Help! Bobcats attacking my chickens!!

[iasc300]

Quote:
This!!!

This is alomst exactly how we catch them during trapping season

 

[geoff40]

Tregan

The old guys I grew up around did things similar to what these others have said. They used leg hold traps, which of course are thought of as so evil today, but sometimes those old methods are really the only way. Around here they would generally hang a whole chicken wing off a branch, usually a shorter bushy pine or hemlock. But make sure it blows around in the wind, and that the wing is only 2 or 3 feet off the ground when hung. They would try to place it so the cat would likely only come in (or only COULD come in) from 1 direction, and within the final 10 or 20 feet before the tree they would carefully place/hide a few traps.

 

[Eighty806]

Hello, we also are dealing with a bobcat problem. We live in Southern OR, and today ODFW is out to assess our situation. This is our 3rd year of raising chickens. We live in a very rural setting in the mountains and have a secure coop for the chickens at night. The chicken yard is the electric netting fence which has deterred bobcats, possibly a bear, dogs in the past. The chickens are fairly close to the house and we have a large dog which roams the property, but has lately been in the house more. This bobcat has taken 6 hens and our rooster, and we have scared it off in broad daylight 3 times. It seems to have become habituated to us and while we do not wish to kill it especially we will go with what the odfw guy sets up for us. The electric netting fence caught a bobcat 2 years ago, it basically hogtied itself by the hind legs in the fence. We managed to release that one and never saw it again. Will post the options that the odfw guy has for us. We love having chickens and the eggs, down to 39 birds now.

Hi, we recently lost a couple of chickens and we thought it was hawks because the hawks attacked the flock a while back, killed the chickens but did not take the kill because we came out of the house and scared them away. Last nights, we realized when we lost the chickens the second time, it was the bobcats. Last night we witnessed the cats jumped the 6' blocked fence and came to our yard for the kill. They took another hen and injured the rooster. I don't want to kill the bobcat, can you share the odfw options so I can see what I need to do? Thanks.

 

[Scratchychiken]

I have never dealt with bobcats, but I know they are probably one of the most tricky predators to deal with. Since they run quickly, climb better than foxes, and are more dexterous with their paws than most animals (except raccoons) I would say it is tough to deal with them. I think you should contact an expert trapper, or shoot it as a last resort (and check laws of course). Basically what everyone else has been recommending. Hope you find a solution.

 

[Eighty806]

I have never dealt with bobcats, but I know they are probably one of the most tricky predators to deal with. Since they run quickly, climb better than foxes, and are more dexterous with their paws than most animals (except raccoons) I would say it is tough to deal with them. I think you should contact an expert trapper, or shoot it as a last resort (and check laws of course). Basically what everyone else has been recommending. Hope you find a solution.

Thanks. Can't see myself trapping or hunting the bobcats. We have decided to build a larger coop and construct a very large run for the chickens. So they are sorta free range,

 

[two j farm]

If you see it. Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

 

[Jlooney]

I love your site! i have found TONS of great information for the newbie raising chickens which is me!! I need some help with a predator that you don't have listed, bobcat. He has attacked, getting most of my flock. I am trying the save a heart trap but... no luck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you again!

Get a good call, and a motion decoy, and sit and wait with your favorite rifle. I'm on bobcat #7, they seem to multiply quickly.