Bobcat Showdown

tpotter01

In the Brooder
10 Years
Mar 10, 2009
31
0
32
I live out in rural Florida. I have several chichens, a few ducks and some guinea fowl.

Had a bobcat visit the other week. He got a hold of one of my ducks. My partner heard the commotion and ran outside but it was to late. He did manage to chase off the bobcat but this beast was not afraid of him at all and just sauntered off.

Later that day I hear the guineas raising a cry. I look out the window and sure enough the bobcat was coming back. Suddenly my guineas ran straight at him crying the whole way.

I thought DARN IT! I just lost all my guineas!

But believe it or not the bobcat turned and ran off! The guineas actually chased him off. And the thing has not been back since!
 
It's amazing what some animals do. I was intrigued to hear a friend of mine who owns a sheep farm always kept a donkey out with his sheep herd when they were out to pasture. I guess before they were losing a lot of lambs to coyotes. Since they've been keeping the donkeys with them, they haven't lost one!! Nasty ol cusses I guess!
 
He or she will be back. You can pretty much count on it.

Ironically, I got a shot off at one today. Saw him last week when he tried to get my peafowl. Well, the cat came back. Stepped right out onto the driveway in almost the same spot as before. I’m pretty sure he’s after my peafowl because I saw them fly off again. Then the guineas sort of ran over to see what all the fuss was about but then flew out of there and a few seconds later the bobcat stepped out onto the drive. I ran down, grabbed the rifle, and ran to the door. Managed to get him in the scope as he was just stepping into the woods again. Got a shot off but clearly missed him.

I just noticed a couple of days ago that I’m missing my Show Winning Swedish Blue Drake. I looked around and found nary a drop of blood, feather, or anything. The only thing I can figure is that the cat leaped the fence, grabbed the duck, and took off with him.

Two years ago I had something killing my birds and one of my pullets was actually killed right inside my coop. So I tethered my two beagles up so they could reach just to the edge of my coop but not go inside. (They don't bother my chickens or ducks now.) And wouldn't you know it, one night I went to my Home Fellowship Group about 1730 and came home about 2100 to find another bird dead in the coop.

At first I was pretty sure I was dealing with a coon because I couldn't imagine anything else would be so brazen as to walk right by the nose of two beagles that would've been going nuts. But then a couple of days later I noticed a bobcat at the edge of the fence. Then the next day I heard Buck howling like mad, saw the goats and llamas looking across the fence like, "What are you doing? You ain't up to no good!" and I looked over and saw a bobcat laying down at the edge of the pond just waiting for one of my ducks to make a mistake.

Well, I walked out on the deck and took my trusty 12 gauge which I happend to put my Turkey Superchoke on the first time I saw the cat, and I loaded a 1 and 3/4 ounce #2 shell into the chamber. Rolled that potlicker clean over at 40 yards.

Unfortunately, he managed to get to his feet and run off into the woods and briars. I searched for three days for that cat but to no avail. I'm pretty sure he probably crawled under a brushpile and died but I never found him or smelled him later on either. I sure would have loved to have put him on the wall of my log home. And I hear that cougars are really good eatin'. I imagine bobcats can't be much different?

Best to keep you gun at the ready. I bet he'll be back. Once they find a steady food source, they'll lock onto it until it's gone.

God Bless,
 
YIKES!

No I won't be shooting at a bobcat. I share his habitat. I will just take extra precautions with my birds. The bobcat is just doing what bobcats do.

Stray dogs, on the other hand, are the results of a careless humans, those need to be shot.
 
I think that bobcat would die of natural causes around my place. Lead poisoning. Lead is a natural element after all. I would take no enjoyment out of it though. If it comes down to my animals or a predator, the predator would lose. If I can help it.
 
Quote:
A lot of donkeys don't like canines--and the more they look like wild predatory ones the less the donkeys like them. A lot of the cattle pastured around here have donkeys out in the fields with them.

I tell my friends with big dogs not to bring them to visit because if they get out in the pasture Mocha (my big donkey) might go after them. Now if only he could tell me what got six of my chickens day before yesterday!
barnie.gif
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom