Mountain lion!

[bock]

So here I am sitting in the living room, when suddenly one of my ducks starts quaking like crazy, then my lab, who never barks, started howling and barking. I looked out the window to see her burst through the rose bushes, and tumble all the way down a very steep hill. I ran outside to the side of the house were she had fallen to see her was slamming herself against the fence, trying to get to the pond. I ran in the back door to get my shoes when my sister comes in totally freaking out. She claimed that a mountain lion was on the other side of our house with one of the ducks in it's mouth! I ran out the front door, but it was already gone.

I went down and picked up the duck, who seemed to be in shock and put her in the back yard. We went looking for it, but we found nothing. Now I think I know who ate my cat and my goose.

I feel like I need to go and catch all my ducks now, but then I would have 18 ducks and 2 geese running around my backyard! My neighbor said they saw the lion in the horse pen last weekend, but I was suspicious until now.

Now I don't know what to do, here are the things that come to mind: #1 Kill it, #2 this is the animal's home, and people are pushing them to extiction, so what right do I have to kill it?,and #3 is it even legal to shoot them?. Any suggestions on how to deal with it would be great.

 

[holachicka]

Call your local fish and game control, and find out what they can do, a lot of times they help!!

I'm so sorry for your losses!!

 

[redhen]

OOh..tough position..
I feel for the poor hungry cat... its just trying to survive. Like we all are..
and i feel for your animals that are getting killed off for supper..
Sad... I hate to see it get killed though...
Maybe they will relocate?

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

I too live in Mountain Lion country....my personal experience with the big cats are that they do not come into yards, or into farms, or what-have-you .... or get close to people...unless there is something wrong. A friendof mine just lost one of his momma sheeps to a cat who came. Fish and Game do not want these animals this close to people. They hunted it down and killed it...only to find out that it had been hit by a car or something. It had horrendous wounds and had been in horrific pain and starving for quite some time. If a big cat came this close to human beings, there is probably something wrong with it...it may be just young and hungry...but it could also have an injury and it is looking for an easy meal. I am sooooo sorry for your loss and for the perdicament that you are currently in. Please do call your local Fish and Game Department...they should come and help you out.

 

[redhen]

Yeah..i bet its starving if its coming so close to you guys yard...
Wheres Cetawin?? She had one hiding in her garage one day... (if i remember correctly)
I think she had to shoot it though...

 

[bock]

I will call and see what they can do. Thanks everyone for the support!

 

[Cetawin]

First, I am sorry for your losses. Mountain lions are NOT critically endangered...the county I lived in for 4 years in Oregon is over populated with them...we saw them all the time. They can be hunted with proper permit and/or tags.

If you are in Oregon, call the Department of Fish and Game, request a nuisance permit. I had to get one for a mother and her teenager...she liked walking up on the deck and looking in the screen door.

Get the permit and shoot the cat. You can also hire a professional hunter who has the tags for them. Do not just shoot them because they must be taken with a permit and/or tags. The game warden will want the body to examine and then usually release it to you for taxidermy purposes. Also, if this happened in broad daylight, I doubt it was a mountain lion...they hunt at night. They den during the day and roam from dusk to dawn...Make sure your neighbor know what one looks like...

I know what they look like up close and personal...this one was lounging in a tree by coop one night He came through my yard every evening and again every morning going back to his den area. But I never lost a single duck or chicken to them...and never saw them during the daytime. If it is a lion, she probably has a cub or two and she is feeding them easy meals.

Yes...I took it's picture. Why? Well it had me either way I was about 7 feet below him...not like I would outrun the cat so I had my camera, took the pictures and if I was killed by it, there was at least a picture of my attacker.

PS: I did shoot the teenager and mom stopped coming up near the house. The female trapped in my garage was injured and my husband put her down.

 

[MaggieRae]

We have mountain lions all over up here. One sat in my neighbor's drive way for several hours in the middle of the night and wouldn't let the poor lady get out of her car.

For the most part I don't mind, they keep the stray dog population down. So long as they don't attack any of my animals, I won't attack them.
I'm surprised the mountain lion would attack in day light, let alone a duck. Ducks I would guess would be too much work because they're all feathers and bones.

Sorry about your loss.

 

[Dogfish]

Mountain lions (cougar) are far from extinction. Call your wildlife department, as they may come out and trap it. If legal, prepare to kill the cat.

The meat is white, and VERY good.

 

[panner123]

Quote:
I agree with holachicka. Unless it is in your run, then kill it yourself. Most states let you take care of a preditor attacking livestock or a human wothout a depredation permit. Not to long ago a woman was killed in the area that holachicka and I live. They are NOT to be messed with by someone with a pellet or paint ball gun.