Would you shoot it?

[Alpo]

The thread down the line about making meatballs using manatee and Florida panther dredged this up out of memory.


For those that are unaware, the Florida panther is not only our state animal, but it's on the endangered list and they get very upset with you if you kill one.


Five or six years ago I was looking out the front window and saw this large brown animal loping down the road. He was about three houses away, so I could not clearly identify him. but the way he ran looked exactly like movies I have seen of mountain lions running.


Oh joy. We have a large carnivore running down the street in a residential neighborhood.


So I picked up a rifle and stepped out the door, and leaned over the hood of my truck. I still was not absolutely positive that it was a big cat, but just in case.


When he got even with me, across the street, I saw that it was a dog. Went back in the house and put the gun up.


But if it HAD been a panther - I don't know if I would have shot it or not. I know I would have gotten in much much trouble if I had shot a panther.



So this post is simply a mind game.


If you were there, and it was a panther running down your neighborhood street, would you have shot it?

 

[Kurusu]

Probably not. I mean if there were lives in peril I would without a blink. Otherwise not.

 

[arjay]

If it was stalking someone,I would.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Unless lives were in immediate danger, I'd just stay inside and call the police/animal control.

But I'm also saying that from the comfort of my living room in an area with no 4-legged predator sightings.

 

[mtgianni]

No to the loping down the street 3 houses away. Yes to the in my yard with grandchildren being threatened. By threatened I mean they are present with no cover and less than 10 yards between them, panther is in a threatening pose or mode.

 

[MRB1]

I've mellowed over the years, so shooting something just for the heck of it wouldn't happen. Anything bothering my livestock are exceptions.

 

[CH4]

Discharging a firearm in a residential area is not a good idea. It's a felony in most jurisdictions. If someone's life is in eminent peril, that's a decision you'd have to make at that moment. Aiming a loaded/unloaded rifle down a residential street also not wise. Could be mistaken for brandishing.
Be careful.

 

[wood714]

I've heard they usually don't come very far north, but I saw one one night around 2:15 AM on my way home from work.

It got hit by a car not long after.

Panther Struck by I-95 Motorist

 

[WR Moore]

I live in a state that's officially cougar/panther free. However, I clearly recall workplace surveilance cameras showing considerable evidence of what was either one of the above or someone's unreported escaped immature African lion.

I think I'd have run for a camera of any type in the OP's case.

 

[Mule Packer]

It actually happened in our old neighborhood. We were living in a small rural community in northern California at the time...close to the Oregon border, up in the redwoods. As you know, the cougar is a protected species in California.

Anyway, it was around dusk and my neighbor down the road was out in back of his house when his nine-year old son said, "Dad, there's a cougar in our backyard." Alan looked and sure enough, less than twenty yards away was a full-grown mountain lion crouched under a bush. Alan told his son to get in the house and fetch his rifle. As the little boy turned to go into the home, the mountain lion followed him with its eyes.

The gun was retrieved, Alan shot the cougar, it jumped and ran away. Alan immediately called our local game warden and reported the incident. Two wardens came out, one was the captain of the Fish and Game. They tracked the lion in the dark and found it still alive, but barely, and killed it.

In talking with the wardens, Alan admitted that he knew it was against the law to shoot a cougar and was ready to face the penalty. The captain said, "Alan, it's one thing to shoot at a mountain lion that's 200 yards running away from you. It's a totally different story when one is in your backyard stalking your little boy."

Not too long after, I had one that was hanging out around my place. I called the Fish and Game. The captain came out, checked all around my place, and confirmed that I had a big cougar roaming around. Then he said to me, "You've taught Hunter Safety for us for 28 years and you know what's a safe shot. If you get a shot at it...take it. You're not only surrounded by livestock, but this thing is too close to a neighborhood."

Never saw it after that, though...which was probably good. Most people in southern California, who carry the votes, have no idea what a cougar can do. They believe what they've watched on the Disney channel. Personally, I think the cougar in California will remain protected until one takes down a politician's kid...but that's just my own opinion.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Here in Ohio, Mountain Lions are rare, but one lives by my best friend. We have several African Lions that roam the woods in eastern central Ohio (say for 50-60 miles East and Southeast of Columbus). 8 or 9 years ago, a man with a private zoo released his animals before killing himself, it made national news. ALL those animals, were captured and or destroyed! No there are actually escaped lions from years ago. They are well fed on our over abundant deer population! ODNR refuses to acknowledge these exist! No matter how much evidence or who brings that evidence.

About one month after the "Zoo Release" a women calls the Muskingum County Sherriff's dispatcher, and says there is a Lion in the woods roaring! The S.O. says that couldn't be! The lions from the release were all euthanized. She responded, "I know they were euthanized, I did the euthanizing at the Columbus Zoo! This is a different lion, HE is outside my fence, and challenging my 4 (four!) lions!"

There was a small private zoo near Mt. Gilead, Ohio. They had two large cats, a Tiger, and a Ligar (crossbreed lion/tiger) These never escaped! And were removed to a rescue shelter for large cats about 7 to 8 years ago!

About 20 to 25 yeas ago, a Black Bear swam the Ohio River, and roamed Ohio. He was captured and returned to West Virginia. On his second trip to Ohio, ODNR decided 25 miles was too close to Columbus. So they Shot and killed the bear!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears Oh My! I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto!

Ivan

 

[walkinghorse]

Here in S.D. it is calving and foaling season, so mountain lions are not welcomed by the ranchers! The state trapper can be called, or self remediation! A mama cougar set up her den under a porch of a house down the highway, state trapper solved the problem there.
Last summer a young boy killed a cougar after their goats.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Ivan, I remember the Zanesville exotic animal incident in 2011. Incredibly sad. Among those euthanized were 18 Bengal tigers.

I also remember the vitriol unleashed by animal rights activists against LEO's who inherited and had to deal with a clear threat to the public.

No one went home happy that week.

 

[arjay]

My sister in Wyoming had a run in with one in her yard,in the dark, who was eyeballing one of her dogs. My other sister almost tripped over one in her neighbors driveway in the foothills here. There have been a number of reports in the last few years of them within a mile or two of my house.
I've yet to see one..ever..wadda rip!

 

[loknload]

I would not kill an animal just to kill an animal.
A strange wild animal in a residential area I would report. If it became an imminent danger to me, my family or someone else well then all bets are off. In a residential area though it would have to be one clean shot!

 

[meaneyedcatz]

I would not unless it had someone in sight as a menu item.

Maybe shoot to scare it away without hitting it.

Let's all hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[bgrafsr]

Ivan, I remember the Zanesville exotic animal incident in 2011. Incredibly sad. Among those euthanized were 18 Bengal tigers.

I also remember the vitriol unleashed by animal rights activists against LEO's who inherited and had to deal with a clear threat to the public.

No one went home happy that week.

Not a lion, but we had a deer struck and injured by a car on a busy street with several businesses on it near the downtown area. We had to euthanize the animal, and some bleeding heart at one of the businesses yelled out the window and called us "murderers". I turned to her and told her to shut the hell up and mind her own business. Thought for sure she would call the PD or City and complain, but never heard any more about it.

 

[Injunbro]

We live in an area w/ no close neighbors. A mountain lion visits our pond or water trough regularly @ night (we see tracks in the morning). We can tell when it's around because our 1/2 wolf. 1/2 idiot dog who isn't afraid of anything including horses gets real quiet. I've seen it once in daylight. I won't shoot it for drinking water or just being around, I will if it threatens any people.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Not a lion, but we had a deer struck and injured by a car on a busy street with several businesses on it near the downtown area. We had to euthanize the animal, and some bleeding heart at one of the businesses yelled out the window and called us "murderers". I turned to her and told her to shut the hell up and mind her own business. Thought for sure she would call the PD or City and complain, but never heard any more about it.

Bill, my close, late friend Mike Bray was an LEO for the city of Blue Ash. He was called to respond to a deer having been struck by a car. When he arrived the deer had two broken legs and was trying to get up. Mike called Animal Control but it would be an hour before they could get there.

It was tearing at him so he took his service 9 and shot the deer in the head. It didn't die so he shot it again. Again, it didn't die but was in more agony. Mike ran to his cruiser and grabbed the 870. It dispatched the deer.

Mike was so shaken that he sat in his cruiser and wept until A.C. picked up the carcass. He was beating himself up for not using the shotgun first.

 

[Injunbro]

Bill, my close, late friend Mike Bray was an LEO for the city of Blue Ash. He was called to respond to a deer having been struck by a car. When he arrived the deer had two broken legs and was trying to get up. Mike called Animal Control but it would be an hour before they could get there.

It was tearing at him so he took his service 9 and shot the deer in the head. It didn't die so he shot it again. Again, it didn't die but was in more agony. Mike ran to his cruiser and grabbed the 870. It dispatched the deer.

Mike was so shaken that he sat in his cruiser and wept until A.C. picked up the carcass. He was beating himself up for not using the shotgun first.

While working on the highway a deer was hit (not by us) & a Hwy. patrolman tried to euthanize it w/ his .40 to the head. It didn't do the job (bad bullet placement). He was bumfuzzled what to do next. I finished it w/ a sledgehammer to the base of the skull. Lesson: bullets only make holes, unlike the non-existent death rays from hollyweird.