Should I try and kill this bobcat?

[Betsy57]

I didn’t see from earlier responses but here in Georgia, bobcats can be hunted and killed, but only during regulated seasons. However, Georgia Dept of Natural Resources will usually give a kill or trap permit if requested in a case like yours. The last permit I got was for foxes and it was gods for 30 days and it was unlimited with respect to numbers. Just be sure that if you are going to take action, you aren’t looking at any legal issues with state.

With that said, if one is attacking my chickens, dogs or anything else, I will sort any issues out with law enforcement later.

I've gotten two 30 day nuisance permits from IDNR and shot two of them. There are so many around here.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Shoot it.

Sx3

 

[mowin]

Here's my vote...

 

[CaretakerCarol]

We have lucked out here and have not lost any of our poultry to local predators. We have an overabundance of coyotes, owls, hawks, and eagles but only have only seen one bobcat hunting the area. Luckily, we also have an overabundance of wild quail and rabbits (oh - the rabbits) so our birds which are inside a fence but not a run have been left unmolested except for the occasional hawk that swoops in. We have discussed shooting the bobcat if it ever breaches the fence. All the farm animals are secured in closed pens/barns at night, and we manually release them in the morning so that predators do not form a human-free routine of preying on the emerging animals. I think raccoons know to stay in town and reap the benefits of neighborhood trash hunting.

A couple months ago, a nomad flock of chickens started living in the woods next to our fence line - 14 hens and 3 roosters. These birds were definitely acclimated to humans so I figure someone abandoned them to their own devices. While I took my time deciding what I wanted to do with this flock, the local bobcat came around and took one in the middle of the day. Because I did not want this animal hunting my fenceline for chickens, I captured and integrated these birds with my flock. The bobcat came along and prowled the fence line one time after that, but with an exceedingly loud screeching alert from the birds, we were able to make our presence a deterrent. Luckily no routine was set up to prey on chickens and - honestly - you basically trip over the wild rabbits everywhere you go.

It is Redtail Hawk (so on the small side) that predominantly tries to prey on the chickens, but our roosters do a great job of alerting and even chasing them off. I do enclose new chicks in a covered run up to 12 - 16 weeks (depending on size). If you are interested, here is a fun ring camera capture of a momma hen losing her mind when a small hawk takes up a perch across from her babies.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10157835525926158

 

[CaretakerCarol]

Here's my vote...

wow.. that is a big cat. The bobcats around her are usually about the size of a medium dog.

 

[mowin]

wow.. that is a big cat. The bobcats around her are usually about the size of a medium dog.

That was a 40lb male taken by a buddy of mine in Maine on Monday.

 

[jmendoza]

If you put bait on a hook and put it in the water, don't be surprised if you catch a fish. You have baited that Bobcat by free ranging your chickens under it's nose.
You have just discovered the clash between idealism, and the brutal reality of mother nature.

If you pursue with your idealistic dream of free ranging them unprotected next to a wild area with predators, you are going to loose all your chickens no mater how many predators you shoot.

Forget the idealism, and protect your hens and let the Bobcat live as it is supposed to. Simply put, quit baiting it with live unprotected food source. It is totally possible to construct a large run with heavy mesh and make predator and dig proof. Also make a hen house with a roost that can be tightly locked up every night so small predators cannot get at them while sleeping.

Also, get a dog to protect your birds( you have to train the dog so it will not eat them!)

 

[mowin]

If you put bait on a hook and put it in the water, don't be surprised if you catch a fish. You have baited that Bobcat by free ranging your chickens under it's nose.
You have just discovered the clash between idealism, and the brutal reality of mother nature.

If you pursue with your idealistic dream of free ranging them unprotected next to a wild area with predators, you are going to loose all your chickens no mater how many predators you shoot.

Forget the idealism, and protect your hens and let the Bobcat live as it is supposed to. Simply put, quit baiting it with live unprotected food source. It is totally possible to construct a large run with heavy mesh and make predator and dig proof. Also make a hen house with a roost that can be tightly locked up every night so small predators cannot get at them while sleeping.

Also, get a dog to protect your birds( you have to train the dog so it will not eat them!)

I've fenced in a large portion of my yard. I've made a predator proof coop and run. I've got 3 large dogs that roam the area. I've had coyotes dig under the fence. I've had coons climb the side of my shop to get in the fenced in area, so before you say electric fence, it doesn't work. I'll keep with my idealistic ways and continue to shoot every single predator that comes around, and sleep well at night afterwards.

 

[Betsy57]

I have videos of the bobcats by my front porch but they're Eufy security video and apparently not compatible with this web site. The cats here are about 40 lbs too. They're big.

 

[Betsy57]

Well, I saw a bobcat kitten last night out here. It was about the size my house cats. So cute but something else to have to worry about and deal with.