Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    5,095
    Thanked: 1922

    Bobcat behavior?

    A bobcat has moved in to our backyard. I've never seen one before but understand that they can kill goats. I also understand that they usually lie in wait and pounce or run in a short spurt. My goats are surrounded by a six foot fence but there are trees nearby. My question is this: would a bobcat climb a tree and try to drop onto a goat? Come to think of it, would it even come this close to the house if humans are around?

    Thanks.

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to janedoe For This Useful Post:

    Bamps (12-01-2014)

  3. #2
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    Answer to your questions: Yes.

    Do you have animal control there? I'd try to have it captured. None of your critters are safe, nor are you if you're out there and it's hungry (most likely if it's sick).

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to SunDance For This Useful Post:

    janedoe (11-30-2014)

  5. #3
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    Just occurred to me...it might be staying in your area BECAUSE of your critters...and a 6 foot fence isn't a deterrent.

    They're pretty animals but not ones I'd want around my property.

  6. #4
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    Just for giggles, I Googled "are bobcats attracted to marijuana smoke?" and found an entry from a BEAR expert (didn't look at his credentials) who stated that there isn't any proof of this but he'd not smoke in bear country because great senses of smell could detect the smoke and possibly be sufficiently interesting for investigating. If bobcats are anything like bears, this might be a way to get your neighbor to give up her smokes....if she cares about the safety of her kids. (yeah....I don't think so, either)

    (OK...I said it was for giggles....but you never know....)

  7. #5
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,136
    Thanked: 5108
    Bobcat | Basic Facts About Bobcats | Defenders of Wildlife

    I've never seen or heard a Bobcat. They are pretty wary of humans, making me wonder if it's injured or otherwise impaired and seeking out food easier than it's usual wild food.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to Snowshoe For This Useful Post:

    janedoe (11-30-2014)

  9. #6
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    5,095
    Thanked: 1922
    Well, I locked up my goats. Poor goats. But they should be safe at night now. My husband told a neighbor who hunts. Nothing else seems to deter them.

    OMG with the pot smoking neighbor! Her dog was in our backyard today after her cat disappeared. You would think that she might figure stuff out at this point. But no.

    We'll never avoid the predators, I'm afraid. The boarding school has been expanding their collection of livestock and poultry so it will always be an issue. Their barn is about 150 feet away in a direct line through the woods. I actually think we're getting more wildlife because of construction. Fortunately, our rodent population (squirrels and chipmunks) went through the roof this year because of the weather so hopefully the bobcat will have enough to eat until we figure it out. It's hanging out about an acre down and more research today told me that they go for the easy stuff first. Less than 10% of sheep and goat kills are bobcat related and they think that's an inflated figure since they eat carrion. In the meantime, we'll do lockdowns except in the middle of the day and the motion detector light is on full blast. Apparently, they don't like bright light.

  10. #7
    Senior Dog Bamps's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    AZ
    Posts
    1,860
    Thanked: 1183
    I used to track Bobcats with hounds years ago, YES, it can scale the fence, no problem and yes it can kill goats, dogs, calves, etc., etc. call animal control and get it out of there.

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to Bamps For This Useful Post:

    janedoe (12-01-2014)

  12. #8
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    1,342
    Thanked: 729
    Bobcats are common here especially on the outskirts of town. Get rid of it, even though they are shy cats, they are not nice especially if they are hungry. Like Bamps said, they can scale walls, climb trees

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to ZoeysMommy For This Useful Post:

    janedoe (12-01-2014)

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •