Lrg bobcat BACK!!

[coolchickens]

Well, I can't believe it. I had a post in Oct. 08 of a bobcat getting my chickens one by one and finally a state trapper came in and caught & relocated it somewhere else. I have been feeling pretty secure, esp. since I added a livestock guard dog to the backyard, to keep predators away. Well..... yesterday AM I went out to the pen and saw a little trail of barred hen feathers disappearing into the brush and my hen was missing. Same MO as the cat caught previously. I'm sure its the same one who made it back after 4 mos. Snuck right under the nose of the guard dog at night without him hearing and he hears a pin drop at night. Last night he was up all night barking, growling and guarding the pen. Learned a little late, unfunately! Now I'm back on guard, sleepless at night, and chickens locked up tight!! Sharon

 

[Pumpkinpup]

So sorry you are having problems again, Sharon.

I hope that dog runns the pred off next time and he does not return

 

[Buster]

Let this be a lesson to those that relocate. The animal will come back to it's home. If not, then you just dumped it in another area for it to be someone else's problem. Animals have an amazing sense of direction and just because they get moved doesn't mean they will stay there. I'm not trying to bash the OP at all, I'm just saying that for me, the only option is to put the offending animal down.

 

[glassparman]

I finally got in the habit of locking the birds up at dusk and opening them up at sunset. I never leave the coupe open at night anymore. The bobcats in my area are mostly nocturnal.

Michael

 

[conny63malies]

This time go for the SSS rule. You gave it a chance.

 

[PortageGirl]

Does the state tag animals they relocate? They do in AK and if the same one comes back, they'll destroy it... if you got good results before, try calling them again, they should follow up pretty quick cause if it is the same one (and they won't know that till they catch it again) by virtue of it's being trapped and relocated once, it gets less afraid of humans and more dangerous.

 

[sandypaws]

yup the SSS....
Shoot and Secretly Stuff....
Shoot and Secretly Skin. and make Soft..
Shoot and Skin and use as a Shawl ???? yup thats what i would do..

research your local laws... maybe you can legally kill it now

OH ..and HOTWIRE your coop!!!!! keeps my bobcats out

 

[neverbdone]

Sooo sorry for your loss. I know how it feels.

I lost two chickens myself last month and was blaming the yotes. Broad daylight 50 feet from me DH and 3 golden retrievers a bobcat was 2 feet from my girls luckly with chicken wire between them. Needless to say, the kaos started. Chicks have been locked up ever since.

If I have a chance, I'll take the SSS advice - Make a very nice shawl.

 

[coolchickens]

Yah... the coops are locked up now. Spent all day making sure they were secure. The problem I'm worrying about now is that I secured last time so the cat figured out they were out during the day, even though bobcats usually don't hunt at day. He walked right into my backyard while I was on the deck and tried to grab my roos. and just stared at me! He is VERY bold, not much fear. My Akbash dog has really been patrolling the backyard now and is locked up in it with the chickens coops. Hopefully, that will work but I'm going to call the trapper anyway. They do not tag them here in CA, in fact, they really are not suppose to relocate them either but I don't want to get anyone in trouble. I'm sure he will take care of the cat this next time, if he can catch him now. I have hot wire all around the backyard but not chicken fencing hot wire.