Cougar!!

[Skye727]

My 13 year old went out to close the coop at midnight last night. The chickens were in bed already. I was at work so not sure why it was so late. He saw something crouching by the coop staring at him. It got up and ran past him right towards town! I live right in downtown in a very small town. We are surrounded by farmland on the other Side. He said it was about 45 lbs and tan and had a cat face. Sounded like a small cougar! I showed hi
Pictures of everything else it could be. It only could have been a cougar! Do I report it? Should I worry it will come back?

 

[iwiw60]

Hello from Central Oregon! Wow, that was a close call. Most likely it could have been a bobcat or young mountain lion. Now that your predator knows where "dinner" is, oh yeah...he'll be back alright. From the sounds of your post I'm assuming you let your flock free-range? If you are you should not allow them to. Do you have a trail cam that you can capture pics of it with?

 

[Skye727]

I don't free range unless I'm out there. I hope that thing doesn't come back! I have kids!

 

[iwiw60]

I don't free range unless I'm out there. I hope that thing doesn't come back! I have kids!

Well, I'm the type of chicken mama that goes by the S - S - S ....

SHOOT .. SHOVEL .. SHUT UP

 

[bigmrg74]

My 13 year old went out to close the coop at midnight last night. The chickens were in bed already. I was at work so not sure why it was so late. He saw something crouching by the coop staring at him. It got up and ran past him right towards town! I live right in downtown in a very small town. We are surrounded by farmland on the other Side. He said it was about 45 lbs and tan and had a cat face. Sounded like a small cougar! I showed hi
Pictures of everything else it could be. It only could have been a cougar! Do I report it? Should I worry it will come back?

Report it. It knows where Food is at, and like you said, you have kids. Far better all around to have Animal Control come in and relocate it to some location where its better suited for its survival without interfering with yours. Being that you're in a town, it would be a little harder for you to use the SSS method. And a mountain lion is a protective species. I would think that it would be pretty easy for AC to come in and set up a trap near your coop, and have you call them when it caught.

 

[iwiw60]

Report it. It knows where Food is at, and like you said, you have kids. Far better all around to have Animal Control come in and relocate it to some location where its better suited for its survival without interfering with yours. Being that you're in a town, it would be a little harder for you to use the SSS method. And a mountain lion is a protective species.

I disagree...mountain lion aka cougar IS allowed to be hunted in the State of Oregon:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/Hunting/big_game/cougar/index.asp

 

[6of6chicks]

Oh...my...goodness.

Please don't let that live in TX, please don't let that live in TX, PLEASE don't let that live in TX...

I've been hanging out on the predator threads because I'm new to chicken keeping and it seems like every time I click on someone's post I learn something new. Or - rather - I learn about some other animal that NEVER occurred to me might want to gnosh on my chickens. I thought I finally knew *all* the predators I might face...then I saw that picture. **sigh**

OP - report that thing to animal control so they can trap it or SSS. I'm all for sparing animal lives and usually argue in favor of "shooing" rather than "shooting." But if that came face to face with my kid I'd be flipping out! So lucky your son wasn't hurt!!

 

[bigmrg74]

I disagree...mountain lion aka cougar IS allowed to be hunted in the State of Oregon:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/Hunting/big_game/cougar/index.asp

Just because something is allowed to be hunted, it doesn't mean that they're not legally protected. They got you jumping thru a lot of hoops there to bag and tag one, and you would have to submit the hide, skull, proof of sex and the female reproductive track to them so that they can make sure she doesn't have kittens somewhere. All within 10 days and unfrozen as well. Plus there is that whole no hunting in town there as well. For the original poster, who said that they live in town, I would think having the ODFW come in and trap and relocate the cougar would be a much simpler and less costly deal for them.

SSS would be a last resort type of deal here if you got them coming out with a trap.

 

[bustedchicks]

Animal control relocation always ends in the death of an animal. I would do more to attract deer. The cougar will leave your chickens alone!

 

[RedJungleFowl]

Not to be sounding mean but hey its either u do something about that cougar or its gonna cost u some chicken or even worst your KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that is something I hope never ever will happen so I think the best thing to do is to call animal control. Because its either the chickens or your kids or even u. Sorry if this sounds a little mean it was not meant to be mean.