Mountain lions and bobcats

[Welshies]

That's why I haven't made the purchase yet. I haven't looked into them too thoroughly yet. I hate buying something without putting in the research!

I totally suggest StealthCam.

 

[NikAndHerChicks]

I totally suggest StealthCam.

Great! Thanks! Now I have a reference point for my research!

 

[Pensmaster]

How do you dispose of a turkey carcass after Thanksgiving dinner?

Because I'm (sheepishly) here to tell you, don't bury it at the far back of your property thinking no one will dig it up and eat the entire gross thing.

Bone soup works well for carcass.
Buried skunks don’t stay buried either.

 

[Pensmaster]

I totally suggest StealthCam.

Which series do you like. There are several

 

[Welshies]

Which series do you like. There are several

Hmmm, I don't remember off of the top of my head. I love my Stealthcams; I'll see if I can find their type.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

Don’t know about that but I’ve heard they can clear a 6 foot fence with an adult deer.

There is a cougar in our area. It put a deer 12 foot up in a tree. They typically have a pretty massive territory. My property goes a quarter mile back into a cedar swamp, and I have tracks and scat on the back of my property. The scat was on a 6foot high deck of my deer blind, with the only reasonable means of getting onto it is by ladder. Scat filled with bone and fur. I don’t go back there unarmed, and have been stalked.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

It does sound like the bigger concern for our chickens is bobcats, not cougars. It's possible the scat on our property is bobcat. I made a great climbing gym for them with the six foot tall 2x4" welded fencing around the chicken run. The first three feet at the bottom is 1/2" hardware cloth stitch to the fencing with wire. But a running leap will put them above the hardware cloth and it's an easy climb from there.

100% your concern is Bobcat. Cougars are in the “market” for bigger game.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

So, for some reason it never occurred to me to listen to the sounds a cougar makes. We just listened to this.

And that's what we heard in our woods last night, not far from where I found the scat. It was less screechy but definitely just like the cougar in the video. They have a large territory, even the females, right?

Could there be a cougar den down there? Do they make dens? Oh, boy.

They have a massive territory.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

My 12 year old son swears he saw a cougar in our backyard a couple of months ago. At the time we were being extra vigilant because we had lost 3 hens in 4 weeks to unknown predators. Our hens no longer free range (given the excessive cold this winter- even if were to let them out, I don't think they'd go right now!), but we have still been closely monitoring tracks in our yard. I immediately dismissed him because- according to the Michigan DNR- there haven't been any cougars (AKA Mountain Lions) in the Lower Peninsula since 1906. (It doesn't help that my 12 year old also thinks that Jack-elopes exist, and that there is a Swampsquatch that lives in the swamp next door ... or is it .) *sigh* Either way, I had to reassess my snap judgement (of dismissal) when I found tracks & definitely feline scat. I'm not saying it was definitely a cougar, but there have been a rash of recently reported cougar sightings in the area, also an increase in reported bobcat sightings. DNR still denies they are in this part of the state, though!

I really need to get a trail cam.

@NikAndHerChicks where in Mi are you? I am in Boyne, and while there is no official proclamation of Cougars in the LP, we have multiple confirmed sightings in are area. One put a deer carcass about 12 foot up a tree last winter on the backside of the ski resort, near a cross country ski trail. I have scat and tracks at the back of my property a quarter mile into the swamp along a creek.

 

[JedJackson]

As much as I respect all wildlife, cougars terrify me beyond reason. I've had nightmares throughout my life of being attacked by them.

But the reality is that we need to learn about these creatures. It calms me when I feel I have a decent understanding of how an animal behaves and why. Do you have any experience with cougars? Have you seen one? Do you know of any cougar sightings or attacks in your area?

About two years ago, a neighbor shot and killed a cougar that took his goat. It was barely dawn when it happened, from what I recall being told. What's upsetting is that some of our other neighbors saw a fresh cougar kill on BLM land near our home and only shared this with a few people. We had just gone hiking there, and they saw us when they were there but couldn't be bothered to warn anyone?

Last month I found what is either bobcat or cougar scat on our property. I should have taken a photo. It was packed full of whitish fur and bones. I've since learned in the forums that cats only eat meat, and they eat a lot. You won't find berries in cat scat.

I'm also studying up on animal tracks. Cats tracks don't have claws. They look like dog or coyote tracks, but there are a few things that differentiate them.

Tonight I read this blog post and watched the short videos. It was very educational. We then went outside to bring in the laundry, heard an animal being attacked down the hill behind our house, and decided the laundry can wait.

https://hikingguy.com/how-to-hike/understanding-mountain-lions-when-hiking/

But seriously, watching those videos and confronting some of my fear has actually helped. I did see a mountain lion once a long time ago. It was a juvenile, no bigger than half the size of a fully grown cougar. I haven't seen one since. When a fresh cougar kill is found in a park, the rangers will close down the trail in that area or post a warning. It also sometimes makes the news. I hope to never come across a fresh kill, but if I do I'll be sure to immediately notify all of my neighbors and report it to BLM.

So, any cougar stories you care to share? Or bobcat stories?

I've seen a bobcat twice in four years. I know someone who lost a chicken to a bobcat, and I've read they have no problem scaling fences during the daytime (not just during prime hunting hours and night) and attacking chickens.

Cougars freak me out, though.

I'm in NW Washington state and we have lots of them even though sightings are fairly uncommon. A few months back someone filmed one swimming in a nearby lake, which seemed odd to me, but I guess they don't hate water like domestic cats do. There have also been sightings in town where the cats probably hunt pets and feral strays.

I remember seeing a documentary where they kept some rescued cougars in huge fenced area and seeing one hunt ducks, so they do eat small animals sometimes. But for the most part they avoid humans as much as possible and I doubt they'd bother a chicken coop the way bobcats will.

I also have to add that despite these animals being fairly common in this area I have never heard of a person here being attacked, and that includes adults and children. Even so, it pays to be cautious. I would never allow small children into any wild area unless a well prepared adult is with them. These animals are nocturnal, so extra precautions should be taken at night. I personally avoid going very far outside at night if I can help it.