Outdoors
Sponsored by

Hill Country Lion Sighting

9,330 Views | 103 Replies | Last: 10 days ago by OnlyForNow
John Cocktolstoy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The AntAGonist said:

Jaguar? Maybe? They have been spotted again in southern Arizona. It's more wishful thinking on my part.

Yep wishful thinking also. Pretty sure it was another huge lion, just so far it looked darker. That wishful dream is going to get me one morning on the dark trail when that bigfoot comes out!
Second Hardest Workin Man on Texags
The AntAGonist
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Swamp Thing of Ottine: Your Friendly Neighborhood Bigfoot

Well be advised then!
John Cocktolstoy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The AntAGonist said:

Swamp Thing of Ottine: Your Friendly Neighborhood Bigfoot

Well be advised then!

Funny!
That is actually my old 9th grad math teacher. No one wanted to encounter him then either.
Second Hardest Workin Man on Texags
amymc72
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I was on a long run with a guy from my running group and we are 99.9% certain a mountain lion ran across the road in front of us around 6a on 8/30/25. Size and color were consistent. Plus a few deer had crossed ahead of it moments before. Northeast of Longview. After reading this thread today I poked around on the TPWD website and saw a release about Longview PD hitting a mountain lion in Gregg County in December 2024 and that TPWD recovered the remains for genetic testing (and confirmed it was a female mountain lion). So now I am convinced that is what we saw. Yikes.
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Mountain lions are ambush hunters. They Very Very rarely chase anything more than 10-15 meters. Usually the most energy they spend hunting is actually moving the carcass to a Cliff of ledge that isn't easily accesible. Also, they Very rarely "run". They stalk and ambush. They don't chase unless actively pursuing pretty. Usually they approach at a Very Very Very cat like prowl and Not a run until they are honed in on a kill. If deer etc were moving and it was following them, it 99.2% wasn't a mountain lion unless it was moving at a i'm about to kill a deer speed and it would only do that for about 10 seconds. After that it wouldn't date the energy after losing the element of surprise. It justxisnt worth it from an energy exertion stand point. Mountain lions most of the time attack from above and behind. Bobcats however Will Chase Chase Chase Deer.

We actually put fake eyes on the back of your ski and bike helmets becaue mountain lions Very Very Very Very rarely if ever will attack you if they think you're looking at them. They want to surprise and overwhelm w Very little energy expense Not Chase and follow. Instead they will sit on a Tree branch or cornice and just wait wait wait until they find a victim.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
SabineAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Update: A juvenile male mountain lion was shot earlier this week by a neighbor of ours.

I think safe to assume it was the same as the one shared in my OP.
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
We Have a jaguar by our house in Mxico that likes to eat house cats and dogs. His nickname is lo Asesino. He's probably snatched 5/6 of the local pets.

Hoping to never conocerlo. His cries are mortifying.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Bad Bull. No reason to kill it. Texans have a hard time sharing nature w nature.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Gunny456
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Lots of folks don't understand the need for apex predators and the effects they have on mesopredators.
jja79
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
The AntAGonist said:

Jaguar? Maybe? They have been spotted again in southern Arizona. It's more wishful thinking on my part.


The University of Arizona Wild Cat Center has evidence of 8 jaguars in the state the last 30 years. I grew up in the Trans-Pecos/Big Bend area and live very near the 2.9 million acre Tonto National Forest in Arizona and I've only met one person in 68 years that has actually seen a mountain lion. I'm skeptical of them being seen as often as is posted in populated areas. Males have ranges of 100 to 20p square miles. Everyone living in a populated area would see one given their range.
ttha_aggie_09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Gunny456 said:

Lots of folks don't understand the need for apex predators and the effects they have on mesopredators.
Yeah, I would have normally agreed with a post like this until I saw first hand how destructive a big cat can be on your deer herd. We have spent too much time and money (>20 years) managing our deer herd and feeding them only to have a mountain lion wipe out god knows how many in a couple of year period. It's only now, about a year and a half after we killed it, that we're starting to see a rebound.

I think they're cool animals and respect their place in nature, but they're competing for the same resources I am and I will shoot every one I see, just like bobcats (I've seen them kill deer), from here on out.
Gunny456
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
We had two instances of lions on our high fence ranch in the hill country in the years we had it and I had experiences with a few on ranches I helped manage.
The first on our ranch was a female with cubs and she killed a crap young WT buck we had. Then she moved on.
The second was a male that killed three Axis we had, but he moved on, thankfully. Had he not, I would have had no choice but to get rid of him someway.
They never bothered any other exotic species we had, and no effect on our WT herd that caused us alarm.
I worked with Dr Inglis in WFS one summer on a predator project in south Texas and learned a lot from that…..and what importance they play in the ecosystem…..Also with the TPWD lion project guys back in the 80's and learned a lot from them on the lions habits and lives.
All predators, apex and mesopredators have their place and function but with the advent of man that balance has been forever changed so now they must be managed as you say.
I had a huge investment in animals at our ranch as well. We had some predator kills by lions and occasionally by coyotes. Except for our Axis, they usually killed animals that I would have culled probably anyway.
I understand your thoughts and feelings on the predators same as your dislike of Aoudads. I have always respected your knowledge and opinions and feel the same in this discussion.
Apex predators have their place or the mesopredators will overpopulate. Mesopredators have their place or we will be overrun with vermin. I've always had the mindset that God was pretty smart in his creation but man has changed the habitat with introduction of domesticated animals and development of land and so the predators and prey have to be managed or they will get all out of balance.
I say again, I understand and can relate to your thoughts too!
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Wow. Playing God isn't your purpose.

So glad I Don't Live in TX. Wow.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
ttha_aggie_09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
The feeling is mutual
SabineAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Gunny456
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
He did not say anything about eradicating the species. He just voiced his opinion that on his land, the predators in his opinion, have hurt the resource that he hunts and he wants to keep that from happening by controlling the numbers on his place. He does have the right to manage it as he sees fit on his land. Man vs. apex predators (and in many instances mesopredators) in the US has been an ongoing conflict for centuries. Arguments both ways are right as much as they're wrong.
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Todo bien. Thats why I Don't Live there. I prefer to Live in places where people respect nature and respect their place in nature.

Ironic how many Texans want a rehabilitation of natural predators etc but then When the diversity presents it self, kill that animal because It's impacting their financial expendetures. Thats playing God and Why Texas Is in the situation they're in respect to repopulating Native anything. You can't have it both ways.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Also, they have shown through studies at CU that mountain lions very rarely kill healthy deer. The majority of the animals killed are CWD or injured or otherwise unable to defend themselves due to injury or gentica or disease.

That mountain lion was doing you a favor but kets kill them all because they kill deer. What an abortion or Wildlife management.

https://animalwellnessaction.org/mountain-lions-offer-more-than-pretty-face-fine-physique/#:~:text=Field%20studies%20in%20Colorado%20show,deer%20compared%20to%20healthy%20deer.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
ttha_aggie_09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Are you the former Ski posting Covid Nazi that freaked out about people going to ski in CO without masks or vaccines? I know that posters name but you seem very familiar.

I know you're obviously a prop 114 supporter…
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
This Paradigm Is Why Texas flounders with Most anything Wildlife. What a short sighted and ego centric way of behaving towards nature. Just wow.

It was their land LONG before it was "yours".
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
ttha_aggie_09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Thank you for your study on mountain lions in Colorado preying on Mule Deer and elk… I'll file that under things that are totally irrelevant to Texas Mountain lions in the hill country preying on whitetail deer.
ttha_aggie_09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Don't waste your time. Obviously you can move out of our state and still not think it and its people are stupid, but not this guy. He can stay in granola hippy land
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
100% support it. They're a natural predator and the overall Health of the eco system is better with them. Cattle Ranchers and their profits arent my concert. Nature being healthy and leaving no trace of man in nature is my concern.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Mexico is granola hippie land? Since when?
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Deerdude
How long do you want to ignore this user?
To the victor go the spoils. I guarantee that wherever you reside, that you or yours took it from someone before you. Just stop with the holier than thou garbage. I've forgotten more about conservation that you ever knew, and operate my property accordingly. It may not be your way but frankly I don't care.
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Thanks Boomer. Love the I forgot more than you'll ever know tripe. Thats the best you can do? ROFL.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Deerdude
How long do you want to ignore this user?
All I needed to say. Point is I even have wildlife to manage and do well at it without concern for treehuggers getting in the way.
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
We live on a commune in Mexico. We didn't take it from anyone. It was and still is Kulkulkans. We just streward the land. We live zero waste and leave no trace. Rainwater collection, no permanent structures, etc. When we pack up, everything weve created is biodegradable.

We Don't Have frences, we Don't Kill jaguars because they kill pets. We share the land and we respect the land. We Don't play god and We Don't think man is superior to nature.

Thanks for the ego centric american perspective though.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
ttha_aggie_09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Alright, this just has to be a troll now
Deerdude
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It wasn't always theirs and to think so is very shortsighted, there was always someone before. Kinda selective like the Native American self righteousness when there were many warring factions, not just one big happy family like libs would portray.
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It's been the mayans since ~1200BC. Before rhat is was stewarded by their meso american ancestros. So yeah I'd say it's been "theirs" forever. BUT They unlike europeans and westerners don't claim to own anything because They don't recognize mans ability to own nature or land. Kulkulkan created man nature and all creatures. If nature is a body, each animal is a body part. Thus If man tries to play god, he only diseases himself since he's part of the overall body. That why the Government is "stealing" it from them to build all your pretty all inclusive Resorts. They won't "sell" it because they culturally don't recognize mans right to own anything in nature. It's all one body and you can't subdivide it without consequences. You share your space w nature because it's their space too. Man doesn't create harmony or balance. Man created chaos snd im balance to benefit him in a system designed not by him but by a higher power. When man recognizes their place and doesn't play Kulkulkan, all things fall into balance. Man isn't the solution, man is the problem.

Guessing you don't know much about mayan culture.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Mas89
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Bayou City said:

This Paradigm Is Why Texas flounders with Most anything Wildlife. What a short sighted and ego centric way of behaving towards nature. Just wow.

It was their land LONG before it was "yours".

Same with your Colorado and the Indians. You should give them all your stuff, along with any of Their property you own.
Because it's Thanksgiving, I'll spare you the after photo of the feral shepherd x that was after a new born calf this week…
Bayou City
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Deal and done jaja

Does gifting our residence and vehicle to a Ute tribes Member count? Already ahead of you

We had all of our Colorado stuff in a 5x10 storage unit in Gypum. After a year or two, We felt entitled paying for it while living in mexico so we donated the storage unit contents to good will and BWL for any left over ski equipment.

Feels good to not be encumbered by materialism and to give back to those less Fortunate.
"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Mark Twain
Troy91
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
This thread took an interesting turn.

More cat talk and less commune chatter, please.
Centerpole90
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Page 2 of 3
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.