Mountain Lion Advice

Oklahoma has always had mountain lions. So has Texas and Kansas. No big deal.

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Ted H

You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.
-Davy Crockett

I know this wasn't your question but have to agree about weaning a calf that young. It will be stunted and not grow as well... will take it a long time to catch up the lost growth. We had a Dexter bull who was weaned at 3 months and he was runty for almost 3 years. He finally caught up and was a nice bull.

We let our cows wean their own calves as long as they don't get ridiculous about it. I'd let the calf with it's mother for another 6 weeks at least, preferably 10. That would solve the mountain lion problem for now as well.

ETA just read your post about weaning the calf - maybe at least you could give him a bottle a couple times a day? I really hate to see calves weaned that young.

The trouble with there being a deer population explosion in our area .the cougar population is increaseing and like the deer and coon they begin to lose there fear of man .the days of farmers and cowmen being armed and shooting a pretator should make you a hero is in the past now is frownd upon by the animail planit tv watching public and the fish and game only care about selling deer tags and collecting fines .and care less if the calf you are counting on for food for your family get killed or the deer carry desease into your farm or the elk break your fences ect. They are NOT a friend of the farmer. Cougars and bears are man eaters a child looks like an easy meal to them.as do'es your livestock your best bet is to keep a couple good dogs not house pets most akc show dogs have been bred for show ring not as homesteading farming partners . This is why I recomend the mt cur or blackmouth cur they protect there home area and wild animals are there natural enimy

Well, Arnie, here's my two cents - it’s man that’s caused the explosion of deer, and partly to blame is the extermination of their natural predator, the cat. For elk, its wolves. Surburbia is one big dinnerplate. And practical experience shows farmers and cowmen shooting a predator just doesn’t cut it. All you manage to do is disrupt their territories, the saying is “shoot one and two more take its place”. Our place was overrun with rattlesnakes because the mouse and gopher population was out of control. Yes, we offed the rattlers in our personal space, but it was only by reducing the prey that the rattlers went down. It’s folly to fight mother nature, all you can hope for is a little bend your way.

You’re right on the best bet - keeping a couple of good dogs.

The problem with that is the Oklahoma fish and game want to deny there are even cougars and wolves in Okla.! I saw a wolf this past weekend while on a turnpike in eastern Okla! And yes it was not a coyote. It was huge.

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"Whose woods these are I think I know
His house is in the village tho...."