[2004ZREX]

prowling my neighborhood/yard.
When I take my dog outside for potty breaks, is my SIG P220 .45 with 185 gr HP's going to be sufficient for an emergency??
I can't quite picture going outside with a rifle>> AR15 in .223 or .308 or a Marlin 30-30.

This is associated with my original thread regarding NEED Help ID'ing this Track

[yenchisks]

I say plenty of kill power there,a 22lr will kill a cat ,not right away perhaps but he'll be in no mood for fighting .

[ArmedBear]

http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/mercury-cougar/images/mercury-cougar-1a.jpg

Uh, if it attacks you, you'll be the last to know.

[MCgunner]

Nice car. :D Friend had one in dark blue.

[2004ZREX]

car was a 1968 Cougar XR7 white with black vinyl top

[TexasBen317]

why shot it? it is probably more wary of you than you of it.. Yes there have been cases that cats attack humans, but it is rare and always the humans were in the cats territory .. Leave it alone or make a TON of noise and scare it off... got a flash/bang load? :what:

[The Canuck]

If a cougar is around, the dog should be able to tell you something's up. A .45 ACP can be plenty of power, but you best be sure you use good shot placement and shoot to stop the frikkin' thing.

[2004ZREX]

I'm more concerned about the neighborhood pets and children looking like easy prey, I am not hunting it; only seeking to defend against it.

[Double Naught Spy]

When I take my dog outside for potty breaks, is my SIG P220 .45 with 185 gr HP's going to be sufficient for an emergency??

Well, how good are you at hitting fast moving cougar-sized targets that quite likely will start their attack by surprise, from behind (or from behind your dog), and will do so without the stereotypical scream/howl warning heard in the old westerns?

[2004ZREX]

I am operating under the belief that the cat would choose the more likely of prey ...my dog which is usually about 15 feet away when doing her thing

[eflatminor]

I'd say the pistol is fine because you won't likely have to shoot it. If you see it near, the barking dog, you hollerin', and if necessary, a shot into the ground will scare it off. If the cat is really going to attack you or the dog (rare, but it can happen), it will give you no warning. So, if that happens and the cat does actaully attack you, you'll want a close quarter gun and your pistol is perfect for that. Hunting a cat and ensuring one doesn't try to eat you require a different gun.

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

Bully Gentlemen! I shall organize a hunt! Nonsense reginald! The only thing that can kill a cougar is either a cougar of equivalent or larger size or a tiger!
Sorry, couldnt resist!

[kludge]

In the original thread, he mentioned that the dog is deaf and almost blind... not much cougar defense happening there.

But, yes, the .45 will do just fine if need be.

[2004ZREX]

yeah I have her back so to speak, her nose is her only defense nowadays....
she stays pretty close and watches me to see where I am in relation to her at almost all times when we are outside - she is cognizant of her shortcomings or disabilities apparently

[bensdad]

Best bet would be to dig a moat around your entire property. It will have to be pretty deep and pretty wide, as they can jump farther than most dogs and people. If a moat is not possible, I would post a paid, professional sniper on the roof of the house every time the dog has to pee.

[ArmedBear]

her nose is her only defense nowadays....

Worth more than our eyes or ears when sensing a cat in the vicinity.

So, you're talking about using your deaf, blind dog as bait to catch a cougar? Is that sporting?

[Double Naught Spy]

I am operating under the belief that the cat would choose the more likely of prey ...my dog which is usually about 15 feet away when doing her thing

Good luck with that strategy.

[1911 guy]

The pistol is adequate. I'd take to turning on lights and making a little racket while letting the old girl out for her breaks.

[Titan6]

I'd say the pistol is fine because you won't likely have to shoot it. If you see it near, the barking dog, you hollerin', and if necessary, a shot into the ground will scare it off. If the cat is really going to attack you or the dog (rare, but it can happen), it will give you no warning. So, if that happens and the cat does actaully attack you, you'll want a close quarter gun and your pistol is perfect for that. Hunting a cat and ensuring one doesn't try to eat you require a different gun.

I agree that is a very good assessment. An examination of Cougar attacks over the past two decades reveals that all the survivors had no warning and were ambushed. Those that did not survive are not talking.

[627PCFan]

How did you determine you have a cougar on the loose?

[2004ZREX]

based on fresh tracks I found in mud in my yard 2 days ago>> the original thread is I need help ID'ing this track ...I posted a few pics of the tracks and a few responses posted pics of various tacks...like big canine, mtn lion -cougar,etc.
NEED Help Identifying this track

[mr_blove]

canine.........Is a dog/dog family.:p

[2004ZREX]

well local and forum opinions are split........I choose to err on the safer side

[buck460XVR]

I am operating under the belief that the cat would choose the more likely of prey ...my dog which is usually about 15 feet away when doing her thing

I believe without the knowledge of your dogs handicap, the big cat would perceive you, the lowly human as the easier prey.

So, you're talking about using your deaf, blind dog as bait to catch a cougar? Is that sporting?

now that's funny.


maybe I missed something here, but where does the idea come from that just because one found some cougar tracks, that it is a man/dog eater? Most of us that live within close proximity of large predators our whole lives never get much more than a quick glance or a flash as they make their escape......unless we are actively hunting THEM. Most cats that live in the lower 48 know darn well what humans and dogs are and fear them both.....and with good reason. I tend to think that the forementioned cat has be around longer than you know and may be just living off the local feral cat population. The cat doesn't know your dog is handicapped and the two of you together, in the cats mind, is a risk not worth taking. Now if a big cat is injured or cannot normally hunt, it may become desperate and take bigger chances, but I believe there would be evidence of it making or attempting to make kills of local livestock or pets let out on their own first. Since I'm a betting man, with the evidence you've supplied, I'd say the odds are better that you and your dog get hit by a car or even a falling meteorite out on your daily walks, as opposed to being attacked by this cat.

[ArmedBear]

I've seen plenty of cougar tracks. Never seen a cougar that hadn't seen a taxidermist first, though.

However, finding cougar tracks in a suburban yard is a different story. They have been known to stalk around houses, looking for ways in. If they're not avoiding the 'burbs, they're probably hungry and relatively unafraid of the human scent.

That said, you still probably won't see it until it's on you, unless it IS stalking around the yard while you're inside making dinner, in which case you will presumably have access to whatever firearms you own.

[Art Eatman]

It's not uncommon for a cougar to travel as much as 25 miles in a night, and for food-search patterns to include a 5-mile-radius area. They'll only hang around one smaller area for as long as ample food is available.

Seeing one set of tracks doesn't mean much, other than the cat wandered by. The third or fourth iteration is a different matter, entirely. :)

[2004ZREX]

I have many acres 2-300?? of vacant tree'd land etc across the street from me, coyotes migrate thru my yard constantly and the neighborhood is a ripe one for small pets etc to feed upon, not to mention numerous children under age 4??

[Wineoceros]

Yes there have been cases that cats attack humans, but it is rare and always the humans were in the cats territory
If the tracks in question are in fact a cougar's, then 2004ZREX appears to be living in the cat's territory.

[RWBlue01]

I would love to take a big cat. If you can figure out a way of doing it legally, you can probably get some people interested in terminating that cat.

[Titan6]

They have been known to stalk around houses, looking for ways in.

That's bizarre! I have never heard of anyone finding a cougar in a house before. What kind of cats do you have out there in San Diego anyway?

[Grizzly Adams]

It isn't uncommon these days for cougars to come into inhabited areas, but if you will examine you prints real closely or take them to a wildlife specialist you will find that you are tracks are from a large dog.

A cat track DOES NOT HAVE CLAW MARKS. Their claws are retracted unless they are climbing or attacking.

Also look at the hell, it is convex which is also an indication of a canine track. A cats heel more wavy. You tracks show definite claw marks!

[ArmedBear]

What kind of cats do you have out there in San Diego anyway?

They've been found in beach park bathrooms; they sometimes attack campers, hikers and mountain bikers.

Sometimes years will go by without any attacks, though.

My guess is that it's only a small percentage of the cats that will attack or approach humans or willingly occupy areas frequented by humans.

http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_ca.html

[S&WKING]

be careful if you have to shoot it even in self defence u could get in trouble

[Wineoceros]

be careful if you have to shoot it even in self defence u could get in trouble
If he's ever in a situation in which he "has" to shoot in self-defense, potential legal problems will be the least of his concerns at that moment.

[Art Eatman]

The pictures in that other thread showed tracks of a large dog. They were not cougar tracks.

See: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=342650 in Post #4 for cougar tracks.

Art

[Art Eatman]

And if you think cougars are a problem, how about these folks?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article3448618.ece

[Wineoceros]

Yikes! So, they saw the 16 ft. snake in their dog's bed a few days before the incident, and then did....what?

[Bennett Prescott]

So, they saw the 16 ft. snake in their dog's bed a few days before the incident, and then did....what?

What could they do? Guns aren't exactly easy to get ahold of in Australia... not even long guns. I was there recently and the person I was with informed me that "we don't really need them". That was the end of that conversation.

[savetheclaypigeons]

just how urban? A 12 gauge may be perfect. If need be a little coach gun and jacket? How late and how far are you going?