Man killed by large cat in Texas.

[Sasquatch]

Yes, wolves have become a real problem in the eastern part of the state and have now migrated west across the Cascades, at least in the south near Crater Lake. When they start taking kids in the urban areas I hope they rethink their gran plan of having them run wild.

Yeah, I remember reading something a while back - tracking data on a big male wolf, its range was massive - and I think it had even come up the eastern side of Mt. Hood onto the Warm Springs Reservation, and it started out way the hell out in Eastern Oregon. I'd think a wolf ranging that far and as big as it was would be putting quite a hurting on the deer, elk, and possible livestock populations.

 

[Coop45]

As a teenager, I camped on the banks of my granddad's creek quite often. The house where my dad was raised was a few hundred yards away.
Dad told of the big cats occasional sighting and the blood curdling screams they produced. Being an immortal teen, I listened and went on my way.
One night, as the campfire died and I and my friend were dozing off, we heard it. Instantly wide eyed and standing, we bolted for the old farmhouse. Only one obstacle stood in our way. 5 strands of barbed wire.
The overweight and slow lineman I called a close friend was standing on the porch of the vacant house hollering for me to hurry. I was the light and fast wide receiver. As I climbed over the fence and hauled ass to the old house, another scream from closer behind emitted from the darkness. Once inside the relative safety of a dwelling I asked , "how did you get over the fence so fast?" The fat guy answered, "I hurdled it".

Funny story aside. That cat was after us and that sound. Good Lord. That sound.
We waited an hour or so. Went home and got a shotgun and spotlight.
Retrieved our camping gear and went back home for the night.
If you've ever heard a mountain lion scream, you know what I mean.

The county trapper had one when I was a kid and his daughter was the only person it allowed to get close without getting vey excited. It could be heard for a good distance,

 

[satx78247]

Chubbies need lovin' too, even the ugly ones. I'd second a motion for Moonpie to be the one to give that particular specimen some lovin tho, I don't mind some chub, but her chub's chub has chub and I have chronic hip pain




Wanna know something even more *fun* - they "reintroduced" wolves to southern and eastern Oregon (along with part of Washington, Cali, and Idaho) - and surprise surprise there have been problems with wolves. Talk to the ranchers and home owners out there (conservative part of those states) - they won't send their children out to play or to do chores unarmed. Either an armed adult goes, or the kids take a gun with them. There was zero need to introduce another predator species - especially one that hadn't inhabited the region in 100+ years, but the greenies just *had* to *save* the wolves by introducing a breed that wasn't even found there to begin with. Progressives are all for progression except when they want regression. Progressives hate human life and industry and value animal life over human life.

Sasquatch,
TRUE - Also the LEFTIST, so-called "enviromentalists", RADICALS don't want anyone killing wolves that are CHASING LIVESTOCK & the also don't want anyone paying for the livestock that was injured or killed.
(IF the predators come onto our family farm, the will get a SURPRIZE in the form of two large DONKEYS. - Since my kid sister, who manages the farm, got the "girls", several large/aggressive "stray dogs"/coyotes/coydogs have gotten "converted to bloody mush".)

FYI, donkeys are CHEAP to buy, don't eat much, cost little in veterinary costs & they absolutely HATE coyotes/coydogs/wolves.
(I find it "rather interesting" that Western stockmen generally would rather complain about predators chasing/injuring/killing stock than get themselves some donkeys.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do NOT feed your donkeys GRAIN or EVEN HIGH-QUALITY hay. = IGNORE THIS & you will cause them to FOUNDER and/or get COLIC.
Donkeys are DESERT ANIMALS & need little or NO "supplementation" at mealtime, that you might need to give your horses. - The will do fine on just plain grass, weeds & will enjoy "nibbling bushes".
(I know several "new donkey owners", who found that out THE HARD WAY to NOT give their donkeys "high protein alfalfa", "cubes" and/or grain..)

yours, satx

 

[Moonpie]

Stop teasing me with these pics..

You don't like shootin' or fishin'
You just like chasing them big butt women?

 

[Axxe55]

Donkey Nutrition.

Nutrition

Donkey eating apples from a trough
In their native arid and semi-arid climates, donkeys spend more than half of each day foraging and feeding, often on poor quality scrub.[62] The donkey has a tough digestive system in which roughage is efficiently broken down by hind gut fermentation, microbial action in the caecum and large intestine.[62] While there is no marked structural difference between the gastro-intestinal tract of a donkey and that of a horse, the digestion of the donkey is more efficient. It needs less food than a horse or pony of comparable height and weight,[63] approximately 1.5 percent of body weight per day in dry matter,[64] compared to the 2–2.5 percent consumption rate possible for a horse.[65] Donkeys are also less prone to colic.[66] The reasons for this difference are not fully understood; the donkey may have different intestinal flora to the horse, or a longer gut retention time.


Poitou donkeys.
Donkeys obtain most of their energy from structural carbohydrates. Some suggest that a donkey needs to be fed only straw (preferably barley straw), supplemented with controlled grazing in the summer or hay in the winter,[68] to get all the energy, protein, fat and vitamins it requires; others recommend some grain to be fed, particularly to working animals,[5] and others advise against feeding straw.[69] They do best when allowed to consume small amounts of food over long periods. They can meet their nutritional needs on 6 to 7 hours of grazing per day on average dryland pasture that is not stressed by drought. If they are worked long hours or do not have access to pasture, they require hay or a similar dried forage, with no more than a 1:4 ratio of legumes to grass. They also require salt and mineral supplements, and access to clean, fresh water.[70] In temperate climates the forage available is often too abundant and too rich; over-feeding may cause weight gain and obesity, and lead to metabolic disorders such as founder (laminitis[71]) and hyperlipaemia,[68] or to gastric ulcers

 

[Vaquero]

Is this the train to Tucumcari?

 

[Axxe55]

<sigh>

 

[Moonpie]

Is this the train to Tucumcari?

Nope.
This is the train to Rancho Cucamonga.

 

[roadkill]

 

[Coop45]

I'm not a fan of sport hunting, or killing any animal for the sake of killing, but mountain lions, cougars and such, are still a danger to livestock.

So having a season for them is not a bad idea, as long as if they are a threat to a rancher's livestock they can be killed without going through a bureaucracy and burdensome hoops to protect an investment in those livestock.

You don't want to screw with nature. In the mid/late 50's they killed off coyotes and the rabbits and this 12 year old got to use his Sears Roebuck single shot to spotlight with the adults.

 

[Coop45]

I want what she is taking.

 

[Coop45]

Culling serves a legitimate conservation purpose for the animals.

Wuz dat wut ym1st x wif did? She culled me?

 

[Coop45]

Some states give enough depredation permits to keep numbers at bey. Not to mention all those killed just because shooters feel the need. I some areas it’s obvious this is Not enough. Limited hunting is the only way to regulate. Problem is they have No real way of knowing the numbers.

They could ask the people keeping up with the china virus numbers.

 

[Axxe55]

Train on the way to Rancho Deluxe!

 

[Coop45]

To ALL,

Even in nations, that are considered to be VERY UNFRIENDLY to civilian ownership or "simple lawful on-premises possession of firearms", BIG GAME HUNTING by foreigners is ACTIVELY BEING PROMOTED. = VIETNAM, LAOS & CAMBODIA for just 3 such countries.
(CASH MONEY TALKS & BRAVO SIERRA WALKS, comes to mind.)

The government of VIETNAM will even LOAN "trophy hunters from abroad" GOVERNMENT-ISSUE FIREARMS & provide free AMMO, if the "foreign hunters" choose to NOT bring in their own firearms/ammo for trophy hunting..

CAMBODIA is currently advertising "AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES for BIG GAME HUNTING" (by foreigners ONLY) allover Asia & Europe for DEER, GAUR, WILD BUFFALO & even ASIAN ELEPHANT. .
(FYI, I have not, at least yet, seen such advertising in the USA.)

yours, satx

I never expected squirrels and cottontails to be in Vietnam. I assume tiger's would be the preferred game.

 

[satx78247]

I never expected squirrels and cottontails to be in Vietnam. I assume tiger's would be the preferred game.

Coop45,

RIGHT NOW (Frankly, I expect that may change SOON, as the local population has VASTLY increased since the end of the RVN War.), TIGERS are NOT lawfully hunted in Vietnam.
Wild Buffalo & Gaur are currently the "featured" Big Game species in VN & Cambodia.
(Gaur in that area often exceed a TON in weight & the Bulls may reach 2500 pounds.)

A retired COL, BA & "Well-known Big Game Hunter" that I once knew (He died about 2015 in Scotland.) & who had taken a LOT of Cape Buffalo, said that Asian Gaur are THE most dangerous of wild bovine species & that he recommended NOTHING less than a .458 WIN MAG to hunt them.
(He chuckled & said that, IF you had access to a 90mm anti-tank gun, you would not be "over-gunned".)

NOTE: I was recently asked if I would be interested in a "short term contract" of a few weeks to do "VIP security for a CEO" in SE Asia.
(IF that "gig" should come to pass, I may well see if I can get a hunt for Gaur, after the job ends.)

yours, satx

 

[Axxe55]

Lions, tigers and bears! Oh My!

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

 

[Coop45]

Coop45,

RIGHT NOW (Frankly, I expect that may change SOON, as the local population has VASTL increased since the end of the RVN War.), TIGERS are NOT lawfully hunted in Vietnam.
Wild Buffalo & Gaur are currently the "featured" Big Game species in VN & Cambodia.
(Gaur in that area often exceed a TON in weight & the Bulls may reach 2500 pounds.)

A retired COL, BA & "Well-known Big Game Hunter" that I once knew (He died about 2015 in Scotland.) & who had taken a LOT of Cape Buffalo, said thasian Gaur A are THE most dangerous of wild bovine species & that he recommended NOTHING less than a .458 WIN MAG to hunt them.
(He chuckled & said that, IF you had access to a 90mm anti-tank gun, you would not be "over-gunned".)

yours, satx

Damn, that is one tough looking cow. All I saw was Water Bo and they looked scary enough at the time. Looking at the pictures, I think he is correct about the 90mm.

 

[satx78247]

Damn, that is one tough looking cow. All I saw was Water Bo and they looked scary enough at the time. Looking at the pictures, I think he is correct about the 90mm.

Coop45,

The old COL simply said, "Nobody who wishes to continue to breathe should WOUND one of those beasts, lest you get invited to tea with St. Peter."

FYI, the largest KNOWN Guar bull ever taken weighed just over 3500 pounds & was over 7 feet tall at the shoulder. - I don't think that anyone KNOWS how large that a Gaur bull may grow.

yours, satx

 

[Axxe55]

It might be hard to hunt Gaur, when they are legally protected species.

Threats[edit]
In Laos, gaurs are highly threatened by poaching for trade to supply international markets, but also by opportunistic hunting, and specific hunting for home consumption.[29] In the 1990s, they were particularly sought by Vietnamese poachers for their commercial value.[28]

In Thailand, gaurs are highly threatened by poaching for commercial trade in meat and trophies.[23]

Conservation[edit]
Bos gaurus is listed in CITES Appendix I, and is legally protected in all range states.[1] Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been put into place in order to help reinforce the Gaur population.