Lynx, bobcat or mtn lion?
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Dog Soldier
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That is a cougar. He has been treed by hounds. They typical lose their tails in these chases. The ears were torn. You can see where the ears were doctored for the picture. He was shot through the ribs. That takes out their very small lungs. The hunter knew lions.
A .22 Mag is a choice lion caliber.
A .22 Mag is a choice lion caliber.
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That is a cougar. He has been treed by hounds. They typical lose their tails in these chases. The ears were torn. You can see where the ears were doctored for the picture. He was shot through the ribs. That takes out their very small lungs. The hunter knew lions.
A lion loses typically loses its tail when hunted by hound!?!
Surely you jest sir?
I guided lion hunters over hounds for bit in my youth. I have treed dozens of lions. And never once have I ever seen a tailless lion. Never once have I ever heard of lion losing it's tail to hounds. Actually when I think about it that is one of the most ridiculous things I ever heared. I can't even imagine the butt whooping a hound would take if it ever latched on to a lions tail.
I can see the only the first picture. And the critter in that first picture is very obviously a large, winter coated bobcat. He looks larger than he is due to the way the picture is posed BTW. There isn't a competent western outdoorsmen alive that could mistake that for a mountain lion.
Good catch!!!! Only lions I've seen are in the hills when I'm riding (one hand on the revolver/rope at this point) it through the scope when the idiot young males take too much interest in the calving season affairs lol! I've heard plenty of "tales" about running them with dogs but no-one ever mentions the collateral damage. Thanks for the eddimucation there Soldier!That is a cougar. He has been treed by hounds. They typical lose their tails in these chases. The ears were torn. You can see where the ears were doctored for the picture. He was shot through the ribs. That takes out their very small lungs. The hunter knew lions.
Dog Soldier
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How can you blanket everyone's hunting experience with yours? If you have never seen a lion ripped apart by hounds that was your experience. Not mine.
You whip your hounds? Where are you lion hunting with what hounds?
You whip your hounds? Where are you lion hunting with what hounds?
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If you cant tell the difference between a bobcat and a Mt lion you haven't got any experience at all.
Now tell me how you could ever mistake this critter for a bobcat? I'm 6'4and 240 LBS, this lion was caught with hounds BTW notice the tail is in perfect condition.
Now tell me how you could ever mistake this critter for a bobcat? I'm 6'4and 240 LBS, this lion was caught with hounds BTW notice the tail is in perfect condition.
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1st clue,Lions don't have spots.
2nd clue, Lions have tails if the tail was amputated there would be a bloody stump.
3rd clue, lions are substantially larger than bobcats.
4th clue, they have completely different coloration.
5th clue, A mature lion will kill a hound faster than you can imagine if it ever gets a hold of it.
2nd clue, Lions have tails if the tail was amputated there would be a bloody stump.
3rd clue, lions are substantially larger than bobcats.
4th clue, they have completely different coloration.
5th clue, A mature lion will kill a hound faster than you can imagine if it ever gets a hold of it.
Flintknapper
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Bobkitty for sure.
It's s bobcat. The hunter is setting about 3 feet behind the cat making it look bigger. Hounds can kill cats. But it would take several hounds. And the dogs won't fair well in that fight. An injured cat can't hunt. Can't hunt, they starve. So cats escape up trees to avoid injury. At the end of the day, it's a nice bobcat.
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Hounds can kill and do kill bobcats on occasion. Hounds killing a mature non wounded Mt Lion is a pretty rare event. The guy I guided for has been a houndsmen and lion hunter for over 50years. He tells me he has had three hounds killed by lions in all those years. If the cat circles back sometimes they'll grab a trailing hound and kill it. either that or the hounds will ground corner a cat and force him to fight. That doesn't generally workout to well for the hounds.
You are exactly correct in that cats would rather tree than fight. Also as both you and I mentioned the bob cat looks larger than it is because of the way it's posed.
Dog Soldier
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Yet you were still somehow able to mistake the bobcat in that picture for a Mt Lion? I don't get it?
Dog Soldier
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There are many experienced lion hunters on this forum. There are things that cannot happen when you are hunting.
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There are many experienced lion hunters on this forum. There are things that cannot happen when you are hunting.
I'd venture to say that there are not many "experienced" lion hunters on this forum. It's a pretty specialized critter and a specialized hunt. Except for the rare lion that is called in with a predator call, or by extreme dumb luck, the vast majority of lions are killed over hounds. Hounds are an expensive and extremely work intensive thing to keep, train and feed. That severely limits the number of people who can become "experienced" at lion hunting.
And yes there are many things that cannot happen when you are hunting. A lion getting it's tail plucked off by a hound is right up there at the top of the list.
I see that you got that picture off of another forum. Who is the hunter?
Dog Soldier
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You may not hunt in the Desert. There is nothing taller than 5 feet. I never said their tales are "Plucked". It does not happen everyday. We have Lions in our neighborhood. They harvest domestic cats and dogs. I live in Wyoming where are you? I am sure you are a member of the Mtn. Lion Foundation. Most guides are. Good luck with your hounds and lion hunting.
http://www.mountainlion.org/us/wy/-wy-portal.asp
I am sure you are a member of the Mtn. Lion Foundation. Most guides are. Good luck with your hounds and lion hunting.http://www.mountainlion.org/us/wy/-wy-portal.asp
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It matters not where the lion is hunted. Your claim that "they typically lose their tails" is a complete fabrication. The cat you identified as a "cougar" is obviously a bobcat. The picture you posted was snagged from another website which makes it suspect. Truth be told I don't think you know the first thing about Mt lions or lion hunting.
SoonerMedic
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The coloration points to bobcat.
The small paws point to bobcat.
The small body in general points to bobcat.
Nothing I've seen from the one picture says Mtn Lion whatsoever. The only think it could be mistaken for is a Lynx, but the paws alone show that it can't be a Lynx. Those cats have some freakishly large paws....
And not to pick sides, but I would have to agree with H&H here....especially after seeing the hunting thread he posted a few weeks back.
The small paws point to bobcat.
The small body in general points to bobcat.
Nothing I've seen from the one picture says Mtn Lion whatsoever. The only think it could be mistaken for is a Lynx, but the paws alone show that it can't be a Lynx. Those cats have some freakishly large paws....
And not to pick sides, but I would have to agree with H&H here....especially after seeing the hunting thread he posted a few weeks back.
buck460XVR
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I have never hunted cougar, but I have seen many a bobcat. There is no doubt at all the cat in the pic is a Bobcat. Spotted coloration, a black tip on it's tail and the black outline on the pointed ears. As H&H said, the size is misrepresented because of the staging of the picture. Hunting the desert where nuttin' is taller than 5 feet, has nuttin' to do with the pic, as it obviously was taken in heavily wooded mature forest.
wankerjake
Member
LOL It's a bobcat, pretty good sized one. Bobcat tails vary in length, that one kinda has a long one. 6 inches or so by the looks of it.
Lion tails are more like, what, 3 feet long? Plus they look different than that.
Lion tails are more like, what, 3 feet long? Plus they look different than that.
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wankerjake
Member
Exactly what the only experienced lion hunter I know told me. They are just scared of dogs and much prefer to tree than to fight. He's a houndsman which I agree are the only folks who are going to regularly witness and deal with lions.
Bears he said were a different story. They don't mind a fight. He doesn't intentionally run bears.
wankerjake
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As an aside, if I'm not mistaken, that is a photo of a very large lion that was hit by a vehicle near Williams AZ. I have seen that picture and I think that's where.
Zaydok Allen
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As a professional forester I've been blessed with the privilege of seeing a lot of critters in their natural habitat. That includes bobcats and mountain lions.
That is without a doubt a large bobcat. No doubt in my mind.
That is without a doubt a large bobcat. No doubt in my mind.
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I've never personally lost a dog to lion. I've had several killed or mangled bad enough that they had to be shot running bears.
WestKentucky
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There are a couple things playing into this picture. That kitty is several feet in front of the guy making it appear much larger that it is. The displayed animal is not positioned extremely well either, but it is well enough to see the ears, tail, paws, and markings. I admit I know almost nothing about a lynx. Out of the North American cats, the ears and coloration eliminate a lion and a panther. Ocelot is absolutely disqualified by pattern. The remaining options that I'm aware of are bobcat and lynx. Lynx are snow-critters and have big paws to not posthole through the snow. Those paws do not look big enough for that so the lynx is eliminated.
That is a bobcat. Looks to be a big one with a thick winter coat. He's a beauty and I can't imagine myself putting a bullet in that beautiful of a critter. They avoid people, typically are not destructive on livestock, and they take care of a lot of pests. In areas full of hogs they make a good living on piggies that stray away from momma (I spent an afternoon watching a momma cat teach her kittens how to get piggies one day in a bow-stand looking for white tails). I don't fault the hunter for taking the critter, I just can't imagine doing it myself.
That is a bobcat. Looks to be a big one with a thick winter coat. He's a beauty and I can't imagine myself putting a bullet in that beautiful of a critter. They avoid people, typically are not destructive on livestock, and they take care of a lot of pests. In areas full of hogs they make a good living on piggies that stray away from momma (I spent an afternoon watching a momma cat teach her kittens how to get piggies one day in a bow-stand looking for white tails). I don't fault the hunter for taking the critter, I just can't imagine doing it myself.
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