mountain lion

[whiterock]

So the buzz around here is that a mountain lion attacked a couple of dogs in a fenced backyard about 5 or so miles from here last week. I checked out the local paper online and it said another dog had been killed and only the head and forelegs were found in the back yard. These yards have 6' privacy fences. The owner saw the lion in the yard last week, about 2 in the morning when the ruckus started and scared it off.
For some reason people don't think big cats are in this area, about 35 miles south of Dallas. We have timbered creeks feeding into the Trinity River, lots of feral hogs around for a food source, pets are just a snack for a big cat.
DD just called and said she talked to a neighbor of mine today about it, and was told that she had heard it for years, just no one had seen it. This neighbor keeps goats and sheep, as her father did. Most of the predation problems they have are in the form of coyote attacks. I've seen as many as 6 coyotes hanging on their fence at one time.
Just commenting.
Ed

[oregon woodsmok]

Whiterock, you probably have cougars in the area and that far south, you might even get a Jaguar.

Cougars aren't known for eating dogs. But dogs occasionally get killed when they attack a cougar.

I think that if I had seen a cougar in my backyard, I'd be very careful about letting my dogs out unattended from then on.

[julieq]

Seems really strange to me that a cougar would actually eat a dog and just leave the head and front shoulders/legs. Doesn't sound right. Kill them, yes. Eat them, no.

Around here a cougar in our backyard (which is about eight acres of ours and eighty acres of open graze beyond that) would be considered a moving target! They'd be welcome to take out the meat goat herd a couple of doors down, but not our miniature dairy goat herd (or our dog).

[ronbre]

there are mountain lions in central Mich where I live, lots of people have spotted them on game cameras..

[LisaInN.Idaho]

CHUPACABRA!

Or maybe the honey badger. They don't care.

[Tiempo]

Originally Posted by ronbre

there are mountain lions in central Mich where I live, lots of people have spotted them on game cameras..

My friend got on one video in her back acreage right near Mason a couple of years ago.

Hubby thinks he may have heard one screaming a couple of weeks ago (we are in Stockbridge)

[arcticow]

Coon hunters here have known for years they are around, just more of 'em now. Have been several times when dogs would quit and come in, off a trail, and it WASN'T coyotes that made 'em do it.

[dragonfly65]

Whiterock, just keep them down there, we don't need them. I know they are in places around this area of Texas, but too many people and not enough cover right here just south of Burleson. Gas wells are doing a good job at keeping the bigger critters away too (bout the only thing they're good for). I don't need to be worrying about cougars when I go out in the dark to shut up the animals.

[whiterock]

dragonfly65, not but about 35 miles between us ya know. Only one I have seen was below the dam on Lake Whitney, 8 years or so ago.
Ed

[Gianni]

Montana Cougars love pets. They are known to eat dogs that are restricted with a chain. It does happen. Cougars usually drag off what they kill so a fence might be a problem but a 6' fence would be a minor inconvenience to an adult Cougar.

[dragonfly65]

Originally Posted by whiterock

dragonfly65, not but about 35 miles between us ya know. Only one I have seen was below the dam on Lake Whitney, 8 years or so ago.
Ed

Yea, I know they are in Ellis county about the same distance from us too. But there is a lot of open country and freeway between us. We are northeast of 67 and 35 and all of the hilly, treed land with cover is southwest of that intersection so they would not be likely to head to this treeless, pastured, people crowded part of the county (at least that is what I tell myself so I don't freak out when I have to go out in the dark to shut up the birds).

With the number of active gas wells around us we hardly ever even hear coyotes anymore. Getting a little crowded for me....

[whiterock]

I'm in Ellis Co. The housing addition is between Midlothian and Waxahachie. My friend lives only a few miles south, on land her grandparents had, still runs goats and sheep. Says she has heard it for years but no one has seen it before. I'm about 3 miles west, on my grandpa's land. I haven't heard anything myself, except for LOTS of coyotes. Did have a bobcat so big it looked like Fred Flintstone's cat.

BTW, long years ago I did my student teaching at Burleson High School.
Ed

[dragonfly65]

I drive by you all the time. We go to an AG church in Desoto and my son is an AG youth pastor so we end up at SAGU a lot. You do have a lot more cover there than we do here. My son-in-law's family lived down in Italy and they had a cougar on their property. Kinds makes me glad we don't have many big stretches of trees here.

[TedH71]

In Austin, there are several cougars living right in the city. They catch the numerous deer that roam in the subdivisions.. particularly in the wealthy parts of town. Feral hogs too.

[paintlady]

There are cougars in MN and WI also but they have plenty of deer to feed on in these states.

[mary,tx]

I think there have always been cougars in the Central Texas area. We are seeing and hearing more about them now because of the drought.

[whiterock]

Originally Posted by mary,tx

I think there have always been cougars in the Central Texas area. We are seeing and hearing more about them now because of the drought.

I agree, Mary.
Ed

[gina kay]

I'm sure they are roaming further than normal in the search for water and food. With the drought water is scarce of course, but also maybe the critters they normally would prey on have moved on in search of water therefore the cougars are going after pets. I'm between San Antonio and Houston (55 miles northwest of Houston) and I've been hearing the coyotes more lately since we've had some rain. People around here (even down my road) have talked about seeing a panther for years.

[Pops2]

Originally Posted by julieq

Seems really strange to me that a cougar would actually eat a dog and just leave the head and front shoulders/legs. Doesn't sound right. Kill them, yes. Eat them, no.

Around here a cougar in our backyard (which is about eight acres of ours and eighty acres of open graze beyond that) would be considered a moving target! They'd be welcome to take out the meat goat herd a couple of doors down, but not our miniature dairy goat herd (or our dog).

know of a fella from ID that was called to OR to run down a mt lion that was killing & eating LGDs.

[julieq]

Originally Posted by Pops2

know of a fella from ID that was called to OR to run down a mt lion that was killing & eating LGDs.

Not surprising with the number of shooters we have here in Idaho!