Lions near Austin?

Cyngbaeld · #1 08/07/10, 01:11 PM

http://austin.craigslist.org/grd/1884581915.html

Quote:

We live on 80 acres in Dale and have been having a problem with a BIG CAT attacking our pet goat and our BIG dogs. Ive called the game warden and they said to shoot it, but i have no idea how to track a mountain lion. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but we have 4 children and the cat decides it likes to come out of all hrs of the day and attack and im worried that my kids will be next. So if you are willing to come out and hunt or know someone who is please let me know

thanks,
Heather

I've never heard of lions down in this area. Anybody else?

PNP Katahdins · #2 08/07/10, 01:20 PM

The game warden would have just laughed in disbelief if they were rare in that area. Plus escaped "pets" can be anywhere, too. Our feed dealer says he can hear his neighbor's "pet" big cats (REALLY big cats) at night when the wind is from that direction.

Peg

Cyngbaeld · #3 08/07/10, 01:28 PM

I'm thinking the warden figured the lady didn't know what she was talking about and it was just a big bob cat or coyote.

Belfrybat · #4 08/07/10, 01:29 PM

I used to live on a ranch 40 miles W of Austin, and we had both lions and panthers. The lions were more prevelent--I actually never saw a panther, but the ranch hands did several times. One morning while on a walk I surprised a lion feeding on a coyote -- I backed out of there really fast. Thankfully the lion was more interested in breakfast than me.

Otter · #5 08/07/10, 01:58 PM

If you don't see it's head, to most people a fawn or black Great Dane is a mountain lion/panther.
When I lived in FL I knew of more then one "lion" hunt (illegal) that ended in a Great Dane being killed and a bunch of embarrassed "sportsmen" doing their best to hush it up.

Goldie · #6 08/07/10, 02:23 PM

There are difinitely big cats east of Austin. Had a farm in Lee County, and saw them occasionally. Heard that they were still around, just less common.

JuliaAnn · #7 08/07/10, 02:54 PM

I saw a mountain lion/cougar 4 years ago on Easter Sunday, about 5 in the afternoon, along the San Jacinto river just outside Houston. No mistaking what I saw, I watched it for about two minutes. It was fascinating. They are much larger and longer than you'd think when you see one 'in real life'.

Linda J · #8 08/07/10, 03:36 PM

Yes, mountain lions. One ran across the road in front of us early one morning. Definitely mountain lion. The tracks in our pasture were huge. We are 20 miles north of Austin.

paintboy · #9 08/07/10, 03:59 PM

---- Nature, You Scary.

Nica · #10 08/07/10, 04:28 PM

We live in South Cen KS and my wife and I both saw one, although it was not at the same time. Was about 3 hrs apart. All of my neighbors have seen them. I have a plaster paris impression of tracks in our driveway after a light rain, that I made about two months ago. Yes they're here, in many states, reguardless of the what the wildlife guys say and the "put you down" non believers, who must have always lived in the city and never get to the country, where the good life is.

mickm · #11 08/07/10, 04:36 PM

I live in south central KS and you will have to put me down as a put you down non believer.

Only kink in your theory is I am an ADC trapper, regular trapper, cut firewood and hunt morels all as part of my living. I also hunt, fish and generally spend more hours in the country then anyone I know.

It's usually folks who rarely get out side who claim to see these mountain lions.

I am not saying we don't have one or two wondering through, but in 44 years I am yet to see a track, hair or sign, let alone an actual mountain lion.

If the track was in mud, about a 90% chance it wasn't a cat of any kind, especially in your drive way.

Yes lions do exist around Austin, but that is common knowledge.

Sorry if I seem rude, but this kinda frustrates me. Kinda like the guy on here a few weeks ago with the 120lb coyotes!lol I don't understand what makes people want to believe things like this.

jen74145 · #12 08/07/10, 04:48 PM

Erm.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild...species/mlion/

Yes, we have them.

Ed Norman · #13 08/07/10, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickm

I live in south central KS and you will have to put me down as a put you down non believer.

Only kink in your theory is I am an ADC trapper, regular trapper, cut firewood and hunt morels all as part of my living. I also hunt, fish and generally spend more hours in the country then anyone I know.

It's usually folks who rarely get out side who claim to see these mountain lions.

I am not saying we don't have one or two wondering through, but in 44 years I am yet to see a track, hair or sign, let alone an actual mountain lion.

If the track was in mud, about a 90% chance it wasn't a cat of any kind, especially in your drive way.

Yes lions do exist around Austin, but that is common knowledge.

Sorry if I seem rude, but this kinda frustrates me. Kinda like the guy on here a few weeks ago with the 120lb coyotes!lol I don't understand what makes people want to believe things like this.

You seem to be new here so I'll give you some advice. Stick around a while and soon people will chime in from all over saying they have seen black colored mountain lions, a thing never found in the history of mountain lions. It makes for fun reading.

Lions in Texas are unprotected and can be taken any time on private ground with a hunting license. I know of people south and west of Austin who have shot them.

Linda J · #14 08/07/10, 05:48 PM

mickm, will you come on down here? Heather is wanting to hire you. You can make some quick money. Morels? LOL I don't know if we've got them here.

mickm · #15 08/07/10, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Norman

You seem to be new here so I'll give you some advice. Stick around a while and soon people will chime in from all over saying they have seen black colored mountain lions, a thing never found in the history of mountain lions. It makes for fun reading.

Lions in Texas are unprotected and can be taken any time on private ground with a hunting license. I know of people south and west of Austin who have shot them.

I know, it's not just here. Someone earlier mentioned panthers. Any North American big cat that is black is actually a jaguar, and they were around in Mexico at one time, but that has been a loooooong time ago.

I have a farmer that I have done some work for that is convinced he has timber wolves on his property. He has had some livestock ran through his fence and a neighbor supposedly saw one. Every time he tells me this story I just nod my head and look at the 5 or so dogs he has running loose on the place.

He's a sharp guy and very successful, but he has convinced himself that something exists which doesn't.

I had a deer hunter tell me he had a mountain lion on game cam, but when I looked at it it was obviously a large dog, not even close to being cat looking. Kinda scares a guy.

I have also looked at a couple dozen different set of "lion tracks" . Elongated tracks with very evident claws in the track, many times around mud puddles or in mud. It's kinda funny actually.

mickm · #16 08/07/10, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda J

mickm, will you come on down here? Heather is wanting to hire you. You can make some quick money. Morels? LOL I don't know if we've got them here.

I would love to help Heather out.

I would be willing to bet that if a Mountain Lion would have attacked a goat, it would be eating goat though.

of course there is a chance that it's a young orphan or an old cat. Cats cover a lot of distance on average and can be very difficult to hunt. I could most definitely hook her up with someone that could help her though.

mickm · #17 08/07/10, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda J

mickm, will you come on down here? Heather is wanting to hire you. You can make some quick money. Morels? LOL I don't know if we've got them here.

I had to look, but yes you do have Morels in Texas, even that far south.

http://thegreatmorel.com/2010.html

Good stuff, you oughta check 'em out. I can be a :1pig: and eat up all my profits. There should be a big market around Austin for them. It's very seasonal though.

Cyngbaeld · #18 08/07/10, 06:52 PM

In Lee county? That's a little too close!

I'm thinking a lion would have eaten a pet goat. They're pretty hard to stop once they get hold of something. I have seen some pretty good sized Bob Cats around here though. One was dead in the road next to my mailbox.

Maybe I need to keep the British Enfield loaded and handy! LOL

tamsam · #19 08/07/10, 07:16 PM

If you are talking about me posting about a Coydog, it makes no difference to me whether you believe or not. The DNR officers came out and weighted it and took it away. It was as long as the truck bed.
Also a few years ago someone ran over a grizzly cub down in NC just out side of Cramerton and killed it. Nothing would surprise me that I would find in the woods. Just like the big hogs in the southern states. Sam

mickm · #20 08/07/10, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tamsam

If you are talking about me posting about a Coydog, it makes no difference to me whether you believe or not. The DNR officers came out and weighted it and took it away. It was as long as the truck bed.
Also a few years ago someone ran over a grizzly cub down in NC just out side of Cramerton and killed it. Nothing would surprise me that I would find in the woods. Just like the big hogs in the southern states. Sam

Nope it was a guy in KS, but you got a good story too.

Was it a long bed or short bed?

As far as the grizzly in North Carolina

Yep 1000lb hogs are another one.

Wow, wow, wow!