Close encounter of the BC variety

[Pat]

A couple days ago returning to the new house to get back to work after lunch a few feet from our inner gate (less than a hundred yds from house) a beautiful adult bobcat ran across the driveway directly in the path of our car. We were only 15-20 feet away at the closest approach. This is my second daytime sighting in two years. The first was a juvenile about 200 ft from my mom's back door.

Neioghbors have seen bobcat crossing the road onto or off of my property a few times shortly before sunrise. Once it was mama cat and three kittens. I sure wish their favorite food was armadilo.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[GAFarmer]

Sorry to wildlife lovers, but do SHOTGUN mean anything to you??? I see cattle and horses being destroyed and lot of $$$ going out of peoples pockets.

[RichZ]

GAFarmer, I think you may be confusing bobcats with cougers. Bobcats are small, not nearly big enough to go after horses or cattle. They might go after chickens, but that's about it. In fact, a large part of their diet is rodents, so they're pretty beneficial.

[Pat]

Rich, Ever see any of those itsy bitsy little micro miniature horses? Some are about the size of a medium small dog, actually lap sized if you were so inclined. Now if an adult bobcat were deprived of other food...

GAFarmer: There are cats indigenous to N. America called variously, lion, mountain lion, cougar, panther, puma, and various local names for the same. Within fairly narrow limits they are the same species cat. There is some color variation, especially in "swamp" panthers and some others in a minor way. These cats take deer and can get a birthing cow or an unprotected calf. They rarely endanger a fit horse but it is not impossible or unheard of.

Bobcats are about like a really buff housecat on steroids. I wouldn't want to be locked in a phone booth with one but they are little or no danger to healthy deer, horses, cows, or people. They can give a dog a pretty good fight and that is one of the ways people get tangled up with them, through their dog.

Yes, I have heard of SHOTGUN, have several and know what to do with them. The particular sighting I reported lasted all of about 2-3 seconds. Not a lot of time to stop the car, jump out, and shoot a gun even if it were being carried loaded in an Easy Rider Rifle Rack (not too likely in a Toyota Prius hybrid) and I were inclined to kill such a beautiful and beneficial creature.

I reserve my gun crazy blood lust for the likes of the armadilo.

Do GOOGLE mean anthing to you??? It is a great way to fill in any gaps in your understanding. A great trait in a writer is to use words with precision and know his facts before writing on a topic.





[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[GAFarmer]

I am sorry for the confusion, I didn't mean that they would actually kill the horses, instead they normally scare them which may cause them to run into the fence and get seriously hurt. And yes, I have done my research on bobcats, it is called PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. And I don't care how pretty they look, I don't like them and never will.

[robertn]

I'm sorry, but you make it sound like if you'd blow any wild predators in to extinction. They are a threat to your livestock, blammo!

I like to hunt, fish, hike, and be outdoors. I like horses(have had a couple), eat beef ect. It's not like I'm sympathetic to PETA. But, I do not think we should just blast any critter that gets in our way.

I am not a farmer or rancher, and have not lost any livestock to predators. I do know about working on a thin margin, where small issues could make the difference between my business making/breaking.

I just don't under the part where we move out in to nature, and destroy anything that gets in our way. That is what shooting all the bobcats sounds like through this silly computer screen at least...

[GAFarmer]

Sorry if I made it sound that way, sorry. I have just heard of too many incidents where predator scares livestock and livestock gets hurt/killed and possibly injures another animal/person. And no, I don't believe in blowing everything's head off.

[RichZ]

GA Farmer, I am a farmer, raising dairy goats, heritage breed pig and free range chickens. I also have horses for pleasure, we ride, and they're pets to us. My horses, and most of my friends horses don't panic when seeing a small predator like a fox, though to my knowledge, they haven't seen a bobcat. I have seen my horses react to a fox, and the fox is very lucky to be alive. The fox was chasing one of my free range chickens in my horse's pasture. The horses spotted the fox long before I did, and when the fox was past our electric fence, our three horses took off after him. They ran right at the fox, and attempted to trample him. The fox escaped, and so did our chicken. Our horses were heros that day, and we celebrated with them with lots of horse treats. Several of our friends told us that they've seen their horses exhibit this behavior with foxes and even coyotes. Horses are pretty intelligent, and I think they know when they have the upper hand.

So, I don't think you have much to worry about with a bobcat. They are beautiful, and they're very beneficial. You may not like them, but that's no reason to kill them.

[kerr]

Hey Pat next time you get a hankerin to look around Come on down to MADIL go north to old ft.WASHITA{sp} Before you cross the river bridge at the fort go north on one of the oil field roads{ ROUGH} Not to worry If you go to the blacktop you are at the rear of TISHAMINGO W.M.A. Anyway, Easin around there on day about 15yrs ago with my son blowing on a grunt call like it was a bugle out the window a BIG bobcat followed a armadilo across the road in front of us pawing at the dilos feet with every step! neither ever knew we were there or didn't care. Maybe 15 yards in front of us . This fella was med grey, looked dirty, maybe black spots and the biggest bobcat I have ever layed eyes on.he was at least 40 lbs.! Tall and healthy and having fun fer sure altho Im sure the dilo was sweatin just a little ! [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img] There is plenty of long tail cats in that bottom too. The wife and me were going to shoot at an area { same bottom} there were folks modify old stoves and such easing ta go shoot we both look out the pass window at a big ol solid black panther sitting uprite on his butt both front feet in front of him not a foot off the road just kinda lookin at us like we was lookin at him as we kept going [ window down] . He just turned his head and watched us go by! [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] Im thinkin somewhere there are cats that can do what they want to do. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Darn pretty to look at but not to be considered as not dangerous to man or beast. Come on down and look around [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[NSbound]

" <font color="blue"> </font color> Horses are pretty intelligent"

I don't know, Rich - I've heard horses called "The Blondes of the Animal World"! <font color="black"> </font color>