Bobcat grabbed hen not 5 feet from me!

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

We've been successfully free ranging for over a year now and I just had this gut feeling that our luck was about to run out.

This afternoon, around 5:30pm, DH and I had just let out the chickens and were sitting on the front porch talking and watching them peck about. We heard one warning cluck and I looked over and just that moment there was a huge cloud of feathers that erupted from the side of my porch, not 5 feet away, but just around the corner out of view. We both jumped up and saw a large bobcat take off around the side of the house and up the hill with Lucy, our oldest girl and my first chicken. My DH ran in for the gun, but of course, we were out of bullets and by the time he got back, the bobcat was long gone anyways.

Of course, all the ladies are in their run and are grounded for the duration. I know that he'll be back now that he knows there's a meal. Here's my question, what next? I read on another thread about someone calling the Dept. of Ag and they came out and trapped a nuisance bobcat, and I've scoured the NC Dept. of Ag website, but haven't found a reference to that service. I'll call in the morning to check, but I was curious if anyone knows specifically who I should call? Fish and Wildlife Commission? Dept. of Ag?

Uggg, why does everything have to love chicken for dinner?

 

[theFox]

It would be whatever passes for animal control in your area or the state department of fish and wildlife.

ETA: Since I am a Fox, I can answer your question about everything loving chicken ..... They taste good, I like mine roasted and any leftovers made into a soup or chicken pie.

 

[ninjascrub69]

it'll be back, so wait for it and when it comes shoot it.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Wow! That is brazen on the cat's part!
I wish you luck with solving the situation. That's a hard one.

 

[moondog425]

You can get a live trap fairly cheap. Then you could relocate it or put it down. I would do the latter, but thats just me .

 

[kichohana]

Lucky you it was the chickens the bobcat went after. Well, I'm also in NC - Johnston County. Not nearly as pretty as where you are... but this is what I found on your county's animal control page:

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of animal control for Buncombe County outside municipal limits. They can be reached at 253-1195. The Asheville Humane Society manages the Buncombe County Animal Shelter. Buncombe County Animal Control services include:

* 24/7 call and dispatch for animal complaints and emergencies
* Certified law enforcement/animal control officers responding to all animal calls
* Animal Control phone number: 253-1195 (Citizens of the county will find that the telephone number is the same, for convenience.)

further down on the page:

"Wildlife"

Western North Carolina has experienced an increase in its human population, leading to a decrease in natural habitats for wildlife. If you are having a problem with nuisance wildlife, Asheville Humane Society recommends the following: remove any or all available food sources, and place garbage in garbage cans and secure the lids. Call the Wildlife Resources Commission at 1-800-662-7137 for further helpful information.

Whatever you do, don't trap and relocate it. That's just dumping the problem on someone else. If you can shoot it, have a hole dug first - then bury the sucker! I personally would give animal control a chance - you may not be the only person in the area having a problem with the "nuisance bobcat".

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Thanks guys, I've got calls out trying to round up a trap. I just still can't believe how brazen it was, broad daylight and people talking and carrying on not 5 feet away. Of course, he ran right by a whole flock of wild turkeys to grab my girl, arg.

I'm going to call the Wildlife commission today to see if I can get someone to come out, thanks for finding the numbers for me Kichohana. I know Smithfield very well, all my dad's side of the family (his last name is House) lives in Micro, Smithfield, Pine Level and Garner!

I wouldn't relocate on my own, for sure. I would put it down or if the Wildlife Commission is game, have them come pick it up. We'll see.

Thanks guys!

ETA: I called the Wildlife Commission and they don't do any trapping or relocating. They just told me to shoot it.

 

[aprophet]

bobcat will not usually go into a coon sized trap it needs to be a little larger then the 10 X 12 " you see at tsc and ss normally fish and wildlife deal with wild life and animal control handles domestics

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

That cat had probably had it's eyes on the hens for some time and knew that they would not be as much of a struggle as the wild turkeys would have been...he had tried them before I'll bet.

 

[CloggingChicken]

I can't believe your post as we had a bobcat run after a squirrel about 10 feet from my wife and me last Thursday. Then to see that you are just North of us really made me wonder if it might be tough on the wildlife around here and they are looking for easy prey.
We can actually hear the darned thing in the woods behind the house at night and finally put the noise with the animal when we saw it run out around 5:30 in the evening last week. My friend and I waited out there on last Saturday and even placed some fried chicken scraps about 4 ft in the air on a wire to try and lure it out. We heard it and never caught sight of it. I left the scraps all week and found prints this morning with missing scraps. Anybody have any good ideas on how to lure the darned thing out so it can be dispatched?

When we lived in Buncombe county we called about a really large bear in the yard during the day and were told by the wildlife officers that they would not do anything about the animal. We talked with others in the neighborhood and found out that any "troubled" bears caught in Asheville were taken above the neighborhood and released...becoming our problem.

Good luck with your cat issue. Hopefully you can get rid of yours faster than me!

Bill