Mountain Lions

[wantminimore]

This past summer there was a mountain lion sighting just up the road from me and since then there have been quite a few people saying they've seen one, and one guy even got a pic/video of it on his deer hunting woods camera. Someone told me it has been around for years. I'm kinda nervous about it and the safety of my animals but I haven't heard of it taking down any livestock around here. Cats go missing but you don't hear much of anything else happening.

My question is, to those that have lots of them around all the time, what do you do to protect yourself and animals, do you see them in the day, are they afraid of humans? What do I do if I see one up close?

Might sound silly but it's kinda freakin me out

 

[Shari]

We have a lot of cougars around here... way more than nature could support them even if there were no people. They get easy food eating livestock, hence the major increase in numbers.

Anyway... yes.. they can and will attack full sized horses, smaller cattle or young cattle, goats, sheep, mini's and they have no fear of people if they want something. They will normall hunt early morning and evening but depends on the animal.

Two years ago next farm down had their mare and foal attacked by a Cougar, cougar ate most of the foal and the mare was so damaged they had to put her down. I hear of other attacks from the elders in the area few times a year.

I have for other reasons, had the Head Fish and Game lady out here a number of times but did talk to her about the predator base we have here.

Only way to keep a cougar out of your pastures is to have an 8' tall fence.

I posted pictures on another thread over in the main area about fencing of our night pasture, if you want to see.

Lately,, I am more worried about the Black Bear that is marking around our fence line and tried twice to get over our lower fence in front of the house... he wasn't able to and it was easy to repare the fence

My horses wear the nice brass sleigh bells when out in the main pasture were we haven't been able to refence yet, one of us is always home all day.So we keep an eye on them. During the night they are in the Night pasture fencing. I ride out,, Dyfra is wearing bells but she is so hyper sensitive to everything around her.. I have no worries of anything sneaking up on me.

I won't be scared but just aware of things around you.

 

[Miniv]

We are within the hunting territory of two mountain lions (cougars), that we know of...... I can only tell you what we know from how they have behaved in the last few years. Other lions in other areas behave differently because of their environment.

Ours are shy, not aggressive with humans at all. They avoid obvious human presence if at all possible -- ie, scent, sound (radio), lights.....etc....... Much like our coyotes. Most of their hunting is focused on small critters with the occasional deer or antelope.

We have been told that if a winter is unusually harsh and extended, that both cougars, bob cats, and coyotes may change their behaviors and go after newborn calves. We have indeed seen that occur over one particularly bad winter. They have never threatened our minis, though.

Interestingly, the most threat we've had have been from dogs.

 

[Minimor]

Over the years there have been a number of attacks on horses (full size, even one draft horse) by cougars in this area. 1991 was the first year they were a problem, and by far the worst one for horse attacks. We had one coming around that summer, eyeing our Morgans & scaring them half to death--never have we had horses that were such absolute basket cases as ours were that summer. Willow, our old broodmare had lived her life as a range mare until we got her. she'd been so laid back with the first 2 foals she had for us, but that summer she had her baby TRAINED--one snort from her & that filly would dash to her side--it was quite amazing to see how she changed that summer when that cat started coming around! Our horses were kept up in the barnyard that year--several could have gone out on pasture but didn't--after dark they didn't venture out of the range of the yard light & stayed near the buildings. Cougars develop a liking for a certain diet & will go for that particular food (horses are popular with them once they develop a taste for horse meat)--bypassing easier prey to go after what they prefer. Obviously that summer there was a cat or two around with a definite preference for horse. Not sure what became of it, if someone quietly disposed of it or it moved on, but since that summer the cougar attacks have dwindled to one every couple, three years, and we no longer have a cat coming around here. Thank goodness--compared to the Morgans Minis would surely be easy prey.

This cat wasn't especially bold with people--it was rarely seen and those who saw it were not believed by anyone else--we heard it a few times, and it's scream scared a neighbor badly one night! But, some will be more bold. Just because a cat hasn't been a problem in one area doesn't mean another cat in another situation won't be much more aggressive toward people or domestic stock--or the other way around for that matter.

 

[Magic]

We have quite a population of mountain lions here. People not too far from us have had them in their back yards!

But that's closer to the mountains, near the trees, and we are at least a quarter of a mile, maybe half a mile, from the base of the mountains, with open ground between. Most of that open ground is farmed, so the crops are cut leaving no cover, but there is a 60 acre parcel that starts just 200 feet or so kitty-corner of our property, and that now-amber-colored tall grass would be perfect cover for a cougar. But, we have a team of Livestock Guardian Dogs, and though a cougar could take one dog fairly easily, they are far too wary to take on more than one at once. I know of people who have hunted cougar/mountain lions and they use dogs to track them. Though a cornered cougar is going to attack to protect itself! As someone else had said in a recent thread about predators, make it as hard as possible for a predator to make a meal out of your horses, and they will go looking somewhere else.

We also have a rifle if absolutely necessary.

If you see a mountain lion, DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON IT. Cats are hard-wired to chase something that runs, so keep looking at it, in the eye, make yourself as big as possible (raise your hands above your head, etc) and yell at it. Back away slowly to a safe place, but keep watching it. Most cats are afraid of people and will just run away. You said that this cougar has been around for years, so if you haven't seen it yet, you probably won't.

 

[wantminimore]

My horses wear the nice brass sleigh bells when out in the main pasture were we haven't been able to refence yet, one of us is always home all day.So we keep an eye on them. During the night they are in the Night pasture fencing. I ride out,, Dyfra is wearing bells but she is so hyper sensitive to everything around her.. I have no worries of anything sneaking up on me.
I won't be scared but just aware of things around you.

Thanks for the replies everybody, they have been helpful. Shari, are the bells to make noise to scare off or are they for you to hear in case something is after your horses and where on the halters do you put them?

I'm wondering why there has been so much talk of this mountain lion (not sure if there is more then one or not) lately if it has been around for a long time, maybe it has been seen more. I live down a dirt road with woods all around me, there are house on our front side but you can't see them and the back side of our property has the "deeper" woods and i'm on the coast of Maine. The front side is where it was spotted and someone said it ran between 2 houses chasing after a cat

I hope I never have an encounter with it. Sometimes think i'm freakin out for no reson, people have been in the woods hunting around here cutting wood and lots of other things and have been perfectly fine.

 

[Shari]

My horses wear the nice brass sleigh bells when out in the main pasture were we haven't been able to refence yet, one of us is always home all day.So we keep an eye on them. During the night they are in the Night pasture fencing. I ride out,, Dyfra is wearing bells but she is so hyper sensitive to everything around her.. I have no worries of anything sneaking up on me.
I won't be scared but just aware of things around you.

Thanks for the replies everybody, they have been helpful. Shari, are the bells to make noise to scare off or are they for you to hear in case something is after your horses and where on the halters do you put them?

.

The bells do couble duty... the high pitch ringing from the Bells tend to make the predators more weiry, because the noise changes, stops, starts and moves around. And they are for me to hear if the horses are running.. so I look out and make sure they are all right.

I use double shoe strings to hang the bells on the front of their bright colored rain sheets, on the buckle straps on front.

I don't put halters on them when they are out... my lot would just get themselves into trouble.

 

[SilverDollar]

We have had numerous mountain lion attacks over that last few months. I live in a well-populated little valley that is comprised of small horse properties (1 to 5 acres--mostly 1 acre parcels) and some agricultural. We have quite a bit of open space near us but this lion has been attacking dogs in yards in very residential housing tracts. It has also killed a goat as well as a deer on someone's property (it was a wild deer). Fish and Game has been out to try and trap it since it has been getting bolder. They believe it is a young cat. The most recent attack was at 4:30 in the afternoon and the cat was seen by the homeowner. Folks are very worried that it will attack a child. I really hope it goes back into the mountains and stays away. I have a stall for my minis but have not been locking them up; they are surrounded by my big horses.

I have tried to not let fear get the better of me but don't want to be naive. I'm on the fence as to what to do.

Should I be more concerned?

 

[Miniv]

Silverdollar, It sounds as if your Cat is behaving a little differently because it is out of its element........ Yes, I would be thinking more warily about the situation, if I were you.

 

[hahler]

that is the reason I just aquired a marlin 30-30 and a full box of shells. I've seen about a 400 pound female here already. the game and fish released around 100 of the to control the coyote population which has now spiraled out of control then they decided to release black bear (go figure) seen a small black a few days ago about 100 yards from the house. I thank god that my 2 stallions (arab & 1/4) and the dogs are keeping them at bay. around here it is the 3 s's (shoot, shovel, & shut up) good luck.. I am going to try the bell idea on some of them including the biggies thank you for the idea