Mountain lion violence

[2zulu1]

As some of you know, I retired to a very rural area near designated wilderness. Besides awesome scenery, there's a ton of wildlife, from raptors to black bear.

Don't know who the owner was/is or if this dog was dropped off and abandoned, regardless, it was a violent death sentence for the dog.



There were the typical injuries, claw marks on the right rear flank, on its snout and a large puncture wound near its left eye, plus its neck was broken.

Estimate the dog weighed about 70lbs and may have been part German Shepherd, its teeth were yellow, meaning it didn't have dry dog food as part of its diet.

This kill was only several hundred yards from my home and I never located the dog's right front leg/shoulder.

Mountain lions are very unpredictable when it comes to dogs, a couple of years ago a neighbor who lives about a mile away from me, had both of his very large Rottweilers killed by a mountain lion, between his home and an outbuilding. .....both had broken necks and neither was eaten.

I've lost count of the number of mountain lions I've seen or caught a fleeting glimpse of, they are a magnificent animal; however, if one faces off on me, I'll protect myself.

When there is fresh lion sign, it's hard to beat a handloaded 357mag (140gr - 158gr JHP) or 44mag (200gr -240gr JHPs). A M29 Mountain gets the nod (255gr WFNs) when in and around mesquite thickets, can't forget about black bears.

 

[Manny]

Being a dog lover I feel for the poor animal, but thanks for posting. It's good to have reminders now and then that we do NOT live in a Walt Disney world.

 

[FL-NC]

I wouldn't want to shoot a mountain lion just cause they are so cool, but I definitely wouldn't have a problem doing it if one threatened me or mine.

 

[Deog]

Mountain lion will kill just for sport.

 

[dogrunner]

What the hell does "cool" have to do with it! The damn thing threatens either you or your property............you kill it!

"Cool", ends at the business end of my "06!.................inclusive of a Florida bear or cat critter........like an old friend said, gotta be a catchin' before there can be a hangin"!

 

[4v50 Gary]

I know there's a big cat in my area and I saw him last year. I hope I never have to draw on him.

 

[FL-NC]

Dog- re-read my post. I wouldn't hesitate to kill a mountain lion (or anything/anyone) that's a threat. Otherwise I would prefer to leave them alone, in Fl or anywhere else. We have them in Fl.- they are called Fl. panthers- very rare and protected. I don't kill things unless they fall into 1 or more categories:
1. food
2. threat
3. legitimate pest

 

[Iggy]

Mountain lions are beautiful critters, but you'll seldom see that one that gits you.

 

[witchhunter]

The dog didn't see it until it was too late. Almost every animal that a lion kills happens just like that, I hunted these cats for 20 years, they rarely miss. They attack from behind and climb up the animal from the flanks, ride them down and bite the neck in two. They can pick up a deer in their mouth and drag it to where they feel safe eating it.

 

[Barry the Bear]

We've had some sightings if mountain lions here in the TX Hill country but I've yet to see any in the neighborhood however a .357 or .44 spl is never out of arms reach from me

 

[Leanwolf]

DEOG - "Mountain lion will kill just for sport."

You're correct.

When I lived in Calif. I knew some ranchers on the western slope up in the lower Sierra and they told me of various episodes where they witnessed mountain lions doing just that. One told me he found over 40 of his sheep killed, saw the lion dancing around on the dead sheep. He took a shot at it, missed, and the lion ran off into the brush.

I saw three mountain lions up in the Sierra, two up close and personal. The other was across an old burn. He drifted into the trees and I did not see it again. They are magnificent animals, but it is very, very foolish to take them for granted.

L.W.

 

[FL-NC]

All cats for the most part will attempt to attack from behind and go for the neck. Jaguars will try to crush the head. People in India who go in the woods for whatever reason will often wear plastic halloween masks on their heads with the mask face rearwards in the hopes it will make a tiger think its been "busted" and not attack. Even lowly domesticated house cats will kill things and not eat them.

 

[X-Rap]

Dogs frequently kill for fun, cats bring dead stuff home and lay at the door. I've never seen a lion dance on dead sheep, love to have that picture.
Seen a few lions in the wild, kinda like bears, way to much worry about something that is less likely to get you than lightning or cancer.

 

[jmorris]

Mountain lion will kill just for sport.

For years I have thought cats and humans are unique in this way.

Watching a "farm" cat (only male calico cat I have ever seen) repeatedly take a mouse to the center of the barn and let it go. Only to catch it before it made it to either end and bring it back to the center again for another try.

 

[SwaneeSR]

Some of you gentlemen live in a rough neighborhood!

Most of our predators walk on two legs.

We have had a couple instances of wolves taking a family dog recently. Mountain lions seem to be up a whole class of trouble compared to a wolf or coyote.

 

[BudgetBucks1]

I live in the mountains of North Carolina and in 2008 at around 10pm one night I heard my golden retriever growling and bumping into my front door. I grabbed my glock and headed to the door. I flipped on the front porch light and a mountain lion that was quite a bit larger than my 60 lb dog was attempting to drag my dog off the front porch. I opened the front door and attempted to shoot but couldn't get a clear shot for my dog being in the way. The mountain lion ran to the edge of the woods and began screaming over and over again. It sent chills down my spine. I haven't been in the woods since without a pistol(sometimes bear spray). I reported this to the game warden and he told me that isn't what I saw. He said it was a bobcat. I pointed to the bobcat that I have mounted in my living room and assured him again that it was nothing like a bobcat but exactly like a mountain lion and again he told me I was crazy. We have them on the east coast but they aren't as numerous, and they will attack dogs(or maybe I just wasn't taking my schizophrenia medication that night).

 

[rodwha]

"Seen a few lions in the wild, kinda like bears, way to much worry about something that is less likely to get you than lightning or cancer."

Tell that to those who've suddenly found themselves under one. Those minimal chances weren't in their favor that day were they.

I'm guessing because statistics show your not likely to get into a car accident that seat belts are silly as is locking your doors since home invasions aren't likely either.

On another note I, too, would like to see the video of a cougar dancing on a carcass.

 

[Leanwolf]

RODWHA - " On another note I, too, would like to see the video of a cougar dancing on a carcass. "

Rodwha, I imagine you and X-RAP are referring to my story about the rancher who told me what he saw. There was no video. This was before ever person carried a camera of some kind and considered himself John Ford.

The rancher told me that there were dead sheep all over his pasture and a mountain lion was bouncing up and down on the dead sheep, jumping from one to the other and bouncing more. He took a shot at it and missed. The sheep had all been killed by the lion. Only a few bites of a couple of sheep had been eaten. The rancher said it appeared to him that the mountain lion was having quite a good time.

My wife and I owned a vacation home up in the Sierra at that time and over the years I'd come to know several of the ranchers who ran cattle and sheep there in the lower Sierra and on grazing permits up in the Sequoia Nat'l. Forest. I know for a fact, even though mountain lion hunting was banned in Calif. in 1972 by the bunny huggers, PETA, and anti-hunting groups, the ranchers up there believed strongly in the old practice of three "Ss."

Shoot, Shovel, and Shutup.

L.W.

 

[FL-NC]

Budget- I thought mountain lions had been gone in NC for a LONG time. Could be some jackass had one as an "exotic pet" and it escaped. Weirder things have happened.....

 

[2zulu1]

I know there's a big cat in my area and I saw him last year. I hope I never have to draw on him.

They can be very elusive and can be very close without being seen. Some years ago I was out back grading a road through an area of dense mesquite. Got off the tractor and was looking around for what else that needed to be done, walking back to the tractor 20 minutes later and saw this 5.5" wide lion print over my size 11 hiking boot.



Never saw the cat and the sound of the tractor and blade didn't seem to bother it. When you're out alone in the middle of nowhere it's an intensely sobering experience to realize such a large predator can be so close and remain unobserved.

Here's a different road I was grading out back, a year or two time difference between the above pic;



If you look close, you can see the large lion tracks paralleling the hiking boot tracks. Finger tip to finger tip, my outstretched arms are about six feet wide, about the same length as three of those lion tracks.

When active on the property, this cat had/has a 10-14 day roaming schedule.

Wish you the best with that big cat hanging around in your neighborhood, are you able to do any road grading where you are at?

 

[Art Eatman]

South Brewster County, Texas, has a goodly number of cougars. A buddy of mine baited one in, some 20 years back. Shot three times, all misses. Later, telling the story back home, he got so excited again that he missed the cat three more times!

 

[jmorris]

I have had these images for a number of years but neither are mine.



Always thought you would have to be pretty sneaky to get this close and trail a deer.

 

[Paul7]

Mountain lion will kill just for sport.

Just like a domestic cat.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Seen a few lions in the wild, kinda like bears, way to much worry about something that is less likely to get you than lightning or cancer.

Ding Ding Ding! Winner of the "challenged" comment of the day.

Your statistical likelihood of having a negative encounter with a mountain lion or bear when you live in large urban areas kinda skews the numbers for the folks who live in places with extensive urban/wilderness interface zones. Kinda like saying that since the probability of falling victim to gang violence in Meeteetse, WY is about zero, the probability of gang violence in Newark, NJ should also be about zero.

My family's multiple experiences over the past 30 years has shown that preparing for potentially hostile encounters with cats and bears on a daily basis is not some sort of fantasy, it is REALITY.

 

[buck460XVR]

While big cats may seem violent to us, to them, it is just how they survive. How God intended them to be. No different than sharks in the ocean or muskies in fresh water. The Good Lord gave them teeth and claws for a reason, not just to scare mankind. The taking down of prey is never a pretty sight. Even when the predator is human. The death of the dog in the OP was not the cat's fault, but the fault of the owner that either dumped it out there or allowed it to roam. Again, the cat was just doing what came natural to it, eliminating competition for food and having a snack at the same time. As for the dancing cat thingy....sounds like an old wives tale to me.......kinda like the Boogeyman.

the ranchers up there believed strongly in the old practice of three "Ss."

Shoot, Shovel, and Shutup.

You say that like it's a good thing. Serial killers and murderers use the same practice. They, like the poacher ranchers are criminals. The High Road is not the place for suggesting or endorsing criminal activities.