I spend 8000.00 a year for my Deer lease and countless hours and money spent on feed, feeders and stands. I love deer hunting and all that goes with it. I have noticed over the past 2 years our game is disapearing. Wild turkey have all but vanished from my lease. I worked hard for 10 years to manage the deer hurd keeping genetics and age. doe to buck ratio and large breeder bucks in tact. only harvesting old declining bucks and spikes. Now I'm finding young trophy bucks dead on our lease. Why? because a preditor mountain lion has moved in on my turf. Last week I had a run in with a mountain lion at my stand, and my daughter had one show up at her feeder. I have called the game warden; and he simply said for me to do what I need to do with the cat. He also said many ranchers in our area would appreciate me taking the cat or cats out. After researching the Texas mountain lion I have found that the large preditor cat has made a significant comeback. They are all over south and west texas. There is no building or vast growth in the area of Texas that I hunt. So the hurd must be managed.

Here is as picture of Red River Gorge by a Flickr photographer jimcrotty.com:

Thanks for sharing. I just wish you had shared a bit more! But it is really nice to hear from someone who has had a "wildcat experience" and is willing to share even if it is a very brief one.

I suppose the telling part of this story is the fact that the mountain lion just cleared off. They are shy retiring animals so for people to shoot them in so called defense should be very rare indeed (there are some but very very few attacks on people).

I sense that there are some people who are a bit trigger happy and too keen to prove themselves with a rifle against an animal that is no bigger than a small women. Although I have never encountered one I do not believe that they are dangerous. It is well known that they can be frightened off.