Shorts still clean after a close encounter with a Cougar.

[Mousefield]

So this morning I moved our 2 cows ( about 9 months old ) from the pasture in front of the house into the pasture at the back of the barn. About 1:35 this afternoon, as I was loading my trailer with firewood near by I noticed our 8 year old Lab on the other side of the far fence. She gave a little bark, about the 5th or 6th time in the 1½ years we had her and thought it was the cows she had barked at. Both cows were agitated but thought is was because of the dog and being in the new pasture. So the dog comes back around the pasture and then, a minute or two later, a cougar. It had to come around some logs I have stacked for milling and that's why I didn't see it till it got close. I had a couple pieces of firewood in my hand and took a step towards it. Yelled as loud as I could, threw the firewood at it and it trotted off back into the bush. I paced off how close it came and it was 24 feet. Sorry no pictures of the cat. Pretty surprised as it was the early afternoon, thought they hunted from dusk to dawn. This is the 3rd time we have seen cougars in the past 8 years.

 

[lockhaven]

very scary considering that they do attack best be packing some heat in the future

 

[idaho2]

Mousefield,

That's getting too close for comfort. Animals have better hearing and senses than we do. I'd pay attention to their early warning actions. Between wolves & big cats I'd have protection handy at all times to protect livestock at the least.

idaho2

 

[Combustix]

Idaho2 is right on watch your animals, when they seem like they are acting strange they see what you don't. Wife has shot two coyotes this year by watching the ducks and goats. We have cats in the area but so far no problems with them.

 

[lockhaven]

we have bears but bears are no problem I cant imagine having those big cats around

 

[RobertBrown]

I would have changed the forecast by creating negative pressure as I sucked all of the air out of the atmosphere with the giant gasp.
It would probably be the first day of fall in Vancouver if that had happened to be.......


You think it was stalking your Lab?

 

[Mousefield]

I would have changed the forecast by creating negative pressure as I sucked all of the air out of the atmosphere with the giant gasp.
It would probably be the first day of fall in Vancouver if that had happened to be.......


You think it was stalking your Lab?

I did phone the conservation office and that is what they think, it was after the dog. We had our 97 chickens out free ranging in the same area. Apparently cougars are not too fond of chickens; at least that’s what the conservation officer said. We have one of the largest concentrations of cougars and black bear in North America on Vancouver Island so we know they are out their, just a little to close for comfort this time.

 

[bullbreaker]

Time to mount a scabbard on the tractor !
Glad everything OK for now Mouse. Might want to alert your neighbors also.

Boone

 

[lockhaven]

Time to mount a scabbard on the tractor !
Glad everything OK for now Mouse. Might want to alert your neighbors also.

Boone

that is way too nice to mount on a tractor

 

[Mousefield]

We did let our neighbors know shortly after my heart started again.
For the next while I will have my S & W 357 on my hip.