railway beds as routes into city areas. foxes have adapted to city life too.

 

[BSWIFT]

Document everything.  Your loses should/can be deducted from your taxes.  The Fed has programs available for problems like this.  Contact the US Fish and Wildlife Department.  TX246 hit the nail on the head.  Most likely this problem will get some fanatics roaming your area and causing bigger problems.  Better handle it quietly.

 

[Jon K.]

 

[XRpredator]

Don't forget the "3S" method:

1. Shoot
2. Shovel
3. Shut up!

 

[Treejumper]

Originally posted by XRpredator
Don't forget the "3S" method:

1. Shoot
2. Shovel
3. Shut up!

LOL! I like that Pred! Only we just shoot, skip shoveling and stuff as in find a groundhog hole and stuff it in, then shut up. Shoveling sounds too much like work. :)

 

[Neil Wig]

LMAO
I can visualize TJ trying to stuff/stomp a 80lb cat into a gopher hole. You're going to have to tenderize him a bit before attemping "insertion".

 

[a454elk]

LOL
:)

 

[Danman]

I hear the mountian lions and Bob Cats are making a comeback in Texas. The ranchers killed most of them because of damage to their heards. I have heard a few reports of some on our lease, but I'm sceptical. I would tend to think it would be a Bob Cat, but there is plenty of food, water, and available shelter for a few. I know the coyotes (that's "wild dingos" to you ELK, we call them coyotes around here)are plentiful as you can hear them sounding off in the early morning. I don't think Jack Rabbits or Coyotes have a season in Texas either, but then again I don't hunt so I would not know.

 

[Treejumper]

I dont know Neil, we have some pretty big Groundhogs here! :) Biggest i shot was 18lbs. It took me all summer to kill him as he had so much fat the .22 bullets wouldnt kill him. They just got stuck in his hide. Finally finished it of with the 9mm pistol. When i went to skin it you could see where the 6 .22 bullets entered and skin had healed up over top of them. Tough little bugger! Biggest cat we have around here is a Bob cat so it should be easier to stuff in the hole. :)

 

[Treejumper]

Thought of this thread when i recieved this email from my cousin in Texas. I dont know who shot it.

This 256 lb. CAT WAS KILLED ON THE MONCRIEF RANCH APPROX. 20 MILES
WEST OF FORT WORTH BY A COYOTE HUNTER USING A CALL. THE HUNTER IS 6' 2".

 

[cr25096er]

wow! almost dosnt look real. but unless hees eating all your cattle(thats what im guessing) why kill such a beautiful animal?