Cougar killing horses

[Jesse11]

Here in northern Washinton we have alot of Cougers, Once they
find a easy food source, like calfs or horse's the need to be destroyed
or they will keep coming back for more or move to another farm and
continue there killing.
Wayne

Just keeping move ? I am fraid

 

[MoKelly]

I don't know what their range is, but I am only a few miles from the Mississippi River and Illinois. It would be hard to imagine we would have them and Illinois wouldn't. Now I refuse to go into Illinois, but Mountain Lions may not mind.

I'd be interested to know how they get across the Mississippi River. They would have to use bridges ... I can't see why they would risk swimming.

MoKelly

 

[Mousefield]

I'd be interested to know how they get across the Mississippi River. They would have to use bridges ... I can't see why they would risk swimming.

MoKelly

They do swim, have been know to swim from island to island (salt water). Same as bears, we now have Grizzly bears on Vancouver Island that swam from the mainland to the north part of our island.
On the other hand they is nothing to stop them using a bridge.

 

[Mousefield]

I wonder if this is changed by the ready availability of prey in the form of domestic livestock as no "hunting" would be required?

They are rare here, but a bill has been introduced to allow them to be shot on sight. MDC has a position to not allow a viable breeding population to become established.

We have had bears come through, but I haven't seen any indications of Mountain Lions.

Like a lot of predators they will hang around if there is food (a kill) or a food source. They usually have a large hunting area of many square miles.

 

[Renze]

We are having a problem here that the DNR says does not exist.

Well if the department denies its existance... there is nothing inbetween your gun and the horse killer

 

[TripleR]

I'd be interested to know how they get across the Mississippi River. They would have to use bridges ... I can't see why they would risk swimming.

MoKelly

As mentioned, they would swim, people working on river boats see deer swimming across. At times the Mississippi can get fairly narrow in some locations and there are islands and sandbars.

Like a lot of predators they will hang around if there is food (a kill) or a food source. They usually have a large hunting area of many square miles.

Missouri is a pretty diverse state as to fields, forests and swamps, so no telling what they would do here and doubt we will ever know.

 

[nybirdman]

I'll tell you what is going on in New York State.We have had cougar,mt.lion panther ect. what ever you call them for thirty years or more.NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation vehemently deny they are in the state.There has been hundreds of sightings,not just lay people hunters,trappers ,state workers ect.
Guess what ...two years ago,in the NYS handout for hunting...cougars are now "protected in NYS".If the don't exist why are they protected?There has been a couple hit by cars"they must have escaped from a captive breeder"Guess what;you have to be licensed to possess a mt. lion.
The state should know where they came from.
On another note;about half the sightings;the animals are black.
We had one in our neighborhood....that one had a radio collar.
My theory;they are being released to control the deer population;funded by the insurance industry.
Any state would not admit to releasing them..they would have to do an environmental assessment study...and that cost big bucks,and they would have to "pay" for any damage done or be liable for any deaths/injury.

 

[g0rd0]

We have them here in NS also. I have personally seen 1 crossing the road not far from here. They are huge! Not something that I would ever want to meet up with in my wood lot.
Last spring 1 was hit by a car in the Annapolis valley not far from Middleton, the dnr had to finish it off. The man who hit it was allowed to keep the carcuss to have it mounted.
Here they are also protected, but, I for 1 would not hessitate to insert a 150 grn counter wieght behind the shoulders if given the chance. The way i see it if it is in my yard I just might be in harms way. Enough said.

 

[myslash]

I'm in S. Illinois also, probably not as south as orginal poster. We have had bobcats around here but I've only seen 1 that's been hit, never in person. I have seen prints about 10 miles from me. There have been no reports of any small or large animals being killed by them.

I will be moving my horse home soon & getting at least 2 more. But, I also have a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. They were bred to hunt/guard livestock from lions in Rhodesia. Think we'll be fine.

 

[Dozernut]

One was captured in a live trap a couple of counties over from me and DNA tests showed it was wild and not a released pet. DNR released it.

Just curious, do the owners of exotic pets have to submit DNA samples from their animals? Otherwise how would you distinguish the wild population from a escaped/released pet. Not questioning you our doubting, I would just like to know. Thanks!