Cat got my deer!!!!!
12-13-2002, 06:46 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Houston MO USA
Posts: 13
Cat got my deer!!!!!
I went muzzle loader hunting this past Wed. night and shot a nice size
doe. There wasn't alot of blood and it took me an hour just to find
where it went out of our food plot. When I did find it, it trailed up
a steep hill which was another sign that it wasn't a good hit. I
trailed for two hours until it got dark and the blood was just a drop
or 2 every four or five feet. Went out early the next morning and
trailed for another hour and only went about 75 yds. Then had to go to
work. Called my father to tell him what had happened and ask him what
I should do. He said he would go out and look around. He found my
ribbon from last blood and trailed for another hour. Went to see him
on my lunch hour and he told me he found my deer. I was relieved
until he said something beat him to it. He said he was about to give
up but for some reason he saw this pile of leaves that looked odd. He
went over to have a look and there was my deer with the chest cavity
wide open. He said it looked like a big cat had been there. I went
out after work and him and 2 conservation agents were just coming out
of the woods and they confirmed that it looks like a mountiain lion
claimed my deer.
Sorry to make this such a long story. Has anyone else had any
experience with big cats? I never thought I had to worry about
them here in Missouri. I know there are some around but have never
heard of them being around our place.
What would you guys do? Not worry about it? Declare open season on
the cat (I know it's against the law)? Just wanting to hear your
stories and/or opinions. Needless to say, I'm a little more jumpy
when walking through the woods now.
doe. There wasn't alot of blood and it took me an hour just to find
where it went out of our food plot. When I did find it, it trailed up
a steep hill which was another sign that it wasn't a good hit. I
trailed for two hours until it got dark and the blood was just a drop
or 2 every four or five feet. Went out early the next morning and
trailed for another hour and only went about 75 yds. Then had to go to
work. Called my father to tell him what had happened and ask him what
I should do. He said he would go out and look around. He found my
ribbon from last blood and trailed for another hour. Went to see him
on my lunch hour and he told me he found my deer. I was relieved
until he said something beat him to it. He said he was about to give
up but for some reason he saw this pile of leaves that looked odd. He
went over to have a look and there was my deer with the chest cavity
wide open. He said it looked like a big cat had been there. I went
out after work and him and 2 conservation agents were just coming out
of the woods and they confirmed that it looks like a mountiain lion
claimed my deer.
Sorry to make this such a long story. Has anyone else had any
experience with big cats? I never thought I had to worry about
them here in Missouri. I know there are some around but have never
heard of them being around our place.
What would you guys do? Not worry about it? Declare open season on
the cat (I know it's against the law)? Just wanting to hear your
stories and/or opinions. Needless to say, I'm a little more jumpy
when walking through the woods now.
12-13-2002, 09:39 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MO USA
Posts: 69
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
Yes, there are indeed Mtn. Lions in Missouri. I have photos of one of our property in Southwest Missouri laying next to a deer it had killed. You've probably seen that photo, as it floats around (usually posted by people I don't know, who claim to have knowlege about it...).
Anyway, the behavior you are describing does not generally apply to mountain lions. They will only very rarely eat meat that they don't kill themselves. I suppose it's possible, though, in your case that since you wounded the deer that the lion may have actually found and killed it.
I wouldn't worry much about it. We've had them in the state for a long time. You'll probably never see it or even hear it, and it wants nothing to do with you.
Pretty cool story, really. Did you get any photos of the deer?
MOCraig
Anyway, the behavior you are describing does not generally apply to mountain lions. They will only very rarely eat meat that they don't kill themselves. I suppose it's possible, though, in your case that since you wounded the deer that the lion may have actually found and killed it.
I wouldn't worry much about it. We've had them in the state for a long time. You'll probably never see it or even hear it, and it wants nothing to do with you.
Pretty cool story, really. Did you get any photos of the deer?
MOCraig
12-13-2002, 10:42 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Houston MO USA
Posts: 13
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
My dad did when he went out with the Conservation agents. He said it
looked like there was place where there may have been a struggle b/t
the two. So I would almost bet the deer wasn't dead yet. The agents
also said that usually a mountain lion will pull out all the
intestines and not eat them. They said the intestines were partially
out but not all the way. But that may have been where I shot it.
They said the way the deer had been eaten and the way the skin had
been pulled back, and the way it was covered they have no doubt it
was a mountain lion. But they are going to send the pictures they
took to the "experts" and get their opinion. They also said that
the deer had been drug 10-20yds. and because it was a big doe it
couldn't have been a bobcat.
looked like there was place where there may have been a struggle b/t
the two. So I would almost bet the deer wasn't dead yet. The agents
also said that usually a mountain lion will pull out all the
intestines and not eat them. They said the intestines were partially
out but not all the way. But that may have been where I shot it.
They said the way the deer had been eaten and the way the skin had
been pulled back, and the way it was covered they have no doubt it
was a mountain lion. But they are going to send the pictures they
took to the "experts" and get their opinion. They also said that
the deer had been drug 10-20yds. and because it was a big doe it
couldn't have been a bobcat.
12-13-2002, 11:16 AM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 26,274
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
Amazing creatures. I watched one stalk a small hog two years ago on the Brazos river. They are impressive animals.
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity" Martin Luther King Jr.
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity" Martin Luther King Jr.
12-13-2002, 12:07 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MO USA
Posts: 69
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
That makes sense. They will not eat the intestines, and actually "field dress" the deer before eating, typically. Also, they do hide their kill, and return to feed on it for a few days, until either the meat is eaten or is becoming rank.
I find all of this really interesting for the last few years, as people (except for the Missouri Dept. of Conservation) generally call me a liar, even when I show them the photo. Again, I wouldn't worry about it. You'll be very lucky to see him/her.
MOCraig
I find all of this really interesting for the last few years, as people (except for the Missouri Dept. of Conservation) generally call me a liar, even when I show them the photo. Again, I wouldn't worry about it. You'll be very lucky to see him/her.
MOCraig
12-13-2002, 06:30 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Taunton MA USA
Posts: 220
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
Don't have any big cats around here in MA. I just wanted to add my 2 cents and say hats off to ya for putting so much effort into finding that deer instead of leaving it for dead.
MassBowhunter
"Climb Higher, Look Lower, Fall Asleep Less"
MassBowhunter
"Climb Higher, Look Lower, Fall Asleep Less"
12-13-2002, 08:00 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: M T BRYDGES Canada ONTARIO CANADA
Posts: 11
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
About 2weeks ago out on one of the Indian reservations they spotted to tan cougers and this is really rare here in southwestern Ontario Can. The rez peace keepers and rez police have been out every night and day trying to get them. A couple of years ago we had a black panther on the roam he hit a couple of horse,s but never got them done just ripped them up good .Police and Spc said if any one shoots it they will be in big trouble .Three months of tv coverage of kittys hits suddenly stopped local farmer had been waiting for this day and no more kitty people say he probaly went back to his owner yea what ever
12-22-2002, 12:58 PM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Missouri City TX USA
Posts: 18
RE: Cat got my deer!!!!!
Thank you for feeding the big cat!!!
Just a thought. If you have a trail cam, that fresh kill would be a perfect place to get some amazing pictures.
We have a lot of cougar sightings on my lease in south Texas. I'm worried they are starting to lose their fear of us--one of the hunters heard one scream just behind his blind at dark one evening. Kind of makes you think twice about walking to a ground blind in the dark doesn't it?
I think I found a kill last year that was so fresh I scared the mountain lion away from it (the buzzards hadn't found it yet, the blood and eyes weren't glazed, and it had never been covered with grass).
If you do see one, consider yourself blessed. They are rare and beautiful animals.
Just a thought. If you have a trail cam, that fresh kill would be a perfect place to get some amazing pictures.
We have a lot of cougar sightings on my lease in south Texas. I'm worried they are starting to lose their fear of us--one of the hunters heard one scream just behind his blind at dark one evening. Kind of makes you think twice about walking to a ground blind in the dark doesn't it?
I think I found a kill last year that was so fresh I scared the mountain lion away from it (the buzzards hadn't found it yet, the blood and eyes weren't glazed, and it had never been covered with grass).
If you do see one, consider yourself blessed. They are rare and beautiful animals.