# **** Cougar



## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

It would seem I have a cougar problem...

Over this past weekend, my daughter's cat snuck outside. This isn't such a big deal as we got him to rid us of voles and he only recently became more of an indoor cat. A week previously, he went out, stayed out all night and when he was on the doorstep in the morning, he was freaked out and didn't go back out for a few days. This last time, he went out and has not been seen since. What WAS seen the night after he went out, was an adult male cougar. We live with our back yard backing up to the hollow by Hobbs Creek Resv. Anyways, this sucker bounded over my back fence like it was a speed bump, smelled around and had particular interest in the tree the cat liked to frequent.

Needless to say, I fear the worst and now all of my family is freaked out and refuses to go into the back yard within an hour of dusk and once it's dark, the dogs are kept inside. While I'm strongly considering the Triple S solution, and I've also considered putting up a snare-style foot trap and trapping him, I'd like some input from y'all. I am not a cat person by any means, and I have considered getting rid of him several times, but death by mother nature is not something even a house cat deserves.

Thoughts?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Have you contacted the DOW about it yet? Others in your neighborhood may of also had problems with him and if they did they may set out a trap for it.

You also might want to see if there are any coyotes hanging around. House cats are one of their favorite snacks.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Narient said:


> It would seem I have a cougar problem...
> 
> What WAS seen the night after he went out, was an adult male cougar. We live with our back yard backing up to the hollow by Hobbs Creek Resv.
> 
> ...


A couple of thoughts. First, if you want to live by nature, expect nature. "Death by mother nature" isn't a deserved thing, or not deserved thing. It just is part of nature. I'm sure Mr. Cougar didn't pull up and think "Wow! A house cat, I bet it's name is Fluffy, and belongs to some adorable little girl. I should kill and eat it." It was probably more like "I'm hungry. There's food." ANY small critter, or big critter for that matter,in cougar habitat, is prey base. I am sad for your family to lose your cat, but cougar (or coyote) has to eat something.

For remedy, I'd put out a trail cam or something in your back yard. And instead of locking up the dogs (unless they are little furball mop dropkick dogs like my wife's shiztu), I'd let them out to bark like heck when Tom Cougar shows up and chase it off. Heck, maybe they tree the thing and DWR can come and tranq it and haul it somewhere else or dispatch it. For sure I'd get a trail cam out though. If nothing, to have some really cool pictures of a cougar in your backyard. That would be cool.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Several years ago a neighbor called and said to keep the pooches inside as a cougar had been spotted in our neighborhood. Our windows in our sunken family room were at ground level and I worked from home at that time. I simply walked down to the basement got my duck gun and put 3 loads of 00 buck in it and kept it next to where I was working on the main floor. I figured if it somehow managed to get over the fence into our fenced yard it would be carried out lifeless. I could have pleaded that I was threatened, the windows were easy for it to get in and I had no choice. Luckily it never came into our yard and vanished.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I hear Bax* has a cat that might take care of your cougar problem


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I'm a BIG fan of Cougars. 

I'll take care of her :mrgreen:


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

Ha!

I did reach out to the DoW and am waiting for a response. I've been in the area for a little over 3 years now and have traversed the hollow several times, but I've never seen any sign of coyotes. Then again, I never found any sign of this cougar either and I've learned that it's been around for a while now. And I understand that encounters like this should be expected, given my home's location, but coming into my yard and causing trouble is going to stir the pot. 

We'll see what happens. I thought about the game camera idea. If somebody wants to loan me one, I'll be sure to get pictures of deer, foxes and raccoon to provide in return and hopefully good shot of the cougar to boot. Otherwise, I have too many other things to buy first.


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

So...just a thought....the triple S method is now missing one of its key components since you told the whole world that you were considering...now it's only the two S method.


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

Or you could just shoot it in the gut and forget the other 2 S's.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Iron Bear said:


> Or you could just shoot it in the gut and forget the other 2 S's.


I would never admit this but according to a semi-somewhat-reliable source who's father may or may not live in a state that starts with the letter I, his father may or may not seem to be a very bad shot on wolves. It seems that he hasn't been able to fill his wolf tag despite taking numerous shots at them. Something about always missing and hitting them in the gut and they run off and he can't find them, of course that is just hearsay and is probably a lie anyway.


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