There's more than one way to hunt deer.

bettis1

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Nice 8 point buck. From a ranch in west Texas.
Bob

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Nice 8 point buck. From a ranch in west Texas.
Bob

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That is one big kitty.

Look at the size compared to the chest of the buck. I have never picked one of those cats up, but I have handled many deer about that size, and the cat is even bigger.
 
Originally posted by Igiveup:
I would imagine Texas has as many, if not more, than we do in Oregon. And we have plenty!

We have them, but not that many. Most are down along the border in Soth Texas.
Every deer lease has an old drunk uncle on it that swears they have seen one, but for some reason or another nobody ever gets one.
There is a famous ranch in south Texas that has had several giant bucks killed by one. The lion has a thing for them. This has been going on for a couple years now.
 
I understand there are some in the Davis Mountains, and there are frequent reports from the Piney Woods in East Texas.

There are also black bears there, especially in the famed Big Thicket, a huge tract of wilderness. But some also say that there are Bigfoot type creatures in there. Yes, really.

T-Star
 
I would imagine Texas has as many, if not more, than we do in Oregon. And we have plenty!

Kevin in Oregon

I didn’t know Texas had any lions, though guessed maybe a few in the Big Bend area. I’ve been to Texas, there is very little public land like USFS or BLM like we have here. So I just guessed little habitat for lions.

Here in Oregon you can’t hardly throw a dead…..uh cat, without hitting one.

Here’s a link to a local news story of one that was shot in town 4 blocks from my house a few weeks ago.

http://www.mailtribune.com/app...90208/NEWS/902080325

"At 10:40 a.m., some two hours after the cougar was reported, a rifle shot broke the relative silence, causing the cat to the fall from the tree. Three more shots followed in quick succession."

"Sgt. Alderman noted that most cougars reported in the Ashland area are found on the mountainous side of the town, particularly in areas where there are few homes.

"Those we just leave alone," he said."


Emory
 
Hey, what's the deal? Thought they only took the old or weak...at least that's what the "experts" say about our northern pal the timber wolf..
 
Animals are creatures of habit just like humans (aka higher animals) are. And just like humans, when someone continually gives them something free that they don't work for, they throw all caution to the wind, lose their natural instincts, and become easy prey for those who choose to take advantage of them (Again, just like their more highly evolved bretheren).

I've watched deer, turkey, raccoons, squirrels, etc. gather under a feeder a few minutes before they know that the automatic timer is going to dish out the corn. I have no doubt that the big cats quickly pick up on the habits too and lurk for an easy meal. It doesn't matter just how strong or healthy you are if you let your guard down, a quick bite on the neck will end your game.

Bob
 
There used to have jaguars (the cats, not the car) in south Texas. They have recently been sighted in AZ so maybe eventually they will get back over there.

bob
 
Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)

Photo ©TPWD
Description
Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Weight: 70-170 lbs.

The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Mountain Lions are also called cougars, pumas, panthers, painters, and catamounts.

For more information see:

Mountain Lions of Texas (PDF 235.5 Kb)
Field Guide to the Mountain Lions of Texas (PDF 888.6 Kb)
Life History
Mountain Lions are relatively uncommon, secretive animals. They are carnivores that prey on a variety of animals; some favorites include deer and wild hogs. Other prey animals included in the Mountain Lion's diet are rabbits, jackrabbits, javelinas, and rodents. Some lions occasionally kill livestock or dogs.

The Mountain Lion is solitary, except during breeding. Their young (typically 2-3 cubs) can be born almost any time of the year. Females usually breed every two to three years.
Habitat
Mountain Lions generally are found in remote mountains, canyonlands, or hilly areas with good cover.
Distribution
The Mountain Lion has the widest distribution of any wild cat, from Canada to South America. Formerly distributed throughout North America, the Mountain Lion is now found mostly in the remote areas of the western U.S., as well as western Canada and much of Mexico. A small population still exists in southern Florida, where the species is considered endangered.

In Texas, the Mountain Lion is found throughout the Trans-Pecos, as well as the brushlands of south Texas and portions of the Hill Country. Sighting and kill reports indicate that Mountain Lions now occur in more counties than they did 10 years ago and appear to be expanding their range into central Texas.

Photo ©TPWD
 
About five years ago we had one on our front lawn one night, then later in the pasture checking out the cows. I didn't see it, but my mother, around 90 at the time, told me the next morning she saw the biggest cat she had ever seen, with the prettiest yellow eyes. My son then told me he saw it that night when changing the irrigation water. The cat killed a neighbors colt in a corral and wreaked havoc for about a week before it was finally shot. This happened just east of Klamath Falls, Or.
 
Hey, what's the deal? Thought they only took the old or weak...at least that's what the "experts" say about our northern pal the timber wolf..

They also take the young, robust, and careless. I've backtracked a lion kill and jumped the lion off an elk calf carcass easily twice the lion's weight, which it dragged some two hundred yards from the kill site. That a lion can take down a "tame" deer at a feeder is no surprise.
 
Probably about 9 years ago I was bowhunting on the King Ranch. I saw a mountain lion two days in a row (looked like the same one and it was in the same place). There was no mistake as I watched it both times for a minute or so about 200 yds down a dirt road thru binocs. It was a young one and was pretty lean.
 
I saw a large black Jaguar up in OK on Sept 1,
2007. It was about a mile or so from my property.
Of course, I have many cat experts that think
I've lost my mind, but it was right in front of
me in the road, in the daytime, and I know what
I saw.
You should have seen it run. Like something out
of Africa. And it was very large. I'm talking
Great Dane size nearly.
And a very distinctive boxy snout which I'll
never forget.
Looked very much like this one, except that
from my vantage point I couldn't really see the
rosettes on the coat as well as that one.
The one I saw looked almost jet black from my
car.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...ologie.de-nk0005.JPG
I've got a recorded Monster Quest show that
deals with large black cats, and two of the
people interviewed were in OK. So I'm not the
only one claiming to see them.
They interviewed one guy that has thirty acres
east of OKC, and maybe 80 miles or so west of
me, and he's seen them, and had livestock
killed by them. Even a llama.
Also a rancher in that area has had calves
killed, and they would drag the calves up into
trees for future lunch options.
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Some claim they are feral dogs, etc..
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Dogs don't take calves up onto tree limbs to
eat them.
Seeing that cat is a large reason why I'm always
armed up there now.
And there are dog packs around there also, but
I know a dog from a cat.
I've even had some try to tell me I saw an
overgrown house cat.. This animal would have
eaten a house cat with one big chomp.
Jaguars kill by crushing the skull, and this
cat I saw had the jaws to do it.
I'd be afraid to run across that thing in the
woods. No joke. It was big and mean looking.
And it ran like something you would see on an
African safari show. Big long effortless
strides. It was no dog, and most certainly not
a house cat on steroids.
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Been hunting East Texas last 10 years.
Hunt with mostly older local guys. They tell of stories about cats here. Always black.
I always thought they were full of mud.

I know a average tomcat can make a good racket and I'm sure a bobcat can...seen a few of those.
But, late one evening hunt two season's ago I could hear what sounded like a small yote and maybe a pig gruntin and yippin over something about 50-75 yards to my left.

About three minutes later there was a SCREAM that brought me outta my seat.(huntin outta my mule)...the woods went stone quite.
I left before it got dark.
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You would think more..if they existed.. would get picked up on game cameras.
Anyway..it makes a large bore Smith your new best friend.
 
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