babyblue wrote:
"You seriously need to do some research before you start spouting off and trying to sound all important and wise. Bobcats can and will get much larger then 20 pounds. Just like coyotes can get far larger then 20-30 pounds. They can and will attack humans, adult or child as well as any and all livestock. Particularly if they are sick, starving or especially if they have starving kittens.....And most importantly you do not know they laws and regulations of where the rest of us live. So dont act as if the rest of us are stealing your precious wildlife when it is fully legal for ME to shoot and dispose of ANYTHING actively attacking or harassing my children or my livestock."
Important and wise?
Well, I do have a graduate degree in ecology and more than 20 years of experience in the field and have worked in nearly every state in the country including Hawaii. I've worked as a biologist in academia, the private sector, and for state governments and for the federal government. That doesn't make me important or wise. It does make me experienced and educated. Laws of course vary from state to state but we all have access to the laws with a simple keystroke.
Sure, bobcats have attacked people. These are usually cats infected with rabies, although bobcats are not a primary rabies vector. Any rabid animal is unpredictable and could attack. I think we all know that. The size (weight) of a bobcat will vary with age, sex, habitat, region, etc. But whether you are dealing with an animal weighing in at 15 pounds or 35 pounds they simply do not represent a mortal threat. You can literally kill a bobcat with your bare hands. These aren't mountain lions folks. To my knowledge there has been no human fatality from a wild bobcat at any time in our country's history.
I completely agree that coyotes in the Eastern U.S. are wreaking havoc with the ecosystem. They are not native to that part of the country. But we weren't talking about coyotes....
Finally, it's not MY "precious wildlife". Our country's natural resources belong to all of us including future generations. It's easy to get hot headed and emotional when something is happening to you and on your own property no less! I personally don't want any of my chickens killed. I don't like trespassers on my property or people telling me what to do. But I would encourage people in any situation to calm themselves before acting and think things through. We live in a society. There are a lot of us and laws exist so that we can all get along without killing each other. There needs to be mutual respect and consideration. You may be able to justify to yourself blowing away any critter that does you wrong on your side of the property line. But that's the sort of 19th century thinking that lost us the passenger pigeon, hence my user name and avatar.