Mountain lion showing up each night

[where I want to]

I bring the goats in each night at about 8pm. I started seeing bright green eye reflection each night on the other side of the fence in my neighbor's woods about 100 feet away. The reflection was about 2 feet off the ground and very bright green,
. Maybe a bobcat, but seems too large and I suspect mountain lion which are actually more common. After it was there several nights in a row, I started yelling at it until it disappeared. I did this a couple of nights then I did not see it for a few days.
When it came back, I repeated the yelling. At first the reflection would disappear for a short time when I yelled, then come back. Now it doesn't disappear. I think I'm making it less afraid so no more of that.
This morning I got out my electric net fencing and put up a couple hundred feet paralleling the field fence where the reflection has always been (a thinner section of under brush which is quite thick otherwise.) I know it can jump it but I 'm hoping it will discourage it.
I can see that I need to build a secure goat house for night and probably enclose the horse's run in shed, but than won't be done til summer.
I can't shoot the lion due to it being illegal but also l'm too inept to shoot with my neighbor's house somewhere in the same direction but invisible due to underbrush.
So any USEFUL suggestions to help for the short term? Thing that might make my goats look less easy a target? Any real life experience?

[doodlemom]

Trap a smaller animal first to attach its tracking collar to lol.

[Molly Mckee]

Can you get a chain link kennel or kennels on craigslist or somewhere? My DS kept his goats safe by kenneling them at night. He covered the top of kennel with a tarp so the cats would not drop down on the goats. You will want to protect the horse as well.

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

Some semblance of a roof on your enclosure is the right direction. Some folks say they won't challenge a roof like a raccoon, so even a "fake-out" is helpful.

My rule of thumb is don't make a ruckus at a critter if you can't bring hard action at the same time, they get conditioned so quick.

But deer and dog eyes can reflect green too - so maybe it's not as bad as it looks. Did you look at the ground where you saw the eyes? Have you talked with your neighbor yet?

[watcher]

Electric fence and a shotgun with #4 buckshot. The first will stop a curious cat but not a determine one. The second will stop either

[topofmountain]

Mountain Lion meat is real good. Use to hunt lions in Nevada in my younger days. As a rule unless they are real hungry, or being fed by people they are afraid of people, as a rule won't attack a human.
Can you call your local Game & Fish about removal. The guy I use to hunt with was called several times to remove cats from an area to relocate by Nevada Fish & Game also BLM. I know in the Lake Tahoe CA area Game & Fish were removing bears that were getting to close to houses.
Just a suggestion.

[ksfarmer]

Be careful shooting at the reflection of eyes. I did that one time many years ago and to my horror discovered that a sheeps eyes reflect green too. One of my ewes had gotten out of the pen and was standing on the outside of the fence looking in.

[belladulcinea]

Can you spot light it to at least see what it really is? We do that out of our backyard onto the park behind us. So far we've seen a couple of coyotes and a very large dog of some kind but it's not a coyote, he is living back there and animal control is having a hard time catching him! We also have deer and a couple of foxes that come through on occasion. When my dogs bark into the park I spot light it. If you don't want to use a rifle, what about a high powered pellet gun, I have chased off a coyote with one.

[Cygnet]

Get yourself a brighter spotlight and verify the ID of the critter before you do anything.

For what it's worth, however, I have lived in lion country for well over a decade. I see about one a year. The single best deterrent around here is to have a couple medium to large, noisy, alert, dogs living with your stock.

One dog by itself is prey, but a cat will not attack a pack of dogs. 2-3 dogs is enough to discourage most lions.

Fortunately, in Arizona, if it's going after my stock, I can legally shoot it. I've never quite understood the California attitude towards lions -- they're not endangered, they kill livestock and people, and it would be very difficult to kill enough to make them endangered given how quickly they reproduce and how hard they are to hunt.

[fishhead]

Hang some tin foil on your electric fence after smearing something the cat will want to smell or eat. You could also hang something on the back side of your electric netting that the cat would want to smell. That should teach it to respect your fence if it's hot enough.

A second solution is cracker shells. I used to use them to chase mergansers away from my fish ponds. They come in 12 ga shotgun shells and go about 100 yards before exploding like a cherry bomb.

[where I want to]

Thank you. I was afraid to post this as I was pretty sure that it would be open season on me but there were lots of good ideas. I will look into all.
Today I went to the local gun/hunting/fishing store. The guy said that not much makes them leave but shooting or trapping. I did buy a pepper spray to take with me at night. I also bought some Skunk Oil to make that corner less pleasant for lingering. And have taken the animals in at dusk although I still have to go out to feed about 8pm due to meds being needed by a horse.
I will get a bright light although finding one to reach a hundred feet ??
I have seen mountain lion around here but they were all moving somewhere else. This one has me nervous because it is so persistent-this has been going on for two weeks. Before the mountain lions would move on in their territorial rounds.
The neighbors two Rottweilers were having a bark fest last night but are quiet tonight. Well- out I go.

[cfuhrer]

Do you know someone with a game cam you could borrow? I think at this point identification is paramount.

Everyone had great suggestions with the electric fence and the kennels.

I would say that though the conditions are not right for you to take the animal (direction of shot, etc.) A couple shots into the ground or the a fore suggested cracker rounds should help.

I don't know what Cali's laws are on threatened livestock. But, start calling game and fish with every sighting, lay the groundwork for a threatened livestock claim. And if whatever it is gets bold enough to advance, protect what is yours.

[dkhern]

plus one about game camera. stanley makes a rechargable spotlight you can get at wally world that will shine enough to id something at 200-300 yds

[WV Farm girl]

Please don't shoot anything until positively ID'd! Anyone that would do otherwise is irresponsible and foolish. They shouldn't have a gun IMHO.
I think a look at the ground where you have seen the eyes would give you some idea of what you are dealing with. Right now all you know is that something was out there. Could be a harmless critter or a predator. Be careful but also be informed.
Do what you can to protect your goats in their enclosure.

[where I want to]

Well before the don't shoot advice gets out of hand- please note that l said shooting is not possible at this point. Not that I would ever shoot at something I can't see.
And, even without a clear sighting, I don't know of anything else that it could be but a bobcat or mountain lion-too big, too bright, in the brush, two eyes facing forward, green, and in the same exact place each night. I never heard of a bobcat being so regular so pretty sure it's a mountain lion.
Last night the fog rolled in and I could have had a truck's headlight and couldn't see 5 feet away. Surprisingly, it bothered me less to go out when I couldn't see the eyes even though I know they are likely still there. There is something visceral about being sized up and studied.
But I will go to walmart about that light. Thank you for the suggestion.

[patty12]

lordly lordly, you need to meet my cousin who lives in northern ca.
he shoot and killed a big cat every thing was fine until his neighbor got mad at him and told. then to jail Tim went.

[Molly Mckee]

You can use flour or cornstarch on the ground where you are seeing the eyes to get tracks if it's not raining. Be careful-they do attack humans as well as other animals.

[Foxy]

If this has been going on for two weeks there may be a den there...and possible kits/cubs. I would talk to the neighbor about checking it out...in the daylight.

Oh, and I wouldn't use the skunk scent. Trappers use it to ATTRACT animals.

Good luck!

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

Most California Counties are set to take care of this kind of thing - if you've got fog in this hellish time, you must live in a prosperous one. Call them.

[fishhead]

A lion isn't going to just hang around for the fun of it. If it isn't finding food it has no choice but to keep looking elsewhere.