Cougar in the neighborhood

Mousefield · Mar 31, 2013

Last July I had one walk 24 feet from where I was loading my trailer with firewood behind my chicken coop. By the time I chucked the two pieces of firewood in my hand it was only 18 feet from me. It turned around and sauntered back into the forest.

schweizer · Mar 31, 2013

That means they're too close! I you see them especially in daylight, they've lost some of their fear of man. Glad I don't live in Cal. anymore where no one can hunt them and there are too many. Not that I want to eradicate them or anything. They are beautiful, but we have plenty here in Oregon. It's just another reason why I've cleared a lot of the dense trees and brush away from around our house -- not many places for them to hide anymore. Hey, I have young kids that play outside and we're on 320 acres. The donkey/burro also acts as a sentinel.

don45640 · Mar 31, 2013

They are called `the silent killer'. At the nuke plant where I work(reservation is a few square miles in size),in 2010,a bulletin was distributed by the Plant Shift Superintendent to all groups on plantsite that a cougar was spotted by a contractor and for no one to be out in the dark or remote areas by themselves.
This is in Southern Ohio. I personally saw one behind my place while grouse hunting near dusk.I didn't pursue my present walking course towards it since I had only 7.5 size shot,LOL!
It was sighted by me and several others near Wellston Ohio in the 80s.
I'm ALWAYS armed when I go into the woods. I would recommend ANYONE in those western states should be,too.That game camera pic should serve to wake some people up! don-ohio

^)

nickel plate said:
This guy passed through my place a while back completely unnoticed except for the game camera. Eighty yards from the front door.

Bob77064 · Mar 31, 2013

We have Bobcats here, they usually weigh about 40 lbs.

don45640 · Mar 31, 2013

Yeah, Bob..you are a ways south of the location of the eastern KY sighting and killing by a train of a cougar cub in the 90s.But ya' never know?!If you're in a rocky,wooded area,you might have èm. Ha! don-ohio

Bob77064 · Apr 1, 2013

don45640 said:
Yeah, Bob..you are a ways south of the location of the eastern KY sighting and killing by a train of a cougar cub in the 90s.But ya' never know?!If you're in a rocky,wooded area,you might have èm. Ha! don-ohio

We are in South Central KY, we have seen paw prints in the yard. But have never seen a big cat, and I hope it stays that way.

don45640 · Apr 1, 2013

If you see big cat prints(dog prints show the claws in the tracks,cats usually don't,they're retracted),what else could it be? Bobcats don't have really big paws like Northern Lynxes,if I'm not mistaken.
All they need to thrive is heavy cover or rocky areas to den in.If they can live in the coldest climes....and the warm climes(Florida), they are surely around here. don-ohio

^)