[Dixie912]

We have lived on the side of the mountain in Tennessee for 4 years. Last Sunday afternoon for the first time we heard a very large cat in the front yard. We never saw it, but the sound was unmistakable.
I called the local game warden and he said there had been no reports for years, but the local people say they are common... Cougars, Panthers, Mountain Lions... I think they are all basically the same, just go by different names. People just don't report them any more to keep the local "government" off of their property.
We know very little about these big cats. I have read some on the internet and know they are indigenous to this area. Is there any way to discourage them from coming so close to the house? We have 60 acres with dogs, cats, guineas, chickens... not to mention kids. There are caves and old coal mines at the top of the property, which I am sure makes great dens for these creatures. I'm almost afraid to go outside right now. I understand this is breeding season for them and that's probably why we heard them in the middle of the afternoon. I also know if you hear something like that in the day time it could be sick or injured and very dangerous.
Any suggestions??

 

[opus]

We have lived on the side of the mountain in Tennessee for 4 years. Last Sunday afternoon for the first time we heard a very large cat in the front yard. We never saw it, but the sound was unmistakable.
I called the local game warden and he said there had been no reports for years, but the local people say they are common... Cougars, Panthers, Mountain Lions... I think they are all basically the same, just go by different names. People just don't report them any more to keep the local "government" off of their property.
We know very little about these big cats. I have read some on the internet and know they are indigenous to this area. Is there any way to discourage them from coming so close to the house? We have 60 acres with dogs, cats, guineas, chickens... not to mention kids. There are caves and old coal mines at the top of the property, which I am sure makes great dens for these creatures. I'm almost afraid to go outside right now. I understand this is breeding season for them and that's probably why we heard them in the middle of the afternoon. I also know if you hear something like that in the day time it could be sick or injured and very dangerous.
Any suggestions??

Not really. If you have dogs, that will tend to keep them away. If you have little children, dont let them go outside alone! Not trying to scare you but a cat WILL think an infant is a handy size to pack around.

 

[healing herbals]

Not really. If you have dogs, that will tend to keep them away. If you have little children, dont let them go outside alone! Not trying to scare you but a cat WILL think an infant is a handy size to pack around.

Small, dogs, cats, children, chickens, etc are not safe when the cats are roaming. Even you aren't, if they are ornery enough. Get some pepper spray to carry with you at all times (it can work at close range, sometimes when you can't get your gun up). And don't let those that you love outside. Keep the grass low.
And good luck. The game dept here in Ok, keeps saying we don't have them either, but there have been too many sitings.

 

[Dixie912]

I hadn't thought about the pepper spray... good idea. I have heard that they are protected so you can't shoot them, but what do you do when you are threatened?? I hate to carry a gun around with me all of the time, but i can do that if necessary for a while.

 

[Judy in IN]

Small, dogs, cats, children, chickens, etc are not safe when the cats are roaming. Even you aren't, if they are ornery enough. Get some pepper spray to carry with you at all times (it can work at close range, sometimes when you can't get your gun up). And don't let those that you love outside. Keep the grass low.
And good luck. The game dept here in Ok, keeps saying we don't have them either, but there have been too many sitings.

Pepper Spray!!! Honey, get yourself down to the local gun shop and purchase a snub-nosed .38. THEN, get lessons on how to use it. Then WEAR it all the time! A rifle would be a good idea if you want to be proactive about this threat.

If the game warden comes sniffing around, remind him that he told you there were no mountain lions around.....

 

[Dixie912]

I have a pistol and I know how to use it. Just never had to. DH wants a shot gun for this sort of thing and I have been dragging my feet. Guess it's time to give in.

 

[mikell]

They don't oficially exist in Michigan either. Only CRAZY people see them and all the photos and videos are just wrong.

mikell

 

[Judy in IN]

I have a pistol and I know how to use it. Just never had to. DH wants a shot gun for this sort of thing and I have been dragging my feet. Guess it's time to give in.

You BETCHA! I don't want to hear that you or your children met the same fate as the woman jogger in California a few years back. I'll even bet she was packin' pepper spray...Poor girl.

 

[caberjim]

If you run into one unarmed, make yourself look large as possible. Stand on your toes, spread your jacket out with your arms and flap - anything to look as big as possible.

If they crouch and stare or move aggressively, they are coming for you. They are ungodly fast. Get some rocks or a sticks and put up a fight. Run, and you are toast.

Keep you play area cleared back some distance so you can see anything coming.

Oh - they usually come at you from above - they prefer to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Look up and around when hiking.

Small children look like mcnuggets to them. Don't let them out of your sight. If one does grab a child, pursue and attack with whatever you can pickup(if you are unarmed) - confronted with danger, they will usually drop the prey and run.

If I was certain they were around, I would stay armed with something when out and about. Most of all, pay attention to your surroundings and what might be lurking.

 

[Jen H]

I have a pistol and I know how to use it. Just never had to. DH wants a shot gun for this sort of thing and I have been dragging my feet. Guess it's time to give in.

Yep. 12 guage with high velocity slugs. This is NOT a critter you want to mess around with.

As someone else mentioned, if the cat attacks while you are unarmed, FIGHT BACK! Hikers in WA state and CA have successfully fought off cougar attacks. Successfully meaning they weren't eaten for lunch or killed, they did have some serious injuries.

I'd be making sure all of the animals are behind fences and walls that were as tight and secure as I could make them. Either cover the tops of the fences with woven wire or get rid of overhanging branches and trees. Cover barn windows with woven wire. Basically make it so darned difficult to get anything to eat around your place that the cat moves on to somewhere with easier pickings.

 

[Grandma's Cabin]

Since they do prefer to jump on unsuspecting pray, it's rare for even seasoned backwoods people to see them coming. That makes guns very hard to use. Carrying a good hunting knife in a sheath that is strapped within reach on your body might be a better idea. Of the cougar attacks I have read about those with a knife they were able to get to had a better chance.

Grandma

 

[insanity]

Yep there here, have been for a while.The way i under stand it there not endangered here because they are not recognized as exsisting here.
And as i understand it you can shoot if you feel threated regardless!
12 gauge,modified chock for alittle distance and a good pattern i general,and 3inch double 00 buck does a nice job on deer should do so on cat as well.Slug if more distance is needed.But if its out more than buck shot distance i dought its any threat and i wouldn't take a chance on wounding it.A wounded one would be very dangours to every one in the area.Shot to kill or let live.We always chose the live and let live policy.Since they never bothered anything. And they like the indians where here before us.
They usually tend to try and stay away from people if at all possible.But dont appear to be very scared if you keep your distance.Never the less they have never bothered anything here.Here unlike other areas there is plenty prey for them.

Dixie: I sent you a PM. Hope i did anyway.If it didn't go threw please let me no.

 

[jackie c]

Hey we even have them here in Ontario, why is it that government officials don't want to acknowledge their exsitance, I mean in the last ten years or so alot of animals/birds have been on the rise so why not the big cats too, it only makes sense that the turn around in pestiside/herbicide use in our two countrys would make these increases possible. What is to gain by denying their population increase or repopulation?

 

[insanity]

Heres a link to sightings all over. Yes thats me there also.
http://www.cryptozoology.com/forum/forum.php

Scroll down to the big cats section.

 

[vegascowgirl]

I had a friend who used to run a dude ride up in Red Rock Canyon (Nevada) and he started having trouble with a moutain lion. He set up what he called flash caps. they were set up on some sort of trip device (or something), when it was tripped a flash cap would go off. they were basically like oversized blanks. the caps didn't do any harm to the animals but would put out a bright flash and the blasting sound was loud enough to scare anything away.....of course they were set out far enough from the horses that it didn't freak them out. After about a week the Lion gave up and went hunting elsewhere.
Unfortunately, my friend passed on about a year ago, or else I'd ask him about it for you, but maybe somebody knows what I'm talking about and can give you better info.

 

[Ladyhen]

I live in Mountain Lion country. Our local paper this past week told of three sightings within about 2 miles of my house. We're on 22 acres, the top of which is heavily forested. We've been here about 18 months and have not seen any lions, but our neighbors have. They have a range of 100 square miles and some have been recorded as traveling as far as 700 miles. From what I've read, they don't usually stay in one place, but travel with the deer. And if you have deer, chances are you have lions.

I'm scared to death of them. Won't go out at night without the dog. I will say I've never had any problem with them - not messing with my goats or anything. All of our neighbors have horses and cattle and haven't had any problems either. But my little girl is not permitted outside alone, and certainly never at night.

Most of us have them around and just never see them.

In the past 100 years in California, there have only been 6 attacks. Considering the state is crawling with mountain lions, that's not many.

 

[Pops2]

you might consider inviting some local bobcat hunters to hunt on your property, preferably dog hunters so the cats will learn to fear the sound of a dog even if they don't get killed.

 

[goatlady]

A friend of mine's sister/sister-in-law was attacked and killed by a cougar a little over a year ago in Arkansas while she was in the frontyard running a weedeater. They are predators and killers and will jump you from behind. Go armed or don't go out. The GF&P there said there are none in the state but paw prints taken by the body were cougar prints and so was the fur found nearby. Pops2 has a good idea to think about.

 

[ox]

We have had a very great trial with Mountain Lions. As shepherds of angora goats in Umpqua National Forest we nearly lost half our herd to lions in daylight hours two years in a row. The trial was fierce. We found an answer. I hope it helps.
Please go to: http://www.singingfalls.com/alexandra/chronicles/catland.html for a description of some of what we have been through.
Also: http://www.singingfalls.com/alexandra/poems/mogen the LGD.html concerning Uzi's replacement.
Please excuse the blatant self image but it is hard earned.
http://www.singingfalls.com/xpage/catman.jpg

 

[Diana/KY]

Ox, your story of the mountain lions and the poem about Uzi are fascinating reads. Please, what happened to Uzi? You just said he left you. In the poem Ghost of Drew..who is Drew? Thank you for sharing with us.
P.S. Does anyone know if they're any mountain lions in KY? I have heard only a few reports of sightings, and they were'nt very convincing.